book review   

"Ordering Your Private World" – by Gordon MacDonald

Book Review (Jared Fast)

I rate this book, if the principals and disciplines it teaches are actually applied, as among the top 3 Christian books that I have read in terms of its potential to impact the reader's life.  We all desire to have order in our private worlds – what MacDonald describes as the "inner garden" of our being where we think, feel and commune with God.  MacDonald asserts that when our private world is in order and centred on God, we can be at peace despite our hectic pace of life and the many trials that surround us.  He breaks our private world into 5 sectors and examines them as follows:

1.  Motivation.  MacDonald explains the difference between living as a driven person and living as a called person.  He argues that inner order can only be obtained when we are obediently following God's call on our lives and living as stewards of our possessions, positions, ministries, etc.

2.  Use of Time.  According to MacDonald the key to time management is to budget it, and make the budgeting decisions based on one's mission (as defined in the previous section).  He recommends scheduling all of our time, both personal and work time, and doing so well in advance since unscheduled time will gravitate towards unproductive uses.  I can clearly see this truth in my own life – a recent decision to drastically reduce the time I spend watching TV has had a profound effect on me spiritually.

3.  Wisdom and Knowledge.  Here the author explains the need to continually sharpen and expand the mind, and then use that knowledge in service of others.  He warns of particular danger for those whose natural abilities make them fast starters because they often fail to see the long-term need to develop their minds.  This leads to mental and spiritual stagnation.

4.  Spiritual Strength.  This is the area where we as Christians struggle the most.  MacDonald explains that we must take every opportunity to develop and build reserves of spiritual strength that we can then draw on in times of difficulty.  He discusses four spiritual disciplines which can help:  (1) the pursuit of silence and solitude, (2) regular listening to God, (3) the experience of reflection and meditation, and (4) prayer as worship and intercession.  He examines the reasons why we find prayer so difficult at times and discusses ways to overcome this by examining when, how and what we pray.  He also explains how journaling can be a practical and helpful way to listen to God.

5.  Restoration.  This is the shortest section but has had the greatest impact on my life since it is the one I have most consistently been able to implement.  MacDonald draws a distinction between leisure and true Sabbath rest and explains the necessity of pursuing Sabbath rest to bring ourselves in line with the rhythm of work and rest that God established at the very beginning of time.  This pursuit is a choice we must make each week and the results are tremendous.  Since I began observing the Sabbath several years ago I have experienced a far greater degree of peace in my inner life and have been able to cope with the pressures of work and personal life with much greater success.  At first it was incredibly difficult to keep work and busyness from crowding in but after experiencing the joy and deep rest of the Sabbath I now jealously guard this guilt-free time of refreshing.

If you have ever found yourself stretched thin and run down by the busyness of life, or if you desire a deeper experience of God's inner peace, then I highly recommend this book.  It has become for me a model of what a Christian's inner life should look like.  Its principals show that it is possible to have a private world that is so firmly anchored on the solid rock of Christ that it cannot be shaken