Book Review: Living Without Worry

It’s there when you are preparing for a test and you’re afraid of failing it. It’s there when you are waiting to hear back from the doctor to find out the results. It’s there in many other cases and circumstances. We are talking about worry. The truth is we live in a fallen world and we all worry, some more than others. Yet, we find in Scripture the command of Jesus for us not to worry (Matthew 6:25-34). Is this realistic? Addressing this issue is Timothy Lane in his new book Living Without Worry. From the outset he does set this disclaimer: the book will not take away your anxieties completely (Lane 15). This side of glory we are still growing in our sanctification. Nevertheless, Timothy Lane does lay out the definition of worry (chapters 1-2), the issues surrounding it, the different aspects of worry (chapters 3-6), and how to counter your worry with the truth of God and casting your cares and anxieties on Him (chapters 8-11).

This work is immensely practical, biblically grounded, and real. Chapter after chapter is saturated with illustrative stories to apply biblical truth to life. Lane delves deep into this subject by stating worry is a spiritual issue and reveals our perspective and response to God (Lane 18). He deals with worry in regards to the past, present, and future as well as understanding suffering in light of sinning and being sinned against. He does not neglect the sufficiency of God’s Word as the pages of this book are filled with proper Bible passages. Dr. Lane most beautifully draws our attention to the cross and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to point us to the hope of our change. We cannot change in and of ourselves. Only through the gospel by the enabling of the Holy Spirit can we move from worry to worship. Indeed, the book calls for the cure of worry: to re-orient our priorities to God and His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33). We do such by seeing our sufferings as opportunities to become more like Jesus and learn to cast our anxieties on Him. This, the practical, biblical, and real, is summed up in chapter 10 where we see the three reasons Jesus gives for us not to be worried (see pages 133-134). This book is one, I believe, every Christian needs to read because we all deal with it! Living Without Worry is a primer for those who are desiring to take their worry and turn it into worship of God.

I received this book for free from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the book.