Published by Harvest House Publishers on October 6, 2020
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life, Marriage, Parenting, Theology
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Are you so busy trying to make everything look good that you wind up missing the truly good moments?
Alisha Illian knows how easy it is to feel overwhelmed by the distractions of a busy life. She understands the pull of comparison and impossible standards of perfection that taunt us with every social media swipe. And she wants you to know, you don’t need perfect. You need perfect surrender.
In Chasing Perfect, Alisha shares how unveiling an imperfect soul leads to freedom and peace as youfind belonging and acceptance when you place your identity and significance in Christfind rest for your soul as you learn to spot the differences between being busy and being hurriedfind a life of complete authenticity and vulnerability so you can experience abundant livingIt’s time to stop chasing perfect and come to Him, broken and flawed, ready each day to chase after His purposes.
Alisha Illian urges Christian women to stop trying to measure up to the world’s demands. She pushes back against the self-help industry that profits off women’s insecurities by telling them to work harder, wash their faces, and endlessly hustle for success, and instead of offering six steps to a stronger, better, more empowered you, Illian encourages her readers to abandon the false gospel of self-empowerment and find rest in Christ. Throughout this book, she covers a variety of different topics and life issues, sharing personal stories and Scriptural teaching to illustrate how we can stop chasing perfection, refocus on what matters most, and find our core identity in God’s acceptance of us.
The author is honest about her own struggles and temptations, and shares practical advice for how women can heal their relationships with themselves, connect with others, and cultivate a healthy spiritual life. She sometimes uses weird metaphors, and she can seem too harsh and blunt at times, but this is a strong wake-up call for Christian women to invest in their spiritual lives and find rest in Jesus instead of trying to hustle their way to success and acceptance. Also, even though she writes from her own experiences as a wife and mother, she makes an effort to include illustrations and applications related to the workplace, dating, and childlessness.
Because of the many conversations that Illian has had on her speaking circuits, she has a strong sense of what women are struggling with right now, and she encourages women to turn to Jesus as the one who can free them from their bad habits, temptations, and destructive beliefs. Chasing Perfect: Peace and Purpose in the Exhausting Pursuit of Something Better is a strong, earnest corrective to common self-help messages, helping women find hope and healing beyond themselves.