altar ego by Craig Groeschel

Craig writes, “If you've ever felt insecure, inadequate, or insufficient, this book is for you.” (9) Where do you get your worth? Do you believe what others say about you or what God says?

Craig wants us to discover how to live with an altar ego – God's view of us. He helps us find our identity baggage and then see our new identity in Christ.

He shows us specifically who God says we are. We are God's masterpiece. We are overcomers. We are ambassadors.

And when we know our true identity in Christ, it will drive our actions and empower us to live by God's values, not the world's. We are to live with patience, integrity, gratitude, showing honor, boldness – bold speaking, bold prayers, bold obedience.

Craig does not predict instant results. There will be challenges to overcome. “Almost everything worthwhile I'm doing today is a result of God helping me to overcome a challenge, a problem, opposition, or my own doubts.” (59) Nonetheless, Craig reminds us, we are super conquerors in Christ (hupernikao in Rom. 8:37).

Craig double-dog dares us to ask God to use us. He suggests we pray, “Lord, use me today, use me for your glory, make me bold, stir me up, give me eyes to see the needs of those I work with, give me a heart sensitive to those who are hurting, give me a prompting of the Spirit to minister to those who are around me.” (187)

We live in a time when we are urged to be all we can be, But we will never be who we are to be until we die to self and let Christ live in us. Reading Craig's book will help move that process along.

He illustrates his teaching with examples from his life, the lives of others, and from biblical examples.

While this is not an earth shaking book, it is a good book for Christians who want to understand more who they are in Christ and what He calls us to do.

Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of Lifechurch.tv, a pace-setting multicampus church and creators of the popular and free YouVersion Bible App. He is the author of several books. He and his wife and their six children live in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Zondervan, 238 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.