Choosing a Life That Matters by Dennis Rainey

About a decade ago Rainey was asked to speak at the commencement ceremony of a prominent divinity school. He wanted to give the graduates something that would help them choose a life that matters. As he pondered what to say, he determined the essence of what the Bible teaches about what God expects of us. He came up with seven concepts and writes about them here.

• Seek God, not sin
• Fear God, not man
• Love God, not the world
• Believe God, not the deceiver
• Obey God, not your feelings
• Worship God, not comfort
• Serve God, not self

Rainey writes from a life time of serving the Lord in Christian ministry. He has developed a good understanding of the kind of life that pleases God. These seven concepts have served him well as boundaries and direction for his thoughts as he lived life. He has tested them for a decade and now offers them to readers.

This is a good book, one that can be read over and over again. We need reminding of what God desires of us. We need encouragement to live in a manner pleasing to Him. Rainey has provided that for us in this small but powerful book.

Rainey wanted his readers to be able to make quality decisions and be able to carry them out. He has included suggestions of life skills at the end of each chapter. My favorite was the section on fearing God, not man. Essential, Rainey writes, is practicing the presence of God. He gives several practical suggestions to help us be more aware of God and reorient our lives around Him.

I recommend this book to Christians who want to live a life pleasing to God. You'll receive some good instruction, read some good stories, and get some practical ideas to live out your godly commitments.

Food for thought: “To me, life in Christ is a process of God weaning us from loving this world while increasing our capacity and experience of loving Him.” (Loc 537/1246)

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Dennis Rainey is president and cofounder of FamilyLife, a ministry of Cru. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and hosts conferences on marriage, men's ministry, and parenting. He is the senior editor of the HomeBuilders Couples Series and the daily host of the nationally syndicated radio program FamilyLife Today. He and his wife live in Little Rock Arkansas. They have six adult children and twenty-three grandchildren. 

Photo © Stacy Kinzler Photography

Bethany House Publishers, 128 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.