The Narrow Path by Rich Villodas Book Review

About the Book:

We live in a culture that wants it all. More is seen as better—whether it’s more money, social media fame, choices, or power. For those chasing this way of life, “narrow” seems negative. Who wants to narrow their options . . . or be seen as narrow-minded?

Which is why the most well-known talk in the history of the world—the Sermon on the Mount—is also the most paradoxical one. In it, Jesus holds up the narrow path as the most spacious . . . and the broader path as the more confining one.

Rich Villodas, bestselling author of The Deeply Formed Life, explores what today’s broad and narrow paths look like so you can discern which one you’re on. The answer may surprise you—and will help you pursue the way of Jesus more deeply when it comes to loving God and others, prayer, sexual desire, conflict, money, anxiety, and more.

The Narrow Path reintroduces the counterintuitive wonder of Jesus’s timeless wisdom for this age, one fraught with anxiety, depression, polarizing politics, and online vitriol. The path of Jesus is most certainly narrow, but it is the only one filled with the ever-expanding life of God . . . and it is available now for all who want it!

You can watch the book trailer here.

My Review:

Villodas points out that, even though Jesus said the way is narrow, it is not a restriction. Rather, it is getting to the core of what it means to be human and live life as God designed. Villodas gives us encouragement to be on this path and stay on it.

Life on this path is upside down compared to how the world wants us to live. His teaching on being hidden is one I really appreciated. Jesus lived in obscurity with regard to the rest of the world. We are not to be announcing out good works on social media, for example. Another important aspect of this book is Villodas reminding us we can only do this through God's empowerment so prayer is essential.

A surprise for me was Villodas saying we do not do the life described in the Sermon on the Mount so that we will be blessed. (I'd been taught we would be blessed if we do these things or show that character trait.) He says we do them because we are already blessed and it is an outworking of our character.

This book is a good teaching on the Sermon on the Mount, especially on topics like money and anxiety. New and seasoned Christians will benefit from reading it.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large, multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. He is also a key speaker for Emotionally Healthy Discipleship—a movement that has touched hundreds of thousands of people. Rich graduated with a BA in pastoral ministry and theology from Nyack College. He went on to complete his master of divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. His award-winning book, The Deeply Formed Life, was released in September 2020. He and his wife, Rosie, have two beautiful children and reside in Queens.

WaterBrook, 224 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley 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.)