Free of Me , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Sharon Hodde Miller

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110 pages

English

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We live in a culture that's all about self, becoming the best "me" I can be instead of becoming like Jesus. This me-centered message affects every area of our lives--our friendships, our marriages, even our faith--and it breaks each one in different ways. The self-focused life robs our joy, shrinks our souls, and is the reason we never quite break free of insecurity.In this book, Sharon Hodde Miller invites us into a bigger, Jesus-centered vision--one that restores our freedom and inspires us to live for more. She helps readers - identify the secret source of insecurity - understand how self-focus sabotages seven areas of our lives- learn four practical steps for focusing on God and others- experience freedom from the burden of self-focusAnyone yearning for a purpose bigger than "project me" will cherish this paradigm-shifting message of true fulfillment.

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	03 octobre 2017
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781493409457
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0432€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2017 by Sharon Hodde Miller
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-0945-7
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011
Scripture quotations labeled MSG are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Author is represented by The Christopher Ferebee Agency, www.christopherferebee.com .
Endorsements
“In Free of Me , Sharon exposes a mind-set that is not only widespread but prevents many of us from experiencing true freedom in Christ: living for self. Drawing on her own journey, Sharon offers deep spiritual wisdom through relatable stories to reveal the peril of self-focus, and she invites readers into a bigger, better story. In a culture captivated by self, this book is a must-read.”
Christine Caine, founder of A21 and Propel Women
“ Free of Me may be one of the most important truths for our times. This is not a book to only read—this is a book to become. Sharon Hodde Miller hands every woman a key with these pages that no woman can afford to pass up. Free of Me is the breaking free every soul desperately seeks.”
Ann Voskamp, author of New York Times bestsellers The Broken Way and One Thousand Gifts
“Sharon spotlights the crippling disease of self-focus and shows us how to break free from its entanglements. If you want to walk in God’s life-giving truth, this book will help you do just that!”
Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author; president of Proverbs 31 Ministries
“The most deceptive lies the enemy tells us concern how we see ourselves. Free of Me teaches us to see ourselves as God sees us. It is honest, down-to-earth, biblical, faithful, and gospel rich. Sharon writes like she lives—authentically, carefully, and accessibly. I count her a great friend and this a great book.”
J. D. Greear, pastor, The Summit Church; author of Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved
“Sharon’s passion in life is Jesus and giving him away to others. Sharon has lived intentionally and her perspective is hard-fought in the trenches of following Jesus and conforming her life to look like his. She is a thoughtful, contagious force—so prepare to love Jesus more.”
Jennie Allen, founder of IF:Gathering; author of Nothing to Prove
“There is a troubling trend in Christian messages today: gospels which are more about self than Christ. In Free of Me , Sharon takes aim at this false gospel, revealing its emptiness and why it can’t deliver. Through personal testimony and scriptural backing, she explains how we can reject these messages and focus on the one true gospel that frees. In these pages, Sharon issues a bold call we all need to hear, which is why I highly recommend this book.”
Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham Distinguished Chair, Wheaton College
“One of the best things for a healthy marriage, workplace, parent situation, or any calling is to realize the world is not orbiting around our axis. True joy is found when we realize there is a bigger story to tell, and the tyranny of ‘me’ is actually a terrible slave driver. In Free of Me , Sharon paints this picture more beautifully than anyone I know. I hope you are encouraged as much as I was.”
Jefferson Bethke, author of Love That Lasts
“Too many books written by and for Christian women are shallow and trivial. This is not one of them. Free of Me provides deep biblical and human understanding and offers the best sort of wisdom: honest, hard-won, and biblically sound. I will be recommending this book widely and enthusiastically to many for years to come.”
Karen Swallow Prior, PhD, professor of English at Liberty University; author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me and Fierce Convictions— The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More: Poet, Reformer Abolitionist
