JESUS Over Everything (JOE) is a CHOICE! This book by Lisa Whittle shows you that. It also pictures what JOE looks like and how it plays out in our everyday life!
When Lisa Whittle announced or even just barely mentioned about writing a new book, I had my eyes set to be part of this Book Launch Team. Today, to say the least, I feel so privileged to have been part of it for real and now tasked to share with you how I feel about THIS book!
How fitting to choose her inspiring podcast into a book title: "JESUS OVER EVERYTHING"! I have been an avid listener of Jesus Over Everything (JOE) podcast since I discovered it for more than a year now. I have loved Lisa's podcast, her voice, her chosen topics (especially the "Christianese" series) and her interview style on how she can throw a really good question without offending or putting her guests on fire. Her podcast episodes always leave me thinking of my own answer to the question she leaves her guests: "What does Jesus over everything mean to you?" This is why I have craved for this book ever since, because really what does this question mean in my life? How can I live this out? What will the book help me reveal more about myself in the light of a JOE life? How can this book guide me to search His Words and lead me to a life of JOE?
LISA WHITTLE, THE AUTHOR
Her wit is something else. Her prowess with words is another thing. She is smart, purposeful, deeply personal and direct to the point. She is a Jesus follower, a firm believer in God's Word at work in our lives. She has a way with words whether it is throwing a difficult question to her podcast guests or asking a very personal question in her book.... no matter how direct she is, it is not offending at all but rather convicting most of the time. Lisa is as great a writer as she is a podcaster. Asking those difficult questions and helping you find the answer through the truth in God’s Word! All of these are what I love about her.
In her new book, she shared her most difficult journey. She braved the waters to show us an example how she struggled on what she thought was christian living until she realized she was the opposite of what Jesus is calling her to be. It is fascinating how she had written and planned the flow of the theme that it takes us from self-examination, to life choices in order to arrive at the ultimate goal of JOE. She used God's Word in every way possible to show us our flaws and at the same time offer us God's grace.
"The priority of Jesus brings order to the chaos of our lives; a job only He is big enough to do." -Lisa Whittle, "Jesus Over Everything"
JOE: THE BOOK
The very cover says it all. It tells you exactly what the book contains and what it is about: JESUS Over Everything! Then I flipped through the Table of Contents.
Whenever I open a book, I love to browse the Table of Contents and have a feel of the flow of the book through the chapter titles. It sorts of give me a show preview of what is to expect. The first day I started this book, OH MY! the Table of Contents visit was already worth it! Those titles...those difficult truths...those daily choices...those are already convicting for me (when you get hold of this book, try it and let me know how you felt? Send me a message, or comment here). Honestly, every chapter feels like a good, deep read and a great learning curve in our christian growth. It is already speaking to me in volumes about the whole book.
I did not stop at the Table of Contents, her call to live a Jesus over everything life is in the sub-title of this book. It is to help us "Uncomplicating the Daily Struggle to Put JESUS First".
This is what JOE is calling us to do through this book. That in the light of God's Word, it is asking us to do just what the sub-title says...UNCOMPLICATE our daily lives and put JESUS first. And that my friend is the goal in reading this #JOEBook together and hopefully you would use the accompanying Bible Study material with your girlfriends to dig deeper in the Word of GOD.
Just like in a science experiment, you need to identify a problem before you can arrive at a solution. Our author took the lead and laid out her journey with her own struggle of living a JOE life. She uncovered and skinned her own "what she thought was christian life' until she came to a realization that Jesus is not prioritized in her life...
In the first chapter is the introduction of the "Deadly Overs". This is where things started getting exciting and personal. She identified five deadly overs that usually overtake our lives. If you want to find out what deadly overs is overtaking your life, CLICK HERE and take the Quiz. After that, there is a FREE Resource called "Get Over It" Guide to help us move past over our deadly over. This can help us totally understand what our "Deadly Over" is, what it is pushing us to be like one; what can we do to get over it; and how can we put Jesus over our deadly over in very practical ways.
From this point on, the book talks about CHOICES we can make towards uncomplicating our lives and live a Jesus over everything life. Lisa explained on her podcast interview with Lysa Terkeurst that JOE is more of a "covering" and "sheltering". Because God tenderly cares for us, He shows us how this world works but still leaves us the choice on how we want to do life. Each chapter expounds on the choices we can make everyday to get us either closer or farther away from Jesus and a life with Him over everything. If we make the choice of putting Him first over everything in our lives, then He put this covering and protection over us...all His love for us.
