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 🙂 ))
As I read and studied John 13 this morning, the love of Jesus began to shine through the pages and upon my heart. As I studied, Jesus gave me a fresh perspective of his love. His love for others, including Judas. He never stopped loving him and he commanded us to us to not stop either. While Judas was betraying Jesus…Jesus actually gave the disciples this commandment:
“I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.
By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”-John 13:34-35 CSB
I cannot help but think of the actions of Jesus during this. He knew what was going to happen. He knew what Judas was doing. Yet, while he was being betrayed, he commanded the disciples to love one another.
Jesus never stopped loving Judas.
He never told us to stop either.
Jesus commanded us to do the opposite.
Even though Jesus knew Judas’ heart and the pain he was about to endure, he still had communion with Judas and he still washed his feet. He still humbled himself and served him.
When I began to re-read the chapter, there was an essential part that I missed in the very beginning of the chapter.
“Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”-John 13:1 CSB
Judas was one of Jesus’ own. He loved him till the end and commands us to love him till the very end too. No string attached. Just love.
Have you ever been betrayed by someone you love? Someone you thought would never hurt you?
If you are reading this right now, I am sure you have. Jesus is the perfect example of how we are called to live our life. He is the perfect example of pure love. Pure love, love’s even when it has been betrayed. Pure love, love’s even in the midst of of being hurt. Love does not give up or waver due to to circumstance. Pure love, love’s despite people’s actions. As God’s word states, by loving those that have done us wrong, we show that we are his disciples & we are following his example.
If you are hurting because of someone as you read this, take this moment to have communion with the father and forgive them. For me, this meant me asking for forgiveness too. I am still learning to love. I still stumble from time to time. However, I choose this day, at this moment, to love like Jesus. I choose to love not based upon other people’s actions. But, love because Jesus commanded me to and gave me the perfect example to do it. I hope you take this moment to chose to love like Jesus too.
When we are hurt we have a choice.
We have the choice to hold onto unforgiveness and let the bitterness fester. We can let it fester into anger and later allowing it to rot all of our fruit. ▪️Or▪️
We can choose to forgive.
We can choose to give grace as freely as it is given to us.
We all have battles people know nothing about.
We are all learning to love better together.
Forgive others and love like you have never been hurt.
This past weekend my husband and I went to the TobyMac hits deep tour. Outside of the concert while we were waiting in line we were face to face with protestors with signs that said “We will go to hell for our sins” “Repent or go to hell you…*insert every type of sin + er*” as they were quoting scripture OUT of context. I sat there quietly in line praying to God for the people that had such a misconception of the bible. I finally saw the world’s view of God. This very twisted, condemning, not loving, hateful God. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT WHO HE IS!! This, my friends, is what we call satan himself at work, twisting the word of God to make it something hateful instead of the love story to his creation it is.
Am I saying sinning is okay? NO.
Am I saying people won’t go to hell? NO.
Am I the judge? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Does God look at your heart? YES.
What I am saying is, this particular group of people were lost and didn’t understand the word of God. They don’t understand their creator. There was no love in their chants. There was nothing but condemnation. Which is straight from the pits of hell.
As I prayed I asked Holy Spirit what Jesus would do in this situation. What should I do? Should I talk to them? Should I hug them?
Holy Spirit spoke to me and said “look around you”. As I looked around there were people laughing, people making remarks about the love of God, and others that stood there in silence. What Holy Spirit revealed to me in that moment was powerful. As they stand here judging us, most of us were doing the same as them. WHO is called to judge? Not me, not you, not anyone but God. I asked Holy Spirit why they thought the way they did…I asked him to show me them through the eyes of Jesus. He revealed to me that it was generations and generations of the word being twisted all being rooted in fear and darkness. Years of abuse and ancestry curses haunted them. He spoke to me and reminded me that we never know what people deal with at home. I asked Holy Spirit to let me know what I was supposed to do and if I was supposed to speak up, give away hugs, or anything else, just let me know. He let me know that there are people to get those people who were lost out of darkness, but that wasn’t me. By then I had entered inside.
There were many conversations inside about what was going on outside the 4 walls that surrounded us. One included me telling my exact conversation with Holy Spirit to a lady that was eating to the table next to us. I wasn’t here to gossip. I wasn’t here to slander them. I was here to be the light as God called me to be.
The flesh in me originally wanted to march right up to these people and yell at them about how wrong they were for telling people they were going to hell and judging others. But I would be doing the EXACT SAME thing as them. Trying to be the judge of someone’s sin and pointing fingers when I have no room to do so. I would have spread hate, not the love of God.
Holy Spirit led me on a complete and opposite direction.
BE THE LIGHT TO THE DARKNESS.
LOVE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT MOST.
DON’T BE FRIENDS WITH THE WORLD.
STAND WITH GOD.
WALK IN THE SPIRIT.
As Children of God we are called to LOVE.
PERIOD.
Love.
EVERYONE.
ALL.THE.TIME.
Loving One Another
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.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.Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.” 1 John 4:7-21 NLT
