The Vertical Self by Mark Sayers

Living in the age of the horizontal self, 
in which our worth is tied to what others think of us, 
we end up obsessed with ourselves.   

-Mark Sayers

 

Have you ever read a book that you hoped would never end?  Or how about a book that, as soon as the last page was read, you immediately turned it over and began reading it again?  This is one of those books.  The message of The Vertical Self is not only relevant for today's culture, but I'd go as far as saying it's essential.  Mark Sayers, the senior leader of Red East Church in Melbourne, Australia, has brought to our attention the pandemic of the “horizontal self” that is sweeping through our churches and communities.  This book calls Christians back to holiness and wholeness through finding our identity in Christ-- to see ourselves as God sees us, which is the “vertical self.”

The Vertical Self gets 5 out of 5 stars from me.  Even after I had only read the first few pages of this book, I was already telling people about it.  Mark Sayers’ writing style is fresh, insightful, yet simple.  The content of the book is built on hard-core Biblical truths that are often watered-down and glazed over in our age of media & celebrity.  

This book has challenged me to choose a new path-- one that moves me away from horizontal living and steers me toward my true, sense of self.  I invite you to pick up this book and come along with me in this journey.

Happy Reading!

This book was provided to me at no cost by Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Bloggers program. I was not required to provide a positive review, only an honest one. The viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.