Love Does

Wow, what an incredible book. Completely reshaped my world view. Had me crying throughout the entire book, not out of sadness, but out of emotion and love for our God.

Bob Goff explains Christianity in one word: love. And it's not a noun; it's a verb, and what's more, it's an action word.

Goff shares lots of great stories from his life, and he relates them all to growing in his faith. The stories are incredible, almost unbelievable, and I laughed out loud sometimes at his boldness.

I saved some quotes from this book to think about some more:

“I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them.”

“I get the invitation every morning when I wake up to actually live a life of complete engagement, a life of whimsy, a life where love does. I t doesn't come in an envelope. It's ushered in by a sunrise, the sound of a bird, or the smell of coffee drifting lazily from the kitchen. It's the invitation to actually live, to fully participate in this amazing life for one more day. Nobody turns down an invitation to the White House, but I've seen plenty of people turn down and invitation to fully live. “

“You don't need a plan; you just need to be present.”

“Most people need love and acceptance a lot more than they need advice.”

“While you're figuring out what God wants you to do next — go love everybody.”

I'm not a Christian so to give a Christian book a perfect rating really says something! Bob Goff is a phenomenal human being. His whimsical, life impacting stories brought such joy to my soul. I am definitely going to read the book he just released in April. The world needs more Bob.

This book was an easy and entertaining read giving some insights into the life of a man pursuing Jesus and whimsy. I really enjoyed the anecdotes and call to actively love people - in small and big ways. However, I see this book as more of a memoir than a how-to or piece of theological writing and feel that is important to distinguish. The book lacks depth into what the gospel truly is and he only vaguely references scripture throughout, often providing his thoughts or interpretations without scripture backing these ideas. Nonetheless, I still have great respect for Goff and how he has used his privilege and affluence to serve others locally and globally.

This is a heart-altering, paradigm-shifting book that I can't wait to read over and over again. Bob Goff has lived an incredible life, but what I had to keep reminding myself throughout the book is that the source and inspiration for his incredible life is not himself but his relationship with Jesus and His love that Bob desires to live out. Every time I want to gawk at Bob Goff, I have to remember that I can live like that, too. This book is an easy read, but I recommend reading it slowly, digesting each chapter and pondering the implications for life. The stories are often fun, sometimes poignant and occasionally stop-in-your-tracks powerful. I can't recommend this book enough.

Some parts of it were amazing and really stuck with me. Other parts almost made me feel guilty, then I listened to God and stopped that. Overall, I am left with a heightened sense of whimsy and a desire to really live out love to those around me.