Don't Miss Out by Jeannie Cunnion

Most Christians, at least the non-charismatic ones, tend to ignore the Holy Spirit. It may not be intentional, Cunnion observes, just lack of knowledge. She says one of the things that compelled her to write a book about the Spirit was “recognizing that most Christians acknowledge the existence of the Holy Spirit but avoid any experience of Him...” (185) It set her on a spiritual journey and she shares her insights in this book.

This is a good book for Christians desiring to experience all God has for us. Cunnion shares how she realized Jesus said the Spirit's presence was better for the disciples than His own. (23) She writes about discovering how to recognize the power of the Spirit within and living by it. She says understanding the Spirit's work is important because “...whatever God wants to say to us is conveyed through His Spirit.” (124)

Cunnion's book is a good one for understanding how the Spirit guides, how we can practice His presence, how we can stop from filling our lives with lesser things and more. I was especially struck by her exploration of the difference between being productive and being spiritually fruitful and God-glorifying. Insights like that one make this a good book for Christians young and old. She has a good, insightful discussion on the baptism of the Spirit too, identifying it with a felt experience. (Nothing scary for non-charismatic Christians.)

I appreciate this book. It is well written, sensible and anchored in Scripture. She has added good questions for reflection and response at the end of each chapter so this book would be good for personal devotions and group discussion.

Food for thought: “The extent to which we are willing to engage with the Spirit of God is the extent to which we will encounter the fullness of God.” (18)

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jeannie Cunnion is the author of several books on Christian living and is a frequent speaker at women's conferences and parenting events around the country. Her work has been featured in a number of media outlets. You can find out more at https://www.jeanniecunnion.com/. Photo © Meshali Mitchell

Bethany House, 240 pages.

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

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)