Outlive Your Life, a review

It is rather easy to write a book trying to convince people to do good for others. Appeal to their sense of guilt, heap on heavy portions of Scripture quotes and show lots of heart wrenching photos of kids with distended bellies and sores. As an extra touch, add stories of saints and modern day heroes who make it all look easy, and you’ve got a decent book.


In “Outlive Your Life”, Max Lucado takes a different, gentler, and frankly, more convincing job. There is little guilt heaped on the reader here. It’s impossible to totally avoid, but it is not his main point. He does quote Scripture, but not just the usual passages (like Matthew 25:34-36; whatever you did to these least of my brothers, you did to Me”). That quote is in there, but it is not wielded like a stick. And there are some statistics and stories illustrating the needs in the world. But just enough to make a point, not too much to make you say “Enough!”

Passages from the Scriptures come alive at Lucado’s telling. Descriptions of the early Church: not idealized, but very realistic. The apostles stumbling along in Jesus’ footprints. Stephen, Philip, Saul/Paul, all come alive in stories wherein Lucado gives parallels from today’s world. And then, the inevitable question: why not us? Why not you?

There is also quite a bit of humor sprinkled throughout the pages. Funny presentations of Scripture scenes, self effacing observations of how we tend to think of ourselves and our chances of doing something great. It all comes together very nicely in a quick and worthwhile read.