Saturday, January 31, 2009

Book Review: God is my Coach

The author of “God is my CEO,” Larry Julian, is out with another, practical guide for everyday living.

While I think the titles of both books are poor, overly simplified descriptions of the Holy Father, there is plenty of good advice in “God is My Coach.”

There is a tendency to reduce the Everlasting, Holy God to a ‘personal Jesus.’ Why stop at God being a coach or a CEO? Let’s make him our bowling partner or mechanic or interior designer. God has His role, His place in the world and if He is who He says He is, then I should not try to ‘stretch’ his definition to something that is practical.

Once you get past the title, you’ll find the book to be a practicum for an ordered way to a more effective life. God’s ‘coaching” abilities, according to Julian, include “finding your creativity,” “nurturing your passion,” “giving you a calling” and “blessing you with relationships.”

Julian makes his living as a corporate management consultant, and the book reflects that. He is incredibly organized in his thoughts, as each chapter reads like a flowchart in novel form. He interviews a number of business leaders who are living out the God model of “coaching” including an executive at General Mills, a management consultant,

His most effective interviews are with Os Guiness.

I love the chapters devoted to Monty Sholund, a lifetime mentor of men who has 100’s of relationships to his credit. As a ‘coach’, he lived out Christ in others, guiding, cajoling, instructing others. A true coach. The book was worth it just to read about Monty.

The first five to respond by email, will get a free copy of “God is My Coach”
"What makes our labor holy, what makes it eternal, is not just the work but the state of our hearts while performing that work. When we comprehend that truth, then we realize washing dishes is as significant to the Kingdom as operating on a patient; driving a truck is as eternally triumphant as leading a company. Then, even in the zig-zags of our careers, when life seems more random than ordered, when it feels like we're running in thick mud with heavy boots, we can rest in the knowledge we're serving God as we labor faithfully and diligently."

-- Randy Kilgore, Made to Matter