Guest Author - Sonya L. Wilson
Anyone looking at the world today can easily get upset, frustrated and downtrodden. Life can seem absolutely hopeless. Also, everyday life can stress out even the strongest of personalities. It seems that for this reason, there never seems to be a shortage of inspirational books on store shelves. Whether you are looking to save money, have a better sex life, have a better marriage, raise better kids, build your self-esteem, start a business, lose weight or simply live a better life, there are some books available for your specific needs and interests.
There are many popular inspirational books written by high profile ministers. There is “Your All That: Understanding God’s Design for Your Life” by Paula White, “8 Steps to Create the Life You Want: The Anatomy of a Successful Life” by Dr. Creflo A Dollar” and “Reposition Yourself: Living Life without Limits”.
Paula White, a personal favorite of mine, published “You’re All That” in November of 2007. Many people are familiar with Paula White’s story. She grew up poor in Mississippi, witnessed her father’s suicide at the age of 5 and suffered physical and sexual abuse. Paula White draws on these experiences to pen a book to help readers live a genuine life from the inside out.”
Her book encourages readers to take a risk, embrace change, and to continue to try at life, despite failure, abuse, worry or fear. Paula asks people to realize that we are not created for fear. We are not meant to be shackled by negativity in any form. She gives a powerful message of living a bold and creative life filled with joy, love and peace.
The popular pastor, Dr. Creflo A. Dollar recently published “8 Steps to Create the Life You Want: The Anatomy of a Successful Life”. Dr. Dollar presents a few questions to ponder in his latest publication. He asks, “1) Do you long for God to give you fulfillment? 2) Are you frustrated by obstacles to your dreams and goals? 3) Are you resigned to the fact that ‘What’s meant to be will be?’” He uses these questions to lay the framework for his thesis. He encourages readers to stop wishing for the life of their dreams and start living it. Much like Paula White’s book, Dr. Dollar declares that we do not have to be defined by the past. He encourages us to embrace the wondrous destiny God has for us. The strengths of this book are the easily readable language, the recap at the end of the chapters, relevant scriptures and exercises. However, a weakness in the writing is that those who are new to Christianity may find some references and instructions confusing and vague. This makes the piece less relevant and inaccessible to some readers.
Bestselling author and world-renowned pastor T.D. Jakes published “Reposition Yourself—Living Life without Limits” in May of 2007. Jakes, who always speaks toward empowerment, presents a call to change your life now. He tells readers to confront their own passivity, think about the poor choices they have made in their lives and implement changes. Jakes is broad in his scope by tackling financial, relational and spiritual issues. Jakes encourages us to adapt to the transitions in our lives, learn from them and ultimately embrace them. Unlike some inspirational books, the pastor mixes both spiritual and secular insights along with practical and pragmatic steps to change your life.
These inspirational books can be seen as an extension of the ministries of these diverse pastors. Readers can seek out these writings if they find themselves in need of a little direction and inspiration.
