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Review: I Choose Love

I Choose Love book cover on blue background

It's always a gift when a book comes at just the right time. Thankfully, I Choose Love by Chip Ingram is one of those titles that reminds me of what the Christian life is all about. It's easy to lose track of what matters and to come across as more task-oriented than in actually loving people, so this book not only refreshes my commitment to love better, but it offers practical steps in how to do so.

Many thanks to Moody Publishers for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. –Victor Hugo

Human beings have a deep, hardwired desire to belong, to be accepted, safe, valued, and the object of someone’s affection, just for who we are. It’s the stuff of poetry, music, and movies. Yet love is primarily viewed in our culture as something that happens to me and of which I have great desire but little control. I Choose Love challenges this premise at its core.

Love is far from something that might happen someday, someway, if everything goes your way . . . but instead, Chip Ingram shows, it’s something you can choose to experience. This book is about choosing love―a love that the Bible calls agape love. This is the kind of love God has for people. It’s the love that’s characterized primarily not by our feelings or emotions, but by sacrifice and putting others’ best interests at heart―this love gives, serves, obeys, and cares. It’s not emotionless, sterile, or stoic; but it’s also not built on feelings, romantic notions, or erotic expectations.

We’ve all experienced the heartache that follows failures to love. But God promises that “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8). Join esteemed Bible teacher Chip Ingram and explore this invitation to choose love!

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

Love is a topic that I confess I can easily overlook or take for granted, so I am grateful that this book brought my attention back to such an important attribute of God and the very nature of who He is. Touching on C.S. Lewis’ Four Loves, I Choose Love takes each form of love and draws upon the corresponding action, which makes this book such a practical application of what it means to love as God does.

Thought-provoking and meant to generate discussion as it dives into how love gives, serves, obeys, and cares, the author demonstrates how we can love our neighbour best when we are emulating God. While love can be lofty, it is also attainable when abiding in Christ and being filled with the Spirit. If you’re looking for a book that takes the time to focus on what Christian love is, this volume takes theological truth and translates it into day-to-day attitudes and actions we can undertake with God's help.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📖
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍
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