Joyful Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot

Elisabeth Elliot is one of those names that many around the world have come to know because of her husband's (Jim Elliot) death during their time as missionaries. Elisabeth has written many books over the years that have shared the wisdom she has learned throughout her time here on earth. This year, Revell has repackaged an older book written by Elisabeth Elliot and re-titled the book,  Joyful Surrender.  This title was originally published in 1982 and 2006 and called Discipline: The Glad Surrender.

In her book, Elisabeth gives 7 Disciplines for the Believer's Life. They are:
1. The Discipline of the Body
2. The Discipline of the Mind
3. The Discipline of Place
4. The Discipline of Time
5. The Discipline of Possessions
6. The Discipline of Work
7. The Discipline of Feelings

I enjoy reading Elisabeth Elliot's books since she has lived and experienced things most of us will never experience. Even though I have spent time on the mission field, it was still not in a primitive jungle setting. Her wisdom comes from years of seeking God and following the Spirit's leading. Many of the disciplines that she discusses are good food for thought and will give you a different perspective on familiar truths. I only have one issue with this book.  I was frustrated with the lack of footnotes within the chapters since I am not familiar with many of the Bible translations she quoted from. I didn't like having to flip to the end of the book to search for the notes.

Some of my favorite statements from this book are:
"If deep in our hearts we suspect that God does not love us and cannot manage our affairs as well as we can, we certainly will not submit to His discipline." (p. 39)

"Is my obedience, then, what opens heaven's door to me? No. Is it my will, after all, that determines my salvation? No. The children of God are born, 'not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.' It does not depend on man's will or effort, but on God's mercy." (p. 40)

"It is nothing short of a transformed vision of reality that is able to see Christ as more real than the storm, love more real than hatred, meekness more real than pride, long-suffering more real than annoyance, holiness more real than sin." (p. 60)

If you're looking for a book that will challenge you in your thinking, pick up this book by Elisabeth Elliot and learning what discipline means in a believer's life.

My Rating: ★★★★

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