Shirley Brosius

A Proactive Approach to Life

As long as our world is turning predictably, most of us feel pretty confident God’s on his throne and all’s right. But what happens when our world spins out of control? In Making Sense Out of Life: The Answers You’ve Been Looking For author Patrick J. McGuffin helps you think through your priorities and prepare for those times when life doesn’t make sense. His experience as a pastor, business leader, journalist and missionary adds credibility to his writing.

After a short introductory chapter that includes discussion of some of the challenges that inspired McGuffin to write the book, he identifies 12 major issues of life that may become challenging—including jobs, friendships, family issues and the God factor. Insightful analogies are just one of the strengths of this book. For instance, he likens the issues of life to the small rocks, twigs and blades of grass that you see at your feet while sitting on a mountain top and compares them to the God Factor, the view from the mountaintop, the bigger picture.

McGuffin points out how our lives change if we truly believe God is God. The author makes good use of lists to categorize and summarize. Part 2 deals with the importance of living with eternity in view and the importance of evaluating life issues according to their length of impact. But the reason you’ll want to keep this book on your shelf for reference is because of the Study Guide. This section poses thought-provoking questions and offers scriptural guidelines for thinking through answers to questions such as, “Will I ever be able to get a grip on my emotions concerning the loss of my loved one?” “How can I determine the best way to invest the little free time I have?” “Some health issues can be so debilitating. Can and will God invade my world and heal me?” “How can I position myself to move ahead in my job or with my career?”

Making Sense of Life also includes points to consider, which are really tips to prepare yourself to handle life issues before they arise. You’ll find the book well organized with main points set off and boldfaced. You’ll find new ideas to enhance your walk with God. And you’ll find practical suggestions to apply in the nitty gritty areas of life. This book helps you identify the really important issues of life, and McGuffin does not mince words about what you need to do to develop a proactive approach. A good book to pass on to others who are having trouble making sense out of life.