Flourish: How the Love of Christ Frees Us from Self-Focus by Lydia Brownback
What Keeps Us from Flourishing?
We all long to live out our faith with daily joy, but so often that joy eludes us. Why is that? More often than we realize, it’s because we’ve absorbed messages that curve us in on ourselves. These messages have even crept into the church, disguised as truth. It’s time we learn to discern teaching that’s toxic from that which is true and pure.
Flourish equips us with tools to identify the lies that come at us about where to find real life. As we dig deep into what God says in his Word, we will learn to discern the worldly influences that threaten to warp our understanding of what it really means to be a Christian, and emerge with a faith that flourishes―full of the abundant life Jesus promises.
Review
“The siren call of self sings loudly in our current cultural moment. Even as Christians, we easily fall prey to the false promises of self-focus, self-care, and self-love. With a refreshing dose of biblical truth, wisdom, and insight, Lydia Brownback invites us to consider our ways with fruitful reflection. Flourish is a book every woman should read. I highly recommend it!”
―Melissa B. Kruger, Director of Women’s Initiatives, The Gospel Coalition; author, Growing Together
“As someone who deals in words all day and every day, I’m always fascinated to see how they come and go, how they ebb and flow. Recent years have brought us countless articles, books, podcasts, and conferences based on the word flourish. ‘Follow this program,’ they say, or ‘switch to this diet,’ or ‘become more mindful,’ and ‘you’ll finally flourish in your life and in your relationships. Guaranteed!’ In this book, Lydia Brownback looks for and finds what I’m convinced is the true key to human flourishing. Her solution is infinitely better because it is based on an infinitely better source―the enduring, infallible Word of God.”
―Tim Challies, blogger, Challies.com
“Lydia Brownback is an author to be trusted. She writes with lucid insight and biblical discernment. The result is a book that is truly helpful―a book that avoids contemporary fads and points the reader repeatedly to the sufficiency of Christ. She takes on common destructive states of mind that often hinder Christians from walking in the freedom that is theirs by grace. I suppose the highest recommendation I can give to this book is that it is one I will be encouraging the congregation I serve to read.”
―Todd Pruitt, Lead Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Cohost, Mortification of Spin
“What if the pathway to true flourishing is not what our instincts assume? What if the siren calls of society and culture are misleading us? What if real flourishing makes foolish the wisdom of the world and turns today’s prevailing solution on its head? What if self-focus leads to losing the life that really matters, and focusing outside ourselves leads to finding it? Lydia Brownback has a beat on the answer. There is a true flourishing, and it may not be what you think―and it is better than what we dream. This is no shallow guide to ‘flourishing’ when all in life is well. Brownback wants to get us ready to truly flourish―when all around our soul gives way.”
―David Mathis, Senior Teacher and Executive Editor, desiringGod.org; Pastor, Cities Church, Saint Paul, Minnesota; author, Habits of Grace
About the Author
Lydia Brownback (MAR, Westminster Theological Seminary) is the author of several books and a speaker at women’s conferences around the world. Her books include the On-the-Go Devotionals for women; Finding God in My Loneliness; and Sing a New Song.
