Review: The Vertical Self

The Vertical Self
How Biblical Faith Can Help Us Discover Who We Are in An Age of Self Obsession
By Mark Sayers

We are now living in an age of self, self in a way that protects it's image.  An age that focuses on looking good rather than being good.  In The Vertical Self, Mark Sayers challenges believers in Christ to live with a vertical sense of self, how we live for God rather than a horizontal self and living for how others see us.  Pastor Sayers challenges they way we act instead of being holy.  Holiness is not a popular topic of our time.  He is very insightful on body language and the messages our culture is portraying through clothing.  Pastor Sayers shows how living a true and Godly life in this world can impact our world for Christ.

I really enjoyed this book.  I was expecting it to be a challenge to live more for Christ and less for self-image and it was definitively that.  The history and background Pastor Sayers brought some new light on how we got to this self-absorbed world culture we are living in.  I am not a fan of self-esteem and have long held an opinion that children, teens, and adults need God-esteem.  If we see ourselves how God sees us we will live in a state of balance, not thinking more highly than we ought, but also knowing our true worth.  The Vertical Self is a wonderfully challenging book for a Christian.

The end of the book also includes a small study section that you could use in as a book club kind of study, there are chapter questions and opportunity for accountability and prayer.  I wouldn't call it a Bible study, but would be great in a accountability group or small group setting.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.