With: Reimagining The Way You Relate To God (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
The concept of the book was relatively good. The question is posed, are we finding ourselves living under God, over God, from God, or for God? Ultimately, we're challenged to live in and pursue another mode of relating to God. It's the life with God. I like this premise, and it was a rather enjoyable read throughout.It may just be me, but it seemed like the prepositions got a little fuzzy at times. That made it harder for me to follow all of the conclusions that were being made. But all in all, it was a pretty worthwhile read and has left me challenged to examine the way in which I relate to God. And I think that was Jethani's point all along! I try not to judge books to badly till I finish them or at least get half way through. With however started on a very bad foot with me.In the first three chapters Skye Jethani made three statements to support premises but each statement was false and never contained accurate references. One fact referenced a study made six years before the publication of the book but ignored more recent studies that disproved his statement. Both Jethani and his editors did a poor job of actually checking facts and then in siting sources for supposed facts Jethani makes later on. This was a huge error and showed either laziness or ignorance in writing this book. The issues continued however.Jethani's premise for this book is that to fully experience God we must live with him and not in a manor to control him. That sentence says, in fullness, what it took Jethani 173 pages and one appendix to say. Now the premise is not bad, in fact it is completely true. Truthfully nothing Jethani says is wrong, except for his supposed researched facts, but the issues are dealt with in a vague and shallow manor. It is the same thing when my six year old tells me that food makes poop. Yes that is true, but there is a depth of understanding that he lacks to properly communicate what is actually happening. Jethani spends a majority of this book making similar six year old statements about the premise of the book. He is right but he never gets beyond the right part.This book reminded me of other books that have addressed this same issue but in a much better way. The thing I found funny is that Jethani even quotes most of the books i felt were superior to this one. One staggering difference between With and the books quoted in With is that these books all addressed the issue in a deep way that did not rely on superficial understandings of humanity, God, and salvation. These other books seriously took on the hard issues that come between man and God and what a true desire for God looks like in all aspects of human life.Jethani also planted his flag firmly on the idea that all motivation for not connecting with God comes from fear. This is another six year old idea. Yes fear does motivate people to miss connecting with God but there is a depth in connection with our sin, God's purity, and the curse of this world that is NEVER addressed. Jethani does not even mention the issues of sin and rebellion but chooses to play his fear card over and over again.Repetition of point was another sickening thing in this book. Jethani spends over half of the book defining the four ways people try to relate with God, and then spends the rest of the book redefining these definitions. It was not until the appendix of the book that a solution to the issues was clearly laid out for us. It was like sitting in on a 2 hour self help lecture and hearing the person define every problem you have admitting it is a problem and should be different and then spending 5 minutes to give you a summation of the solution.In all this book was poorly written, poorly thought out, and superficial at best. While the premise of the book is true there are many books that deal with this issue in better ways.
What do You think about With: Reimagining The Way You Relate To God (2011)?
Wow, quite something to think on. Easy read but great content.
—Emily
Definitely challenged me to reimagine to way I relate to God.
—Nilantha
