_The Reading List is a segment of the blog where I let you know the thing I just read and some thoughts about it along with the next book in my list. Should you want to read along with me, let me know in the comments! _

It’s been a while since I’ve updated the reading list, and I read this book a while back without actually writing about my thoughts on it. It’s unfortunate because I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love to have had fresh thoughts on it. In the future, I’ll try to be more disciplined with this reading list so you guys get a better understand of where I’m coming from and what I actually got out of all this reading.

Not a Fan is certainly not a book for the faint of heart. It’s a book that basically tells you whatever you’re doing is not enough when it comes to following Jesus whole heartedly. I struggled with my own life decision while reading it, but in a good way if that makes any sense. There are plenty of times when I have been more of a fan than a follower, and I’d argue that it’s more of my baseline than the exception. It’s not that I don’t absolutely believe with 100% of my being that Jesus is the Son of God and the way to a full life. It’s that that way can put you in some really tight spots and as a person that generally avoids conflict, that can be more challenging for me.

It basically boils down to the fact that a fan may throw on a WWJD bracelet (sorry for the 1997 reference), or slap a Jesus fish on the back of their car. A real follower will go to the homeless shelter on weekends, not pass up an opportunity to share the gospel with anyone they find, and do some seemingly irrational things in order to keep themselves in line with what God would have them do.

This probably occurs in America more than a lot of places. I would imagine because we are a country that for whatever reason considers ourselves a “Christian nation.” I don’t really know why, but that’s a topic for another post. We are just pretty happy for the most part going to church services when it’s convenient and acting like we’re doing the right thing just because we say we believe in Jesus. It’s not that we don’t, or we’re going to Hell or whatever. It’s just that we’re not getting all that a life of following Christ can give us. I don’t mean stuff either, for you Joel Osteen fans. That life is a hard one and the fact that we don’t discuss the sacrifice more often is kind of a shame.

Being a follower of Jesus cost early Christians everything. These days, we can just sit around and act like following him will provide all the things we want. This book was all about saying that it might cost you that trip to the beach you wanted or that new car because someone else needed you at the time for some greater good.

This book opened up a whole lot of questions for me and brought a lot of things to light that I had not thought about in a long time. I’m still not in line with where I probably should be, but I’m thinking a bit differently about it. Thinking isn’t going to get me any points at the end of the day, but if I’m a bit more mindful then I can be more conscious of the steps I need to take.

Next up on the list: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry