Disclosure: I participated in a Family Christian linky series for Kyle Idlemans’s newest book 40 Days to Lasting Change. This post contains affiliate links; opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Before we go any further, please assess your agreement with the following statement:

If you’re good with this, remind me never to share chips and dip with you.

Just kidding!! When I saw this on the back of a tortilla chip bag, though, it made me think about Kyle Idleman’s book 40 Days to Lasting Change. So many of us live a “good life” in which we’re happily parenting our children, working at our jobs, and maybe even preparing a homecooked meal every once in a while. Meanwhile, there’s this ulcer of pain or bitterness or despair working its way through our hearts. The ulcer may rear its ugly head now and again but we push it back down with more Christian niceties. Since others don’t see it, we try to pretend it’s not there, that it didn’t happen.

If you want to see active, lasting change in your life, consider the AHA challenge. I reviewed days 31 and 32 of this challenge.

Just because the “chapters” of this book are merely 3-5 pages each, don’t think that you’re getting by with anything. There’s a lot of punch packed in those pages. On day 31, the point was driven home that something worth having is usually something worth working for. The title for this day was “Obey Anyway.” God loves a cheerful giver who reaches into his pocket again, even when it’s not a good time of the month to obey. An obedient woman might hug that friend who betrayed, even when it hurts. The obedient son can honor his father and mother even when they don’t deserve it. Just because it can’t be seen by others doesn’t mean that our disobedience is acceptable in God’s sight. Remember the double dipping thing?

Kyle Idleman’s books are entertaining and easy to read. He puts complicated history into simple words, narrowing down the events leading to WWII in a couple of glossy paragraphs on Day 32. Then, without warning, he renders the big whammy – he brings down Eli’s stance as a strong prophet. How did that happen? Idleman doesn’t allow passivity to become an excuse. Just as the double dipping passivity is quite disgusting, God is disgusted by our lukewarm behavior when we forget to be on fire for him. I’m very guilty of this, and my toes are quite sore from Idleman stepping on them with this chapter. How many nights do I feel too tired to spend time in God’s word yet I somehow have time to spare on my phone? Do I turn away the opportunity to help someone in need yet spend frivolously on material things that won’t build up God’s kingdom? Ouch and ouch. These two days of devotions go a long way in terms of restoring my passion for God. I’m excited to see what the rest of the days bring!

I don’t typically recommend audiobooks simply because I don’t listen to them often, but in this case I think the audiobook is a great resource. If you’re pressed for time, this book would be a really uplifting message to take you through the workday. Pop it in during the morning commute and you’ve made a little progress toward a lasting transformation!

What do you think of this book?

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