Published by Tyndale on February 24, 2015
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life
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2016 Christian Book Award finalistVery rarely in the Bible does God command someone to "Stay." He opens a door, and then he invites us to walk through it--into the unknown. And how we choose to respond will ultimately determine the life we will lead and the person we will become. In fact, to fail to embrace the open door is to miss the work God has made for us to do. In All the Places to Go . . . How Will You Know?, bestselling author John Ortberg opens our eyes to the countless doors God places before us every day, teaches us how to recognize them, and gives us the encouragement to step out in faith and embrace all of the extraordinary opportunities that await. So go ahead--walk through that door. You just might do something that lasts for eternity.
All the Places to Go | John Ortberg
For reasons obvious, it’s become a popular trend to gift a graduate with a copy of Dr. Seuss’s classic Oh the Places You’ll Go! The book, for the three of you who’ve never read it, is a children’s book in the typical Seussian style that was meant to teach children about the adventures of growing up with wild-eyed whimsy. Giving it to a high-school grad is sort of a tongue-in-cheek way of saying “You’re an adult. Go and make your adventure.”
Unfortunately, while great on the go-get’em and rah rah side of things, Dr. Seuss’s masterpiece fails to follow up with solid and substantial teaching on how. There are so many options. You have to make so many decisions. The possibility for success (or failure) seems limitless. And into all that steps John Ortberg and All the Places To Go…How Will You Know?
There are so many books that focus on finding the will of God, but they tend to treat it like it is some mysterious thing. Ortberg takes the other side of that perspective saying, hey, there’s actually so much opportunity, how will we ever narrow it down? That fresh and refreshing perspective permeates the book and makes it an absolute joy to read.
As a youth pastor, I deal with the concept of God’s will just about every April-May, as school winds down and the seniors ship out and have their last second panic that everything is wrong. Every year I hand out some sort of gift or resource to each of them and encourage them in their journey. This year—and possibly from here on out—it’s going to be a copy of this book.
Ortberg writes eloquently about becoming an open-door person, ready to pursue opportunities (yet not accepting everything that comes your way). I especially love his penultimate chapter on what he terms the Jonah complex, or our tendency to run away from our destiny.
In All the Places to Go, John Ortberg really brings home the passion and drive that will encourage you onward in your journey. I’m a well-adjusted guy who’s sure of his calling and this had me chomping at the bit to go harder, faster, and stronger. If you’re unsure of where to go in life, this roadmap will help you out.
