Also by this author: Gospel-Driven Ministry: An Introduction to the Calling and Work of a Pastor, Gifts of Grace: 25 Advent Devotions, The Storied Life: Christian Writing as Art and Worship
Published by Baker Books on September 21, 2021
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life
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There may be no more powerful desire in the human heart than to be loved. And not just loved, but loved anyway. In spite of what we've done or left undone, in spite of the ways we have failed or floundered. We long for an unconditional, lavish love that we know intrinsically we don't deserve.
If you are tired, sad, yet always longing, bestselling author Jared C. Wilson has incredible news for you: that kind of love actually exists, and it is actually something you can experience--whether or not you're in a romantic relationship. In his signature reflective, conversational, and often humorous style, Wilson unpacks 1 Corinthians 13 to show us what real love looks like. Through engaging stories and touching anecdotes, he paints a picture of an extravagant God who not only puts the desire for love into our very souls but fulfills those desires in striking, life-changing ways.
Throughout Love Me Anyway, Jared C. Wilson writes in an engaging, personal style, sharing stories from his life to help illustrate his messages about love, our struggles to feel or express love, and the perfect love of God that can fulfill our deepest needs. I particularly appreciate how he balances our need for God’s love with the necessity of human companionship, instead of suggesting that lonely people just need Jesus. I also appreciate how well he structures the book around 1 Corinthians 13, addressing common pitfalls to love such as envy and keeping a record of wrongs.
Love Me Anyway is practical and deep, and Wilson’s writing is easy to follow. I would recommend this to both adults and to teenagers, especially since Wilson shares so many stories from his own teenage years with compassion and sensitivity to his younger self. This book wouldn’t be encouraging or helpful to a lovelorn or misfit teen if he made jokes at his own expense or made light of the pain he experienced at that age, but because he is honest about his immaturity and failings while also honoring the very real suffering that he went through, this book can encourage and help readers who are much younger than his intended audience.
Love Me Anyway: How God’s Perfect Love Fills Our Deepest Longing is an encouraging, helpful book for people in a variety of life situations. Wilson does a great job of speaking to our current cultural moment as well, writing about the toll that societal breakdown has taken on people’s close relationships and wider networks on social media. This book is an inspiring reminder of why it is so important to genuinely love other people, as well as a reassuring reminder of God’s perfect love, which is bigger and deeper than all of our mistakes, all of our sins, and all of our failures. This is a very helpful and refreshing book, and I would recommend it to both individual readers and church discussion groups.