Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul by Hannah Anderson

Have you ever read a book where you thought, "Wow, I'm going to have to read back through this again and again to think through all that the author brought out?" This is Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul by Hannah Anderson! I picked this book up from Moody Publishers because I thought the title was interesting, and I liked the book cover. I had no idea that this book would touch my heart in such a profound way.

From the Back Cover:
Feeling worn thin? Come find rest.
Nestled in the simple rhythms of rural life, taking cues from forsythia, milkweed, and wild blackberries, Hannah Anderson meditates on the pursuit of peace and its natural companion, humility.
Part theology of incarnation, part stroll through fields and forest, Humble Roots reveals how cultivating humility--not scheduling or increased productivity--leads to true peace. By remembering who you are and Who you aren't, you can discover afresh your need for God and the rest that comes from belonging to Him.
So come. Consider the lilies of the field, and learn humility from Christ Himself.

My Thoughts:
I don't think I've ever underlined so much in a book. Every chapter had so much depth and wisdom that pointed to Christ and our need for Him. I loved how Hannah wove in Scripture to back her points and included examples from nature that so beautifully explained her thoughts.  Hannah addresses so many ways that we are overtaken with pride in our lives. When I see pride in my own life, I feel like it is a wily weed that I keep chopping off, but the root continues to live.  But there is hope in learning to live in humility by learning more of Christ. "The goal of Humble Roots is to understand how pride manifests itself in anxiety and restlessness; and how humility frees us from the cycle of stress, performance, and competition." (pg. 12)

These are just a few of the statements that Hannah made that impacted me:

"For years, I've heard that the solution to such stress comes from setting up boundaries, finding ways to be more productive, cultivating gratitude, and scheduling 'me-time.' For years, I've believed that finding rest comes from both simultaneously learning to let go and keeping your act together. For years, I've thought that my sense of peace depends entirely on me.  ...peace doesn't start with me; peace starts with Him. Even more surprisingly, peace starts with learning His humility." (pgs 9-10)

" Here is the real source of our anxiety and stress. Here is the root of our unhappiness: The rest that Jesus offers only comes when we humble ourselves and submit to Him." (pg. 37)

"Part of the problem is that we misunderstand the nature of both pride and humility. We tend to think of pride as something we can conquer and of humility as something we can attain... But humility is not a commodity. It is not something you can achieve. it is not something you earn or accomplish. Being humble is something you either are or you aren't." (pg. 51)

This is just a small sampling of the truth shared in this book. If you are looking for something new to read and encourage you in the truth of God's Word, then pick up Hannah Anderson's book, Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul. It's a great book to add to your library! Hannah has two other books, Made for More: An Invitation to Live in God's Image and a new book just out last year called, All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment. You can find out more about her by clicking here to visit her website.

My Rating: ★★★★★

About the Author:

Hannah Anderson lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she works beside her husband in rural ministry and cares for their three children. She is the author of Made for More: An Invitation to Live in God's Image and regularly writes and speaks about faith, culture, and spiritual formation. You can find more of her work at sometimesalight.com.










***I received this complimentary book from Moody Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.