"Daily Lifestyle Choices" . I love how she coined that title to the chapters that followed. These are intentional choices that we can clearly make - EVERYDAY. These are God's grace for us and over us that we can make these choices through our struggles on a daily basis. The best thing is Jesus, with His great love for us, still left us a freedom to choose.
These choices are Real over Pretty; Love and Judgment; Holiness over Freedom; Service over Spotlight; Steady over Hype; Honesty over Hiding; Wisdom over Knowledge; and Commitment over Mood.
WHAT JOE MEANS TO ME
Lisa “spoke truth in love“ in my heart and in my life. The best thing is, it started by pointing out what was wrong with me! Why can’t I let Jesus take priority over everything in my life?
I took my "Deadly Over" Quiz and VIOLA! it turned out I am an OVERWORKER. Of all things, that was my least expected result. I am not lazy, but neither am I an overworker. I say this because, I really don't like doing more time over my designated working hours. "I want to be able to balance life and give time for some other part of my life. I want to volunteer time to an organization, I want to be part of a church Ministry, I want to attend Women's activities, I want to write my blog, I want to keep doing Online Bible Studies and church ones too.... "
Did you get enough of my "I WANTs"? Exactly! I found out that overworking is not just particular to the job I do. Even though I do not enslave myself to my job, I am overdoing it with a lot more other things. (Spoiler Alert: it is not just my "I wants", I also have "I can do this for you's" and "Sure I can help, what do you want me to do's") I am an Enneagram 3, a type that loves to do things, loves to accomplish something, achievement is a thing. Oh Jesus, You over my E3 personality, please.
"Also known as the toiler, your approach is to over-work to achieve things in order to feel worthy, accomplished, complete, and whole."- The Overworker. "Get Over It"
Why am I working myself out? What am I trying to do? Who am I trying to please? I don't want my Great Provider up above to think that I do not trust Him enough to fully rely on His blessings and His abilities rather than mine. Am I feeling and living that "what if I do not have enough" mentality?
Is my longing to be seen, to achieve something clouding my soul purpose of service to others? I love this excerpt from the chapter "Service over Spotlight" that says "We cannot possibly want to be seen and known and want God to be seen and known too. One of us has to fade that the other might shine brighter."
Through this chapter it enlightened me to look closely at my intentions on doing service. That He must be lifted up and glorified rather than me. And if that time comes that I would fall into that trap of "SPOTLIGHT" again, Jesus please tap me on the shoulder and remind me of what I am doing.
All these questions and self-examination and more comes into mind as I continue to take in the lessons on the daily lifestyle choices that I can make. I know what I have to do: "Rely more on God and Trust Him with all my heart". I know what I need to have: REST. Sabbath (a topic I have long wanted to talk about and something I crave to have but struggle to plan for myself). This book and Bible Study is speaking to me in volumes not just about my flaws, it also gives me the plan of a loving and gracious God who is just waiting for me to ask Him to be over my life.
I know that change won't be an overnight thing but I will try to do my share little by little; bit by bit everyday. I will take little steps towards my daily lifestyle choices. I will ask a friend to be my accountability partner in my journey. I want to start a journal for this too, and share how I manage my everyday choices- what works and what not. Together we can learn from each other.
"There is a fine line between wanting God to use you for His glory and wanting everyone to know it." - Garrett Kell,
"Service over Spotlight" and "Honesty over Hiding" are the two chapters and lifestyle choice that really hit me right on target. The former taught me to look at my motives for doing service, while the latter convicted me in a very personal way.
Turning to God's Word, these Bible verses have left a deeper meaning in my present Jesus' journey after reading this book and knowing a bit about my deadly over. I want to keep these words in my heart to guide me in my everyday walk. I am hoping to dig deeper into this through the Bible Study that accompanies this great book. Here are the verses I want to share with you as an Overworker trying to choose Service over Spotlight.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6
The daily lifestyle choices we choose will be life-changing if we let God lead us! JOE is a choice. It is a daily choice. A daily lifestyle choice! A choice I am making now, day by day I make small choices, the hardest so far is ‘Honesty over Hiding’ but with Jesus over my life, I know I can do this!
GRAB A COPY NOW! of this perfectly timed book release. Start by finding out what deadly over is overtaking your life, then proceed with the daily lifestyle choices that leads to a Jesus Over Everything life... step by step, day by day as we aim to look more like Him....and as Lisa Whittle would end every podcasts with this famous blessing...