Dug Down Deep

I’ve always identified with Mark Twain’s line, “It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me—it is the parts that I do understand.” It’s been my excuse for staying away from theological debates, it’s been the reason you’ll find me more often in Psalms than in Revelations.  But reading Dug Down Deep was a convicting reminder that I can’t get so steeped in simple tradition that I forget the reason I am living thus.

Sometimes it is easier to act like a Christian than to be a follower of Christ.  But in his new book Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters, Joshua Harris sounds a compelling call to dig down deep into the truths of why we believe what we believe so we will know how to live.

Every person reaches the point where they have to make their beliefs their own.  I remember that point in my life: I was on my own for the very first time, at Summit Ministries in Manitou Springs, Colorado.  I could have been whoever I wanted to be.  But what my parents taught stuck.  In two weeks away from home, I not only determined that my faith was truly my own, but I learned a whole lot about having a biblical worldview.

Now, seven years later, I am a parent myself.  It is an awesome and humbling thought to realize that I have that same responsibility with my children.  The question continually plagues me, how did my parents do it? How do I teach my daughter to love the Lord and His Word?  How do I get her to build her life on that firm foundation?  If she doesn’t see it in me, how will she make it her own?  Only if my faith is dug down deep can my children see and follow it.

But Dug Down Deep is a book for more than just parents.  It’s a book for the young adult I was not so very long ago, trying to figure out exactly what I believed.  It’s for the pastor or teacher who wants a less textbook-like approach to outlining theology.  It’s for anyone who wants an overview of the Christian faith.  It’s for everyone who wants to be challenged in what they think about God.

The best thing about the book Dug Down Deep is that it continually points you to the Book of books.  It is the sort of book to be read with a Bible in hand, the sort of book that will make you set it down and pick up the Bible instead.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).  These words always bring me back to the simplicity of sanctification.  This is why I obey.  This is to be my motivation.  People who love Jesus do what he says.  They learn to obey him in the big and small parts of their lives. (Dug Down Deep, pg. 173)

(Thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah for providing this book for review!)