There are only three books that I have managed to finish in March. They are The Well-Beloved by Thomas Hardy, Compared to Her by Sophie de Witt and Wessex Tales by Thomas Hardy. Thinking back on all three there isn't any I regret reading or wouldn't read again.
My problem is that I become attached to the characters in the books that I read. And not just in fiction. A few years ago I read a compilation of letters by Charlotte Bronte. By the end I felt that I had got to know her a little bit. So much so that when the last letter in the book was a letter from her husband to inform a friend of her death I cried. At that moment in walked my housemate and asked what was wrong. "Charlotte Bronte is dead!" was my response. I think she could be forgiven for thinking that I had gone mad.
So even though I finished the books by Hardy I'm still missing those characters. However, the book that I've been thinking about the most is Compared to Her. Not because I'm attached to it, but because I still feel challenged by what it had to say. In the week since I've read it, I've learnt that I cannot change the way I think by myself. Hopefully this will mean that I will rely on God to be transforming my mind, but knowing me I will still try to do it on my own. Maybe that's why the Christian life has been called a struggle.
Book of the month goes to Compared to Her by Sophie de Witt.
Showing posts with label Sophie de Witt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sophie de Witt. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Sofa Spotlight - Compared to Her, Sophie de Witt
How to experience true contentment.
That's quite a claim for a book to make, and I have to say that I was skeptical. But I have since changed my mind. Halfway in I realised that I was very guilty of comparing myself to others, particularly in the area of 'Christian-ness' (read the book to find out what I'm talking about). What is worrying is that I didn't even realise that it was going on.
Sophie de Witt begins by explaining what 'Compulsive Comparison Syndrome' is, what it looks like in real life and what triggers it. She then describes what the consequences of living like this are in the long term. That will take you to about the halfway point of the book. The next couple of chapters cover why we have this problem, and where it comes from. She does this by describing what the Bible has to say about our problem and the effect it has on our relationship with God. The solution comes when get our view of God and ourselves right. If He is not what satisfies us then we will never be truly content and doomed to be always comparing ourselves.
I haven't really done this book justice in the short space I have used to summarise it. The best thing that I think you can do is to sit down and read it for yourself. It is very readable. At less than a hundred pages it isn't a long or daunting read. Perfect for if you have never read a Christian book before and want to try something lighter than Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. That doesn't mean it isn't challenging though. It has eight chapters and an introduction, so if you read one chapter a day you would have read it in just over a week. I read it in three sittings, none of them longer than an hour. Reading it with someone might be a good idea. If you agree to be honest with one another about what you are struggling with you can fight that fight with someone rather than on your own.
What I'm taking away from this book is a greater awareness of what I am thinking. And when I think thoughts of comparison I am teaching myself to remember God and be satisfied with Him as my King.
Have you read this book? I'm interested to know what you thought about it.
That's quite a claim for a book to make, and I have to say that I was skeptical. But I have since changed my mind. Halfway in I realised that I was very guilty of comparing myself to others, particularly in the area of 'Christian-ness' (read the book to find out what I'm talking about). What is worrying is that I didn't even realise that it was going on.
Sophie de Witt begins by explaining what 'Compulsive Comparison Syndrome' is, what it looks like in real life and what triggers it. She then describes what the consequences of living like this are in the long term. That will take you to about the halfway point of the book. The next couple of chapters cover why we have this problem, and where it comes from. She does this by describing what the Bible has to say about our problem and the effect it has on our relationship with God. The solution comes when get our view of God and ourselves right. If He is not what satisfies us then we will never be truly content and doomed to be always comparing ourselves.
I haven't really done this book justice in the short space I have used to summarise it. The best thing that I think you can do is to sit down and read it for yourself. It is very readable. At less than a hundred pages it isn't a long or daunting read. Perfect for if you have never read a Christian book before and want to try something lighter than Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. That doesn't mean it isn't challenging though. It has eight chapters and an introduction, so if you read one chapter a day you would have read it in just over a week. I read it in three sittings, none of them longer than an hour. Reading it with someone might be a good idea. If you agree to be honest with one another about what you are struggling with you can fight that fight with someone rather than on your own.
What I'm taking away from this book is a greater awareness of what I am thinking. And when I think thoughts of comparison I am teaching myself to remember God and be satisfied with Him as my King.
Have you read this book? I'm interested to know what you thought about it.
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