I am loving this Booksneeze book review program as I just read The Vertical Self by Mark Sayers. Wow is all I can say. This book was written in a non-preachy tone with ideas that made me rethink how I see life, my faith and my Savior.
The main premise of the book was to look at living “horizontally” verses “vertically.” Horizontal living means a life of me, myself and I while also trying to please the world while Vertical living focuses on glorifying God and living under His ultimate authority. Here are a few examples taken from a table in the book on page 19-20
Vertical vs Horizontal:
God as Judge vs Others as Judge
Holiness vs Status
Eternal vs Temporary
Delayed gratification vs Instant gratification
Work ethic vs Play ethic
Self discipline vs Self esteem
Facts vs Feelings
Are you getting the picture here? Would love to know if any of these ring true in your life-if you veer more torward the Horizontal than the Vertical in certain areas.
To take it one step further, Mark Sayers writes about how Christians can live a fragmented life as they go from Vertical to Horizontal depending on their location, the people they are with or when they are at work. This is called fragmented living meaning our beliefs are scattered all over the place depending on our circumstances. “One can have an evangelical Christian worldview, a secular sex life, an economic rationalist approach to money, a conservative vote and a liberal approach to humor.” page 26 All I can say is this paragraph punched me in the gut and I am rethinking my approach to life. I want my entire existence to be consistent and consistently point toward the LORD!
This book is a fantastic read. You can purchase it on Amazon or straight from the Thomas Nelson webpage.
**I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”