Review: In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day

(my hand cramps from typing the title…)

Those who I share my most intimate struggles with know that I don’t believe in myself… and i’ve said it a few times on this site before… so really, any of you who stop by regularly should know it… but there are a few who get to dig deep into the reasons behind the doubt. In spite of my doubt, God continues to prod me and push me forward, but I still lack a knack for action. In A Pit (Mark Batterson) has been on my radar for nearly two year as a tool to possibly help me defeat my doubt and inaction; after all, it’s supposed to be an inspirational-motivational-get up and go take on the world type of book…

Did it work?

Well, each chapter certainly had something to offer from either a spiritual or motivational perspective. Several passages are underlined or starred and there are at least two major concepts that I am already trying to put into practice that up until now I had either ignored or forgotten. However, I wouldn’t say the book was life-altering for where I am now, rather it reinforced and encouraged me to continue my current pattern of growth.

yet… …

if you remove the cliches, repetitive nature, fluff, and (at times) misrepresentations, the book would whittle down from 170 pages to about 25. Don’t get me wrong… those 25 pages would be motivational and go-get-em! But i would be remiss if I wasn’t honest about the full content (literary and spiritual) of the book that took all of two sittings to finish… I am grateful for the areas where I was challenged through In a Pit, I enjoy reading Batterson’s blog and hearing the amazing testemants of faith that occur in the life of his church members, but his book lacks supporting substance.

I understand why it’s written the way it is. I respect that the book has inspired many. I admit that there are concepts in the text that I hope to put into practice. From a strictly literary standpoint, all you need to know is I plan on sharing this with my 8 year old and I fully expect her to understand the majority of the reading.

If you want a quick read that will give you some nuggets to spur you forward… (or if you really want to brush up and expand your cliche library)… it’s worth the read.