Book Review: DON’T GIVE UP

By Kyle Idleman

With one glance at the title, you might think that Don’t Give Up is just another self-help book. However, Kyle Idleman, the author and an American pastor, does an excellent job striking the balance between encouraging hope in your walk with God and challenging you to consider your part in persevering. All the while, he does this within a biblical framework. His conversational style and lighthearted comments throughout the book make it an easy read without losing the depth and meaning of the message. Read this book if you are a Christian looking for a quick read and who needs encouragement to keep fighting “the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12, NKJV).

Journeying through life, you need encouragement and a push to persevere as a believer in Jesus. As you make your way through sections of Hebrews 11 and 12, Don’t Give Up gives you just that. Living life with faith in God can play out in different ways, both expected and unexpected. In Hebrews 11, readers dig into the lives of Abraham and Jacob who will inspire you by their walk of faith with God. These men are included in the “cloud of witnesses” of Hebrews 12:1, given as examples for us to follow. Their lives went in directions that they probably didn’t expect. As you are encouraged by these fellow saints, you begin to see the importance of gaining proper perspective in life so that you don’t lose heart as a Christian. Living in self-pity is one major way Christians lose perspective. Idleman offers some practical ways to fight against this all-too-natural tendency of self-focus.

Faith that gives you the confidence to keep believing and the courage to keep going is not faith in life’s circumstances; it’s faith in God’s character.

Continuing into Hebrews 12, you are challenged to “throw off the weights” that keep you from walking out your Christian life. It is vital to face these hindrances with the truth of God’s Word. By applying what the Bible says to your life and reading the inspiring stories of current and past people of faith, you come face-to-face with the truth of the gospel. This truth confronts those roadblocks along your Christian “race” (Hebrews 12:2).

These hindrances in your walk of faith can take other forms as well. No doubt you will come up against things like indifference, insufficiency, opposition, or discouragement by what appears to be slow progress. Another bit of perspective is this: take one step at a time. It is essential to move past intention, which in and of itself gets you nowhere, and learn to take action. However, as you do so you must have confidence. Self-confidence will fail you. Your assurance must be placed in something greater than yourself – in Jesus. Idleman summed it up nicely when he said, “Faith that gives you the confidence to keep believing and the courage to keep going is not faith in life’s circumstances; it’s faith in God’s character.” Let’s finish the race of this life with confidence in God and endure until the end.

Kyle Idleman is a senior pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Kentucky. He is a husband and father, believes in the importance of the local church, and is the author of multiple Christian books. With a passion for storytelling and known for his conviction and humor, Idleman helps believers see the world around them as an opportunity to love God and others.