Saturday, September 30, 2017

Book review: Ordering Your Private World

A Book Review of Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald

                I’m usually not keen on books that are updated, especially ones that were written for churches and pastors over thirty years ago. However, the more I read of this book, the more I realized it has more relevance now than when it first appeared.

                Gordon MacDonald has a vast wealth of experience and knowledge which fit perfectly with the frantic pace that congregational ministers and church members are currently undergoing. His casual conversational style of writing imparts that knowledge in words and ways that are easy to understand, embrace, and apply.

                The chapters in the book are not overlong and the study guides at the back are well organized. This makes the book ideal for both personal spiritual development and small group discussions. The sections on organizing time are excellent and would be useful for any church leaders who need to refocus their lives on their responsibilities in church, at home, and even in their businesses.

                As a pastor, I found the fourth chapter on ‘Living as a Called Person,’ to be highly relevant to my current work. In the midst of plateaued or wilderness experiences, it’s good to know that God’s calling can be both renewed and reshaped as He sees fit.


                This is a book that I will turn to time and time again to help me refocus on the ministry that God has given me. Gordon MacDonald’s words, as well as the many illustrations he writes about, contain a lot of common sense, real wisdom, and spiritual discipline that many of his readers like me, will appreciate. This is an excellent book and one that I would heartily commend to any church leader and member.

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