Take Your Life Back by Stephen Arterburn

Take Your Life Back by Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop ISBN-13: 9781496413673 Trade Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Tyndale Released: Oct. 4, 2016

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Do you have a relationship that leaves you feeling drained? Maintaining and improving this kind of relationship--whether it's a spouse, a friend, or a child--can feel exhausting, fruitless, and toxic to your own health. It's complicated: You love the person, but sometimes you feel as if you're pouring all your energy into holding your loved one, and your relationship, together.

Arterburn and Stoop have helped millions walk the path of health through their New Life Ministries and counseling center--and now they reach out to those who walk the path alongside them. We are called to love one another deeply, but it is possible to support your loved one in a way that honors the relationship, God, and yourself.


My Review:
Take Your Life Back is about no longer "letting the past and other people control you." The first 127 pages talked about the different causes and ways a person can become reactive (unhealthy) rather than responsive (healthy) in their relationships. The authors came at it from several different angles and from a very inclusive mindset so you're likely to see yourself somewhere in those descriptions. The intent seems to be to help you recognize that you have a problem and what's at the root of it so that you can heal from it.

The next 50 pages were about what you can do toward having healthy relationships. While God and Jesus were talked about, it's in a general way. Unbelievers are urged to consider the Bible and surrender to God. I had expected a much stronger emphasis on the truths found in Scripture as the path to healing. Their advice included finding someone trustworthy to talk with and come alongside you and following the 12 step program. The last 23 pages described what the life of someone who has taken back their life will look like.

This book seemed more about encouraging you to recognize the problem and the goal and to make the effort to change. It does a fine job of that, but I expected more on how to "take back" your life. The advice they did give was pretty general and needs to be tailored to your own situation.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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