I’ve just posted at Amazon my review of Christina Fox’s book, Sufficient Hope (purchase the book here), released June 3, 2019, and I’m also sharing it here at #thereyougothinkingagain. I agree with what Susan Hunt has written for the back cover:
I love the theological richness and practical wisdom in this book. I needed this book when our kids were young . . . [and] I still need this book now.
and Nancy Guthrie:
Each short chapter in this book is long on good news . . . we need to hear.
Here is a summary snippet from Christina’s final chapter:
Remembering the gospel and preaching it to ourselves isn’t something that we do on occasion; it’s a daily habit. A holy habit–one that becomes part of the rhythm and heartbeat of our lives.
One of the things I most appreciate about Christina Fox’s writing is how the starting point for all of her topics is the gospel—the sufficiency of Scripture, the glorious and deep well of doctrinal truths drawn from God’s word, the immeasurable greatness of God. This is not to say she engages in ivory tower theological discourse, disregarding the real and painful dilemmas of life on this earth or the challenges and stumblings that come with motherhood. Christina writes with transparency about her own fears and failures, doubts and trials and afflictions. But her focus is on the vastness of the gospel and the promises of Christ, and she examines how faithful and Spirit-empowered obedience to God’s word unveils the perspective we need to face life’s daily struggles. We are so inclined to start with the struggles and end with whatever Christianesque plug we can find to fix the problem. Christina puts things in the right order.
As John Hindley writes in Dealing with Disappointment: “Either way, there is disappointment, but we can define our life by disappointment or we can define our life by Jesus. The first is an indication of idolatry; the second is a sign of real, hope-filled faith.”
In Sufficient Hope, you’ll find:
- A chapter about the mercy of forgiveness and the grace of sanctification to help moms rightly wrestle with sin and guilt.
- A chapter about how Christ-mindfulness and a heart posture of leaning on him provide all the energy, strength, and perseverance needed for each moment of every day.
- A chapter about what it means to settle our identities in Christ — a balm for the mom who agonizes over the loss of whom she used to be, and for the mom without a purpose when the kids move on.
- A chapter on joy sufficient in Christ to remind us how to silence the “if onlys” we whisper to ourselves.
- A chapter on the singular cure of regeneration when we despair over our children’s sins.
- A chapter on suffering as an expected condition of Christianity, pointing us to Jesus’s suffering as a context when we or our children face suffering and trials.
- A chapter about sovereignty and the peaceful and divine nature of Christ to combat worry about the future; the sufficiency of Christ to refocus our attention away from the distractions of a world in rebellion; the good and perfectly timed providence of Christ to wage warfare against shattered expectations, bitterness and despair; the world-upending cross of Christ to dispel a sense of helplessness; the redeeming work of Christ to give meaning to seemingly mindless tasks of motherhood (or life, in general).
Sufficient Hope starts with what the Bible says about the most important things you need to know about Jesus, sin, salvation, faith, repentance, the nature of God, the power of the Spirit, the transforming work of regeneration—and the broad application of these truths to every aspect of life. No matter where you are or what sphere or season you find yourself in, Christina Fox demonstrates how they are unchangeable and effective for everyone.
#thereyougothinkingagain 