Man was not meant to travel this world alone. As early as the creation of man, God knew it was not good for us to be alone. After Adam, he created Eve, and together they lived in communion with God until sin entered the world. But still, God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to repair that broken relationship.
None of what I've written above is new to any Christian. Some nonbelievers probably know the story, too. But as a Christian who has heard this story over and again, perhaps it loses its uniqueness or might not seem as amazing as it was the first time I heard it and truly understood its meaning.
What Designed for Relationship did was open my eyes to things I thought I knew. Sharing insights I hadn't considered, the author truly got me thinking about God's desire to be in a relationship with us and what it means to have relationships with others that reflect God's intentions.
The book opens with a unique retelling of the prodigal son parable told by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Seeing this story from all three men's perspectives is enlightening. There's also a discussion of the Trinity in the first chapter that made me stop and think about the perfect relationship with One God in Three Persons, and how we were created as relational beings in their likeness.
Designed for Relationship is broken down into two parts: Part One Renewing Our Vision and Part Two Becoming Who We Are. Without great surprise, they work in harmony together by sharing Biblical truths in Part One and showing the reader how to apply these truths to his life in Part Two. In the second part of the book, MacLeslie shares his paradigm known as The Five Circles: Body, Mind, Will, Emotions, Spirit. It's fascinating. I found myself agreeing with so much of what the author had written.
This book is filled with reflection questions and portions of Scripture are cited. There are also appendices: Additional Reading and Resources, Assessment Questions and Tools, and Devotional Exercises.
Designed for Relationship is eloquently written, but the author never speaks down to the reader. His style and tone invite you to learn how to love God with all you are.
File Size: 1154 KB
Print Length: 159 pages
Publisher: Parvaim Press (June 21, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00DJZW286
I received a free copy of this book from the author's publicist. I collected a fee to promote this book with a virtual book tour through Pump Up Your Book, but that fee did not include a review of any kind. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
This is the 10th book I've read for the following challenge:
T.J. MacLeslie has been involved in a variety of Christian ministries since 1990, including pastoring, church planting, leadership development, prayer, and spiritual formation. He currently lives in the UK with his wife and two children where he leads a team focused on prayer and spiritual formation. You’ll often find him walking the fields with his dog, reading a book, or enjoying a warm cup of coffee.
Visit the author online at http://about.me/tj_macleslie
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