The Gift of Being Yourself- The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery Description:

The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery review:
5 stars (Christ-Esteem) - Benner tackles a topic fraught with heated debate from all sides. Secularist would tell us that there is no "sacred call" to self-discovery, it is simply a normal, human need. Some Christians would tell us that there is nothing "sacred" about self-discovery, it is an abnormal part of our fallen self-centered nature.



Wisely, Benner traces the history of self-understanding through the writings of giants in the faith like Augustine and Calvin. These two historical theologians, along with many others, understood what we have forgotten. Created in the image of God, as we understand ourselves "Coram Deo" (in the presence of God, from God's perspective), God enlightens us to understand something more of Who He is. In other words, knowledge of God and of self, are intricately interwoven.



Rather than a journey of self-esteem or self-discovery, the Bible invites us on a journey of Christ-esteem where we discover who we are in Christ and to Christ. In Christ, we are saints. To Christ we are adult sons and daughters.



The journey, taken biblically, brings the focus back to God and others. As Luther taught, when righted with God, we are returned to our natural stance of arms lifted up to God in worship and arms stretched out to others in fellowship and stewardship.



Benner first walks his readers through the journey toward knowing God. This foundation begun (for it never ends), he then shows how to mortify (put off) the old false self in the flesh and how to vivify (put on) the new true self in Christ. He rightly calls the process a "transformational" journey.



Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," "Martin Luther's Pastoral Counseling," "Biblical Psychology," and the forthcoming "Beyond the Suffering: The Story of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."


3 stars (good writing, great message. ) - yes, the message of the book is one no christian today can dismiss (even if they think psychology WON'T explain away everything): the real problems we humans deal go very very deep. thus, david g. benner's book (one that echoes "Abba's Child" by Brennan Manning) is one that essentially, is a spiritual exploration into the very essence of every human being. while most books in the christian retail world deal with how to help you "fix" or "deny" or "abandon" or "QUIT!" sinning, benner's book realizes that this is not essentially the "core" matter of the "problem" we all seem to face. these are symptoms of a much deeper problem and as one reads along with benner, one realizes that he is on to something saints like thomas merton and teresa de avila explored exhaustively.the reason i'm not giving this book more stars is not b/c of the message...for it is truly one EVERY person needs to hear. but it is b/c of the writing (who am I to judge, right?) and the end-of-the-chapter "try this experience out" thing that seems to marginalize and discourage creativity, in a book that seems to so be preaching in the opposite direction. if we're trying to run away from talking in christianese, and resist speaking in words and phrases that really don't MEAN anything to us, then why must the author include these end-of-the-chapter "sit silence for five minutes and do this..."??? i'm not harping on his instructions, for many of them are good and worthy and very valuable things to do. i'm only wishing he would've backed off a bit. he's possibly trying to write to a broader audience and this, perhaps, helps the baby boomer generation out a bit, but for someone who's 22 and constantly trying to experience God and know God and make this knowledge personal, real, authentic, life-changing and transformative (through and by the work of the Holy Spirit) and just still wrap my head around the idea that being is better than doing, and knowing i'm no longer a sinner but a saint, this little bit slightly bends some of the book's total punch for me.however, all things considering, it's one i'm recommending nonetheless. you can read it in an afternoon, so get it and see for yourself.
5 stars (Another Must Read) - Perhaps the best book on Christian Identity I've read and the best book I've read this year. Benner drives home the profound yet paradoxically simple nature of our relationship to self and others through our relationship with the Divine. In "The Gift of Being Yourself" Benner outlines practical ways to improve your relationship with the Divine and through relationship with the Divine begin to understand our true self and calling. I read this after reading Benner's "Surrender to Love." The two go hand-in-hand, but I recommend reading "The Gift of Being Yourself" before reading "Surrender to Love" (just my opinion).