“Rarely do I read a book with the powerful combination of eloquence and practical truth, but Free of Me has it. Sharon Miller has woven honest personal stories with steady wisdom in guiding us to the joy that comes from a life of freedom from self. What a gift to our me first culture. This book is a sweet discipling on every page. I’m grateful for the message of Free of Me and the lives it will truly set free.”
Lisa Whittle, speaker; author of I Want God and Put Your Warrior Boots On
“Determined to recover joy she had known and somehow lost, Sharon Hodde Miller set out on a quest to find the root of soul-sapping insecurity that was sabotaging relationships and roles she once loved. What she discovered is deeper than self-help; it is soul healing and life-shifting. In Free of Me , Sharon takes us with her on a gut-honest search for answers to the questions our hearts are asking: What’ s wrong with me? Why do I feel like I’ m never enough? Grounded in God’s Word and packed with personal stories, insightful revelations, applicable resolutions, and sometimes humorous yet convicting truth, this message will set you free!”
Renee Swope, bestselling author of A Confident Heart
“In this honest, engaging, and refreshing book, Sharon adjusts our gaze ever so slightly, but that slight perspective shift makes all the difference. The struggle against chronic self-focus is personal to me, and I’m grateful to Sharon for this manual of sorts to help redirect my gaze back to the gospel, to others, to God.”
Amanda Bible Williams, author and chief content officer at She Reads Truth
Dedication
To my three great joys, Ike, Isaac, and Coen. Loving you is God’s kindness to me.
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Endorsements 5
Dedication 9
Introduction 13
P ART O NE : S ELF -D ISTRACTED 17
1. Mirror Girl 19
2. Forgetting Myself 29
P ART T WO : S EVEN M IRRORS 41
3. When You Make God about You 43
4. When You Make Family about You 55
5. When You Make Your Appearance about You 70
6. When You Make Your Possessions about You 81
7. When You Make Your Friendships about You 93
8. When You Make Your Calling about You 104
9. When You Make Your Church about You 115
Interlude 127
P ART T HREE : H OW TO B E F REE OF M E 131
10. Praise: Why Loving God Sets Us Free 133
11. People: Why Loving Others Unleashes Us 144
12. Purpose: Why Your Freedom Has a Form 155
13. Passion: Why the Humble Are So Free 166
14. Forgetting Yourself without Neglecting Yourself 177
Epilogue: Too Small a Thing 189
Acknowledgments 193
Notes 197
About the Author 203
Introduction
I t’s not about you.”
These are the famous opening words to Rick Warren’s bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life , and when I began telling people about the vision for this book, these were the words I returned to. I didn’t land on them intentionally, but organically, because they capture my own journey well. I couldn’t ignore the way people’s ears perked up when they heard the phrase. Something resonated, as if it was a message they needed.
Even so, I wondered if the phrase was too bold. “It’s not about you” can sound scolding, which is not the message I intended. I consulted my friend Karen, a fellow writer and wise woman of God, to see what she thought of the phrase. “Is it too in your face ?” I asked. “Do you think it has a place? Do Christians have the ears to hear it?”
“I love it!” she declared without hesitation. “I think this message offers something needed, that people want to hear.”
What Karen understood, and what God has taught me over the years, is that there are two ways of saying, “It’s not about you.” One is a rebuke, a finger-wagging sentiment, usually directed at “young people these days.” But there is another way of saying it, and hearing it too: “It’s not about you” can be freedom. The friend who rejected you, the parent who hurt you, the boss who insulted you, the neighbor who was rude to you— it’s not about you . Their brokenness, their temper, their cold, piercing words; none of that was about you, but them. When your house isn’t as big as you’d like it to be, or your ministry isn’t as successful, or your name isn’t as well known, thank goodness it’s not about you . Your marriage, your calling, your life here on earth, none of it is about you. It’s all about God, from the first to the last, and that is some of the best news on earth.
When you make things about you that are not about you, it’s a terrible burden. Living for yourself is a crushing weight. Deep down, we all know that if we could stop trying to people-please, stop trying to measure up, stop focusing on our flaws, and stop dwelling on rejection, life would be a lot easier. If we could only focus a little less on ourselves and a little more on God, our shoulders would feel so much lighter.
I think we all know that. But the challenge is, how?
The Allure of S