Uninvited

Title: Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely

Author: Lysa TerKeurst

Series: N/A

Genre: Christian Living/Women’s Issues

Format: Paperback, 275 pages

About the Book:

The enemy wants us to feel rejected . . . left out, lonely, and less than. When we allow him to speak lies through our rejection, he pickpockets our purpose. Cripples our courage. Dismantles our dreams. And blinds us to the beauty of Christ’s powerful love.

In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences with rejection—from the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father to the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over.

With biblical depth, gut-honest vulnerability, and refreshing wit, Lysa helps readers:
Release the desire to fall apart or control the actions of others by embracing God-honoring ways to process their hurt.
Know exactly what to pray for the next ten days to steady their soul and restore their confidence.
Overcome the two core fears that feed our insecurities by understanding the secret of belonging.
Stop feeling left out and start believing that “set apart” does not mean “set aside.”
End the cycle of perceived rejection by refusing to turn a small incident into a full blown issue.

My Review:

I started going through this book with a small group of friends from church. We read three chapters at a time so that we could watch the DVD clips for each section when we would meet up. Although the DVD was interesting, I think we got more out of the time when discussing the content right out of the book instead of reviewing the video.

You don’t have to be down in the dumps depressed in order to glean anything from this study (although if you are, it will certainly help). Even when you think everything is going fine in your life, you can discover little pieces of things that need to be worked through in order to grow in your relationship with the Lord. One of the topics Lysa discusses often in the book is the feelings surrounding “rejection.” Different people handle rejection in multiple different ways. Some cave under it, some develop stronger wills, some run away, etc. At the end of the day rejection hurts, and feeling left out is no fun. But seeking Christ and our identity in Him can help us to cope with the pain we face in this life.

I liked that even though it’s through different circumstances, many of the concepts discussed in this book can be personally understood and worked through on an individual level as well as with a small encouraging group of friends. We may not be able to relate to each personal story, but we can relate to many of the feelings and emotions surrounding those stories. I appreciated that Lysa emphasized that she too is a work in progress. She doesn’t pretend to have it all together or to have fully healed from every hurt in her life. The way this book is written really fosters an environment of building one another up and developing real fellowship with one another.

I know that Lysa TerKeurst has written several books, but admittedly this is the first one I’ve read. I fully intend on reading more from her in the future though. I know my friend that had the study at her house really loves her writing, so I have a good feeling another of her books will be used in the future there. This is a great book that can be read alone, but also is great for a small group. It’s really a powerful and encouraging read for women and I highly recommend it.

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