Ordering Your Private World

This book was originally written to men as the primary audience and it speaks in terms of being driven. It is, therefore, more applicable than when it was first written, and it is more applicable to both men and women. It is highly recommended to achievers, strivers, and ambitious people who need to pay attention to what is happening under the surface in their private world.

Gordon MacDonald has revised and updated his classic book that has taken literally a million people on a journey to get serious about living.  In this revised version, MacDonald has gone even further than his original work because he is no longer just the author, but has repeatedly become the practitioner of his own methods.  Faced with hitting a wall of growth in the Christian life, Gordon MacDonald took his own advice and began to grow again.  He shares with us, once again, how this can be possible for any follower of Jesus Christ.MacDonald uses incredibly poignant illustrations for pointing out not only the needs we all face, but also the solutions for meeting those needs.  For instance, he likens the private world, some call it heart, soul, mind, or some other label, to a potential void beneath an otherwise seemingly normal operating life.  Like the sinkholes that occasionally make the news, a person is going along doing their normal life and then wake up to find their whole life has fallen into a hole.  How did it happen?  Who is to blame?  MacDonald suggests neglecting the private world, which he would say involves all of the areas previously listed, is the cause.  With nothing to hold up the outer life, it falls into the hole where the character, life, spiritual life, and heart should have been.Dealing with everything from confidence to trust to secret desires for recognition and appreciation, MacDonald delves into our private world in such a way as to cause every reader to wonder if he has been looking in the window to their souls.  He encourages not just an introspection, but a circumspection and a humble submission to God's activity in one's life.  He suggests have people around us that help us to see what we are truly like.  He further suggests establishing a routine of healthy behaviors so that, when faced with a crisis, we are able to respond like we always have.  Like the child piano player asked to play for the family picnic, there is no reason to panic or think that we need to produce a special performance, but merely that we react as we always have.This revised and updated version of Ordering Your Private World comes with a small group discussion guide.  The questions are far from trite and require some honesty and thought, but are an excellent resource for getting a group of people together to read the book and study its implications for their lives.  It also provides an excellent framework for accountability in everything from pursuing God's dream for my life to spiritual disciplines to taking our walk with Jesus more serious each and every day.For the reader who thinks that this is just another guilt trip book designed to show off our shortcomings, it is far from that.  It is actually an encouragement from someone who has been there and been there and knows God can get us through.I was provided this book free to write this review, but would have purchased it anyway.  They did not ask me to say anything positive or negative.  Just to review it.  I highly recommend it.

Also a good resource for other text

A wonderful book designed to bring peace to our lives. Chaos has a child. His name is Chaos. Order also has a child. Her name is Peace.

"I believe that one of the great battlegrounds of our age is the private world of the individual." - Gordon MacDonaldCurrently I'm having a lot of trouble walking. What started as a burning ache last week has become a real pain in both feet. On the outside you wouldn't know anything is wrong, but something has happened internally and they cannot bear the weight they were created to.Our world is all about looks and productivity. We work endless hours and then come home to hours spent on technology. We don't sleep well, and we certainly don't rest well. In the Christian sphere, we also tend to fall into the false belief that those who are the busiest and most active are the most spiritual, but then we wonder why our leaders fall into great sin, turn away, or burn out. I am thankful for voices like Gordon MacDonald pointing us toward wholeness. Ordering Your Private World is easy to read  and is filled with practicality to help you and me bring our inner lives into right alignment to support our outer lives. Don't be fooled though. It will take commitment and making hard choices. As an added aide to following through with the practical points of the book, there is a study guide included to help the reader think more personally. The guide could be used for just the reader or to help lead a small group study if you are so inclined. This is a book that I'm adding to my shelf to keep, and I am looking forward to implementing some of the author's suggestions. There's no reason for us to wait until our entire world collapses around us to realize that we need to make changes. We don't have to be part of the status quo. MacDonald has a lot of wisdom to offer on seeking God first practically so we can be fit to do what He calls us to do publicly. Let's start living life from the inside out as we were created to, not just for our health, but also for those we are called to serve.I received a complimentary copy of this book through Handlebar in exchange for my honest review.

Great book to read

I will read this again and again. So practical. So transparent. It made me think about so many areas of my life that need some soaking in the presence of my Lord!

If Scripture is true and the quality and condition of the “heart” will affect and determine everything else, we ought to spend time knowing and ordering the quality and condition of the heart. MacDonald’s book was simple, enjoyable and readable.The layout and topics of the book are relevant and helpful - I would read 1 chapter every day or so and allow each topic to marinate. In a busy and hurried world, this typically took under 20 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised throughout the book how it seemed like he knew what my world and schedule (and even my office desk) looked like.

Must read

All Christians MUST read this book. It is a life changer

Makes you think about how you prioritise your life. And that to be successful you need to be consistent and cultivate your inner garden.

This book entered my life 6 weeks ago and at 65 taught me how much worth there is in "Ordering Your private world " on a routine basis .It did me the power of good to travel alongside an author who had already travelled this path and who wanted to share its challenges and opportunities with others .It is a practical clearly signalled text. We examine the strengths and weaknesses of who we are and the ways in which we can come closer to God's presence.The five sections motivation , use of time ,wisdom and knowledge,spiritual strength and restoration help us to gain a more balanced inner world.The book encourages a greater purity of heart by examining the elements of prayer ,study and action.In the weeks since I read it I have begun to appreciate the distinction between the driven and the called in Christian life,the importance of ordering time to meet God's plan for us , the importance of reading ,trusting in God and using time to renew and refresh.This book is written in such a way that we can prayerfully explore our life choices and respond more confidently to each other's needs in the spirit of God's love and on an everyday basis. I shall return to it's pages often.

MacDonald makes us look in the mirror. Through his vulnerability and testimony, he directs us to significant practices of health.He calls to examine the places we hide from most people. The places of the soul and spirt. Like his story of track competition, a talented runner can start the race with speed and tenacity. However, it is the disciplined and diligent runner who completes the marathon.A fantastic read and resource for leaders, regardless of the stage they find themselves in. For young leaders, a must read so as to learn from the growth and wisdom of a seasoned leader.