Hustling God: Why We Work So Hard for What God Wants to Give

What a fantastic book. Barnes follows the story of Jacob in the Bible, the striver. He shows how Jacob never really believed that God blessed him, and shows how we do the same. He uses examples from our lives that make it so real -- for example, most people believe God is out there and loves people, but few believe he loves US. He even says that on Sunday he's worshipping God but forgets about God come Monday when the stresses hit. I particularly liked the chapter on Finding Love. He shows how Jacob's love of Rachel is a lesson in fantasy love. According to Barnes, Jacob was not in love with Rachel, but in love with the idea of being in love. So he works 7 years to make his fantasy come true, and then he marries both of the sisters. Then he works another 7 years to make his fantasy into a reality. Hence, don't chase fantasies. Barnes points out that all of us marry Leah and Rachel, meaning, there's the part of that person we don't want and the part we want. We get both, whether we like it or not. He continues to draw from examples at work and in the personal life. When one finishes the book, one is left in deep thought about all the blessings in life and how we just need to ask God to show us the blessing, rather than trying to work so hard for it all the time.

Chasing an illusive dream? Frustrated and angry with how life is turning out despite your very best attempts to make those dreams come true? Or perhaps through your drive and ambition you have reached the top of the ladder of the ‘American dream’ only to discover that the ladder has been placed against the wrong wall. In Hustling God, Dr. Barnes uses the life of Jacob to show that "the only good dreams come from God. And God insists on simply giving them to us." By hustling God, manipulating our circumstances or other people we are likely to miss the blessings that God wants to shower on us that bring lasting meaning and joy to life. This book spoke powerfully into my life on how to find personal peace and hope in a world fixated on achievement, success, and the material trappings of life. Highly readable but profound in its content, Hustling God should be on every thoughtful Christian’s ‘must read’ list.