Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst is one of the books I had wanted to read ever since it was launched. Let’s admit it, we’ve all come unglued (given in to our emotions) at various points in our lives. My problem was that my unglued moments were taking a toll on my family. I knew I needed to change, and this book had just the information I needed.
The book starts off with a positive phrase, Imperfect Progress. I love that term! That’s how any lasting life change can be made – by progressing, even though we fail at times. The author’s own experiences of coming unglued, her imperfect progress and lessons she learned in the process are very inspiring.
The author has identified four categories of unglued reactions – none of which are good:
- Exploders who shame themselves
- Exploders who blame others
- Stuffers who build barriers
- Stuffers who collect retaliation rocks
For each of our earthly relationships, we fall under one of the above categories. For example, with my husband, I might be a stuffer who collects retaliation rocks; with my kids, I might be an exploder who shames herself. Identifying which category I fell into helped me take note of what I was doing wrong, and take the first step to transform my reactions.
What I loved about the book is the abundance of Scripture. The author goes deeper into familiar verses, teaching us how God’s Word can reverse our tendency to become unglued. The book has several practical tips to help us remain emotionally stable, even in situations where we’re most likely to fly off the handle!
I don’t think I have highlighted this many passages in any other book/ebook (save my Bible)! Here are a few quotes from the book that encouraged me:
“Could I trust God and believe that He is working out something good even from things that seem no good?”
“I can face things that are out of my control and not act out of control. I am not a freak-out woman.”
“He (God) allows the unglued moments to make us aware of the chiseling that needs to be done… Let God chisel.”
“Do not check in with the screaming demands of the world before you exchange whispers with God.”
“Regardless of the stress I’m under, I am capable of displaying God’s gentleness because the Holy Spirit is in me.”
We all experience potholes as we journey through life, but we have the ability to choose how we respond. If your natural reaction is to stuff your emotions or take it out on those around you, this book has biblical wisdom and practical tips to help you overcome it. It sure has been a much needed resource for me!
Disclosure: I received a free Kindle version of this book from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.
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