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Everybody Always (Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People)~Bob Goff
ISBN-10: 0718078136 Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 1 edition (April 17, 2018)
Wow! Where do I even start with this book review!?
Everybody, Always, is one of those reads that everyone can read and get a deeper revelation of love, how Jesus is the perfect representation of love, and how he has called us to love EVERYONE, ALWAYS. Bob Goff’s writing style of authenticity, humor, and vulnerability leaves you awe struck throughout this entire book. I leave this book changed by the power of his testimony of how “Love Does”. I had a hard time putting this book down. With every single page, Holy Spirit used Bob Goff as a vessel to transform my heart from someone who misinterpreted what the love of Jesus was into actively doing what love does.
How God has shown Bob through others what love is from the “croc drop” to the Witch Doctors in Uganda. This book along with the nudge of the Holy Spirit had me step back and really look at my heart. Am I truly loving and serving like Jesus? How can I do what love does starting now?
There were tears that were shed, conviction, and laughter with every chapter that I read. I am so thankful for the way God has used Bob to write this book. I give this book a 5/5, as in, stop what you are doing right now and read this book!! If you are looking to love like Jesus, which we all can learn to love more like him, this is a great read. Everybody Always taught me where I was wrong and where I need to do what love does. God used Bob’s life and voice to help me understand where I have went wrong and why I thought the things I did. I learned that I am not alone, and was gently reminded we are learning to love like Jesus together, so be abundant in grace because we all need it. Simply stated, we are to love Everybody, Always.
((This book review was not sponsored! I wanted to share because of how much this book has changed my life and heart! But, if you would like to buy this book and help me as an amazon affiliate, click the link below 🙂 ))
If you have known me for any amount of time, you know I have a tendency to beat myself up. God this year, is continuing to bring me a deeper revelation of his love and break the chains of religion and law that has been trying to bound me down.
You see, I have dealt with this view that I need to do this or not do this to get God’s love. I think is partly due to environment I grew up in and the religious beliefs I was originally taught. There is a huge difference between Saul and Paul.
Saul, was law-driven, a pharisee, he knew what to do, what not to do, and everything in between. He crucified Christians, yet God used him to be one of the greatest messengers of God of them all (at least in my eyes). Saul was turned to Paul due to the love of Jesus. A love that can transform every single one of us if we have an open heart.
Many times we want these roots of religiousness to just leave. This idea of performance based loved to just disappear over night. However, the more I am realizing that growth with deep strong roots that last in a storm take a while to grow.
Let me smash some lies right now and speak to you what Jesus has spoken to me that completely wrecked me in the best way possible.
He gently spoke to me and said. “If I loved you at your darkest, even when you were living in darkness. Why would I love you less now? I am the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Jesus is the ultimate definition of love. He died for you and I to be set free. He died and rose again, defeating all odds, for us to be able to choose to love him back. See, whether you know God at all right now, maybe don’t even believe he is real, or completely hate him, HE STILL LOVES YOU. Jesus loves you even when you have nothing to offer. When we were still sinners, God sent Jesus to die for our sins so we can be in true fellowship and communion with him.
However, we do have a choice whether or not we allow his love in. For me, it seems silly typing it out… But I struggle to allow myself to be loved like this. I frankly do not deserve it. Yet Holy Spirit speaks and says, Isn’t that what grace is? Isn’t mercy not getting what we do deserve?
Let’s smash the lie together of performance based love, shall we?
God loves you, he has chosen you even before your parents even knew you were going to exist. He is the ultimate father and the purest form of love. He is love. Will you let his love transform your heart and life? He does not love you because of what you did or did not do. He loves you because of who he is. The only reason we are able to love somewhat like him is because he loved us first. When you get your mind around that you can’t do anything to earn or lose his love you will start walking in freedom. Sometimes, this is continual process. Something you need to ask a revelation of every single day. Is that not what Paul asked for? To know him and make him known!
Saul was not transformed into Paul off of his own will, but the kind intentions of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. If Paul could have earned God’s love, he would have never been transformed from Saul to Paul.
You are so loved and so worthy of being loved.
