Book Review: "The Imperfect Disciple" by Jared C. Wilson

The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can't Get Their Act Together by Jared C. Wilson

A different angle on disicpleship.

In The Imperfect Disciple, Jared Wilson re-imagines the traditional spiritual disciplines of discipleship through the lens of grace. He writes, “I want to, by God’s grace, give you the freedom to own up to your not having your act together. I wrote this book for all who are tired of being tired. I wrote this book for all who read the typical discipleship manuals and wonder who they could possibly be written for, the ones that make us feel overly burdened and overly tasked and, because of all that, overly shamed” (pg. 230). It’s not that he doesn’t encourage people to do Bible study, prayer, fellowship, confession, etc. He does. But he also shows how we do those things by grace and to access grace and how we aren’t measured at all by our performance of them. It’s not a practical how-to book but instead a very mind-orienting one.

Wilson’s writing voice is fresh, honest, and funny. You can tell that he's a real person, and his humility makes him accessible. Our small group read and discussed each chapter over several weeks and came away encouraged. Recommended.

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