Unburdened by Chris Tiegreen:

God's timing is perfect. When I received a copy of Chris Tiegreen's book from the Tyndale Blog Network I had been going through one of the worst and darkest times of my life. This is not a “how-to” book to relieve stress and magically make your worries disappear. The author focuses on the root of our problems as a Christian. How many times have we gone up to the alter to place our burdens upon Christ then moments later just pick them back up again? Chris makes if very clear from the start that our problem is truly trusting God.

If we are to truly let go and trust God we need to go all the way. Even when we feel and it looks like God is not listening to us we still need to trust Him. It is easy to trust in Christ when things are going well. It is when life throws a curve ball at us that we seem to want to put the load on our own shoulders and wait till the weight is crushing us until we turn to Christ for help.

Mr. Tiegreen points out that when we hand our burdens over to God they just do not disappear nor should we go around with a care-free attitude. It is Christ that makes the load lighter working with us. We still have responsibilities and obligations. If we are to be truly living an unburdened life then we really need to let go of self and live for His will.

This book has only 9 chapters. Walking you through a look in the mirror in my opinion of what we are facing and how God's Word explains how we are to live with less weight upon ourselves. As Christians we have resources others do not. Yet we still want to do things our way and the end result is just opposite of what God has planned for us.

The author really showed me how our own perspective and expectations of others are so unrealistic which in turn adds to the burdens we carry. This simple truth unlocks the way we need to look at things. Being humble is OK. Working to live up to others expectations is misguided if we are not living by God's standards first.

You will find this book deeply fulfilling. Sure at times here in the South we might say that Chris takes the long way around the barn to get to the point but you quickly will see the reasoning. If you find yourself wondering why all this junk in your life keeps building up and weighing you down over and over again then you need to read this book. Life may not be trouble free but worth living in Christ when we truly trust Him fully.