There is no doubt about it. I’m weird. And not in a bad way.
I have been reading Craig Groeschel’s book, “Weird” this week. There are countless points to this book, so many that if I wrote them all down, I would be rewriting the whole book. So, I will give some highlights.
He creates this book about five important subjects and breaks them down. They are Time, Money, Relationships, Sex and Values. I discovered good advice in each of these sections.
In the chapters about Time, he urges us to make time for those who matter most to us. He gives some examples about his own family, and his kids who obviously think he’s “all that,” and want to be with him. Wrestling, eating Oreos, playing Go Fish, and says this. “Wherever you are, be all there” (p.39). And this… “Extreme measures bring extreme results” (p.59). If we are to change the course of our habits, we have to take extreme measures to do so. And yes, while we may be called weird by the world’s standards, that narrow path, what may be called weird, is the path that leads to God.
Regarding Money, he gives an example of two families. One family has everything money can buy, but they are empty inside. Another family doesn’t have much in the way of material possessions, but their house is warm and inviting. “They’re not just family; they actually seem to enjoy each other – to want to be around one another and share things together” (p.83). He goes on to say that you can be yourself there, accidently spill without consequence, and there is peace.
This is the chapter that spoke to me the most. In this day of “Gotta have this, gotta have that,” people buy things they cannot afford. Maybe the key is to live within your means. Our family does not have much in the way of material possessions. However, we make the most of what we do have. Our boys like being with us. In fact, given the choice of being in their rooms or being out in the living room with all of us together, they choose the living room every time. Does that mean we don’t have arguments and get along all the time? No, it doesn’t. But it does mean that we spend time together, and all of us enjoy it. So, call me weird that I’m not out chasing after monetary fantasies, but that’s okay. The people who live with me are the most important to me, after Jesus, of course.
I especially liked the way he told the story of Jacob, Rachel and Leah in the chapter on Relationships. This story is so dramatic, and the fact that it’s true even makes it more interesting. He says that the “transactional attitude” is prevalent in the lives of many couples today (p.108). If we are honest in our assessment of our marriages, we would probably say that we understand that concept and have maybe even employed it. This only leads to disappointment and dissatisfaction (p.109).
The chapter on Sex was very interesting. “According to the Journal of Psychology and Christianity, up to 65 percent of husbands and 55 percent of wives will commit adultery by the age of forty” (p.146). That broke my heart. He gave this advice. “When the grass starts to look greener somewhere else, water your own yard!” (p.154) What a concept!
While raising five boys, talking about sex has become a normal practice in our home. We try to make our environment a place where our kids can come to us about anything, and they do. Craig advises us to seek God and His word about sex. The Bible warns against sexual sin because it’s the only sin that we commit against ourselves (1 Corinthians 6:18 – “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sin sexually sins against his own body.”) And God tells us to flee. It is the only sin that He tells us to flee from. He gives some practical guidance to keep sexually pure, a couple of which are these. “Avoid dangerous places” (p.170), and “Guard your eyes, your mind, and your heart (p.171).
The last chapter is Values. He tells a story about playing in the ocean and drifting away from the beach house ever so slightly that by the time they realized the house was gone, they didn’t really know exactly where they were. How many times do we live our lives caught in that type of trap? We are not intentional with our lives, and we end up someplace we never knew was there and have to go into reverse to get on course again.
As with the other books of Craig Groeschel’s that I have read, I found this book to encouraging, insightful, honest and practical in its application. It points you straight to the Living God who desires to have a relationship with you. I’m a little disappointed that I’ve already finished reading it. I may actually start at page 1 again and take some time to contemplate it more.
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone. In fact, my sixteen year-old is already committing to reading it. Maybe it will help him in practical ways, too.
