Surrender All by Joni Lamb - REVIEWED

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Incredible things happen when you give up control.

As a young wife and mom-to-be, Joni Lamb never imagined a dream and Duct tape could launch a growing television network and career as host of two programs that reach millions of viewers worldwide every day with help, hope, and wisdom. Then a simple act of surrender to God helped her use ordinary things to achieve her extraordinary dreams.

That same simple act can help you find unshakeable peace, incredible power, and confident purpose too. Surrender All contains practical know-how and Joni’s remarkable story of how giving up control to God can…

• deepen every relationship,
• buoy any career,
• strengthen all finances,
• restore your health;
• get you through great loss or failure.

Drawing upon her experiences as a wife, mother, and television personality, Joni also shares the inspiring stories of others, celebrities and everyday folk, who found fresh hope in difficult circumstances by surrendering all:

• the couple whose marriage was fully restored–two years after their divorce,
• the mother whose faithful prayers for her drug-dealing son received an unexpected answer,
• the romance novelist who surrendered her career and found a whole new level of success,
• and the renowned sportscaster whose alcohol addiction nearly destroyed his life…until he chose to believe that God had greater plans for his future.

You can step confidently into your own divinely-designed destiny, Joni’s story reveals; she comes alongside to show you the way to making real the dreams of a heart willing to Surrender All.

MY THOUGHTS:

I was not familiar with Joni Lamb, Daystar TV or anything related to the ministries of Joni Lamb and her husband Marcus. The premise of the book is what appealed to me, because the Lord has been teaching me some very powerful lessons of surrender in my own life, and I wanted to see what the author had to say. Since that initial invitation, I have researched a bit about the Lambs and their television ministry, and I feel compelled to tell you at the outset of this review that my thoughts on this book in no way reflect the approval or promotion of their ministry. In fact, I can say that there are several major doctrines espoused by this couple that I don’t think are scriptural at all but rather a belief based in charismatic dogma that leads one to doubt eternal salvation and teaches a work-based faith. That said….

Surrender All contains dozens and dozens of stories, personal testimonies and moving life experiences of a wide variety of people that share the forgiveness and blessings that transformed their lives once they surrendered their lives to God. You cannot help but be amazed at the transforming power of God’s love and forgiveness. Truly, there is no one that God can’t reach! Joni’s writing style is very personable, and she herself has witnessed many life-transforming experiences as she has been obedient to do what God has asked her to do. She describes this surrender not as a weakness, or a defeat in life, but rather a powerful way to become all that God intended for us to be and a tool He can use for His honor and glory.

One statement found very early in the book and repeated in a variety of ways really disturbed me. On page 25 Joni states, “You can’t surrender to His will until you invite the Lord to forgive your sins and to come into your heart and life. This isn’t a one time deal. It needs to be repeated every time you face a challenge in any aspect of your life.” The entire book of Romans – chapter 8 in particular – tells me that this statement is false. God’s forgiveness and His gift of salvation is complete and eternal and nothing that any power on heaven or earth can do will ever change that once a person comes to Him in repentance and faith. Surrender to God’s will cannot be accomplished without salvation, but our salvation in no way depends on us surrendering over and over again.

There are a lot of really encouraging stories in this book, and a life surrendered to Christ is truly the most joyful, peaceful and powerful thing a believer will ever experience. I do wish there were more references to God’s word throughout the book, but I realize this is not necessarily a teaching tool, and I assume that is why there was not more Scripture included in the text. I enjoyed the stories shared and the encouragement to seek God’s will in every single area of life. Truly, it is the best and only way to live a life that reflects the saving work of Christ in our lives.