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A review by perilous1
The Bait Of Satan: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense by John Bevere
4.0
The message of this book is very much needed in the church today--where so many are still inexplicably under the prevalent current cultural impression that it is their "right" to be offended by anything and everything. And worse, aren't being properly warned on how unforgiveness poisons us--heart, mind, and body.
This is my second read-through since I was a teenager. I always joked that I could sum up the entirety of this book in one sentence: "Quit being offended."
But it is, of course, a bit more complicated than that. And while the book ends up being a fair bit longer than it needs to be in driving the point home... it may well be needed by many to be presented with a wide range of scenarios and hurts.
If pressed, I do have a few concerns...
1. Bevere is a little sparse on the empathy/compassion in his presentation. Some offenses are absolutely petty--a result of foolish human pride. (Perhaps even the majority these days!) But some hurts are deep, traumatic, and extensively damaging. Bevere doesn't really spend enough time on tending to the deeper wounds inflicted upon the innocent... and it's a real shame. A missed opportunity.
2. The book doesn't lend any credit to the discernment of abuse situations and the necessary upholding of boundaries. (Yes, forgiveness is absolutely required of us. But the restoration of relationship is NOT.)
3. Very little time/instruction is spent on the how-to of forgiving those who have caused us valid, inexcusable harm. Some aids for working through the process would have been more than helpful.
4. This is more of a personal complaint, but Bevere tends to slip into a self-promotion mode that I find off-putting. In this tenth edition of the book, he opens each and every chapter with a marketing ploy--a customer review/testimony praising this book. Call me old-fashioned, but such accolades are usually reserved for the promo page BEFORE the book begins... And I'd prefer it stay that way.
Still... the content itself is valuable and needed. I've seen it used by God to spur plenty of positive self-examination--including in my own heart. Don't let my honest criticisms suggest I'm in favor of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
This is my second read-through since I was a teenager. I always joked that I could sum up the entirety of this book in one sentence: "Quit being offended."
But it is, of course, a bit more complicated than that. And while the book ends up being a fair bit longer than it needs to be in driving the point home... it may well be needed by many to be presented with a wide range of scenarios and hurts.
If pressed, I do have a few concerns...
1. Bevere is a little sparse on the empathy/compassion in his presentation. Some offenses are absolutely petty--a result of foolish human pride. (Perhaps even the majority these days!) But some hurts are deep, traumatic, and extensively damaging. Bevere doesn't really spend enough time on tending to the deeper wounds inflicted upon the innocent... and it's a real shame. A missed opportunity.
2. The book doesn't lend any credit to the discernment of abuse situations and the necessary upholding of boundaries. (Yes, forgiveness is absolutely required of us. But the restoration of relationship is NOT.)
3. Very little time/instruction is spent on the how-to of forgiving those who have caused us valid, inexcusable harm. Some aids for working through the process would have been more than helpful.
4. This is more of a personal complaint, but Bevere tends to slip into a self-promotion mode that I find off-putting. In this tenth edition of the book, he opens each and every chapter with a marketing ploy--a customer review/testimony praising this book. Call me old-fashioned, but such accolades are usually reserved for the promo page BEFORE the book begins... And I'd prefer it stay that way.
Still... the content itself is valuable and needed. I've seen it used by God to spur plenty of positive self-examination--including in my own heart. Don't let my honest criticisms suggest I'm in favor of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.