Fully Alive by Ken Davis

A man lies in a bed in the ICU of the local hospital.  Tubes and wires protrude from his feeble body and wind their way to massive machines on either side of the bed.  The lights on the machine and the bouncing bubble that displays the heartbeat give evidence to the fact that this man is indeed alive.  But is he living?

A Christian trudges through life doing what must be done to get by.  Upon examining his actions, one of two conclusions can be reached: (1) He has arrived at where he wants to be in life and has grown comfortable in that state; (2) He has despaired at ever arriving at where he wants to be in life and has grown comfortable with his uncomfortableness.  Either way, his life consists of getting through another day.  There's no doubt this man is alive.  But is he living?

In his newest book, Fully Alive, Christian author and speaker, Ken Davis explains how to tell the difference between being alive and truly living fully alive.  Davis delves into his personal experiences and illustrates for us the milestones God placed in his life to take him from a state of being alive to a state of fully living.  Through his thorough explanations and intriguing questions, he enables the reader to evaluate his/her own life and state of living.  And even though Ken Davis is most well-known for his Christian comedy, this book will make you cry.  In fact, it provides a message that will have you laughing and wiping tears from your eyes at the same time.  But I assure you, it is a message you will want to hear!

This book has changed my life.  I firmly believe God has used Fully Alive, in conjunction with some other teachings, to pull me out of a rut.  I was like the Christian in scenario #2, despairing of ever reaching my life's goals and dreams.  I had grown comfortable with my disappointment and discouragement, and in doing so, I had given up on life.  I was going through the motions day in and day out, but there was no life in me.  I had no joy.  I found no delight in the things I was doing, even the things I was doing for the Lord.  I was enduring life, but I wasn't enjoying it.  Life was happening to me, but I wasn't living.

When I read the description of this book, I knew it was something I wanted to read.  Besides, it was written by Ken Davis, so I knew it couldn't be bad.  I had no idea how much it would impact my life.  From the first page, I found myself nodding my head and saying, "Yes, I know what you mean.  You've just described my life."  And while most pages spoke comfort to my weary soul, I must admit some points stomped quite firmly on my toes.  However, after I soothed my wounded pride and studied out the things that had offended me, I realized that Davis was absolutely right.  God used his words to open my eyes to things I had been blinded to for some time.

I have every intention of going back through this book again.  It is so full of good information that it simple cannot be processed by reading through it once.  Nevertheless, I have already begun to implement some of the principles I learned through this great work.  I'm tired of just being alive.  I'm ready to live!  And thanks to Davis' willingness to open up his heart and share his personal struggles, I now have an action plan.  I finally see the light. . . and it's not the one at the end of the tunnel.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”