My next book to review is Made for More by Hannah Anderson. It is a book about living in God’s image and what that means for our lives. Hannah is a gifted writer and thinker. I have read Humble Roots and All That’s Good (I’ve reviewed the former) and I wanted to complete the trilogy.
The book is structured off of Romans 11:36, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” The three sections are from Him, through Him, and to Him. From Him explains the doctrine of imago dei and how we are made in the image of God. Through Him points us to His love and how that love is to be displayed through Him by us. He goes through practical implications of that love such as how to grow it and keep it. To Him reminds us of our ultimate destination and that we get there one day at a time.
My favorite part of the book was in the chapter on the providence of God. When God is not seen as sovereign over His people’s lives and things go terribly wrong, believers are liable to view God as weak and themselves as victims. This idea can leave people hopeless and scared. Anderson jumps into 1 Peter and the topic of suffering. God allows suffering. She reminds us that we should live boldly and fearlessly in the face of suffering, as living through it for His glory is part of what being created imago dei means. This is impossible to do if we do not recognize God for who He is. But we remember Jesus. He willingly suffered, not out of impotence, fear, and helplessness, but because He was trusting in the plan and will of God. Therefore, we are never more like Jesus when we live boldly through suffering. “We are able to echo Jesus when He said that no one takes His life. We are able to say, ‘You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.’ We are able to pray, ‘Your will be done.’ And in these moments of surrender, we are never more powerful. We are never more like Him.” (pg. 144)
Made For More gets a 4 out of 5 from me. FYI the book is technically written to a female audience, but I found that to be no problem at all.