I pray that God may bring you wisdom and revelation of his love for you today and every single day. The more you seek him, the more you will find him. I pray that you are protected from the lie’s of the enemy and Holy Spirit replaces it with the truth of God’s Word. I pray that you may continue to understand to more of his love and turn that into thankfulness and praise. That you may prosper in all he has set you to do. That you do not grow weary in doing good, but press forward to what is ahead. That you look at the things of heaven, not the things of earth. That your focus is set on the perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ forever and ever, Amen.
You my friend, are so loved.
Hey everyone! For those of you who missed my last post, I uploaded a printable prayer list to keep track of who and what you are praying for! It isn’t anything fancy. It is just a tool I use to see God’s faithfulness on paper, kind of like a keepsake and to be a little more organized. Feel free to check it out at:
It is so beautiful to see how God has used not only myself as a tool to bring people to know him but my husband and close friends. Over the course of January I have saw many people grow in their personal relationship with Abba. There is nothing more beautiful to me to see what they asked for in prayer to be answered and those seeds being cultivated as God keeps on pouring into them. January has been tough but God strength grows so much deeper than the trials I have faced this month.
With all that being said, I would absolutely L-O-V-E to pray for you or if you know of someone that needs someone praying, that is cool too!
There are a couple ways you can reach me…
I have a facebook page with all the recent updates: Speak Life Facebook Page
You can message me on there, comment on this post, or if you want something a little more confidential you can email me at Tanja.Lunney@gmail.com
I cannot wait to see what God is going to do next!
Before you start reading this…hear me out…read it all the way through.
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”
John 10:10-11 NLT
“God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:17 NLT
“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
1 John 4:9-10 NLT
“So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”
Luke 15:3-7 NLT
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”
Romans 8:38 NLT
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT
These are just a few of many verses that shows Abba’s love for us. Before I started my walk with God, I was looking for love in all the wrong places…I mean all of them. I would try to fill this void in my heart with whatever I could get my hands on…boyfriends, drinking and drugs, food, a promotion at work, money, friends, popularity, and yes, even social media. No matter what I did, I was never satisfied. I knew in my heart there was something more. I didn’t understand. Now, most of the things I listed above are what the world thinks as “bad”. If you try to fill the void of God’s love with anything, including your spouse, bodybuilding, healthy eating, a productive hobby, etc….it becomes a bad things. Some things that are really good for us can become an idol, something that we put before God which in turn, can turn out really bad. My point of this post is that really what our world is looking for is love…and God is love. (1 John 4:8) We are all searching for a deep intimate relationship with Abba.
What I love about God is that he believes that bringing one of us home to the Kingdom of God, is of great importance. He is a good father that doesn’t want anyone to perish. He looks at us as his masterpieces. He looks at us with love and tells us we are worthy of love. We are made to be loved. I heard that “we are made to be loved.” & I was like ugh….Abba, my heart.
When my relationship with God first started really developing, I was blown away with how many lies the thief, aka satan, aka, the enemy, had snuck into my life. Everything I believed about God was untrue. I had to let go of who I thought he was & who I thought I was. I began to read and study the word daily, praying more than I ever before, and started having fellowship with other people following Jesus, and I started to understand my identity.
I am a Child of God.
Before really pursuing my relationship I was searching and searching, trying to fill the void, and really I just needed God. I needed his true, pure, reckless love. I can speak about his love for me all day long. I know that he loves you too. But, getting to know his love is something you have to do. By this I mean, his love is individualized. He loves you and every “flaw” you think you have. His love never changes no matter the mistake you may make or what your past looks like. God loves you no matter where you are at in this very moment. He is willing to leave the 99 to come get the one. Are you the one?
His love doesn’t just stop at me, it doesn’t just stop at you…he uses all the things we’ve been through for the good. He uses it to help others that may be struggling. To me, that is so beautiful. How his love just travels and travels through people and for all generations to come.
Like I said, I can speak about God’s love for you all day long, but it’s for you to decide to get to know him on that intimate level.
I know we will never reach the depth of his love here on earth…and I think that’s one of the things that really sets a fire inside of my soul. I can just keep reaching out to him and he keeps pouring his love back upon me. We can never outgive God. His love is overwhelming to the point of tears of joy. His love is reckless and is unstoppable. His love is constant. His love is everything I’ve ever needed and more. Thank-you Abba for who you are.
