Book Review: "Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture" by David Murray

Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture by David P. Murray

I believe David Murray was talking about me:

“If you picked up this book, there’s a good chance that God has enrolled you in WU [Wilderness University], though you may be reluctant to attend classes. Sometimes I find men who are afraid to admit they need a reset. They are scared of what they will find out about themselves and apprehensive about what changes will be required in their lives. When I talk to them about the adjustments they need to make, they often resist. When I tell them they have to go 20 percent slower, sleep 20 percent more, or reduce ministry service by 20 percent, what they hear is, ‘Life is over, I’m a has-been, I’m just a lazy and unfruitful servant.’ For most of them, however, doing 20 percent less simply takes them down to about 120 percent of what most normal people do with their lives! Less does not mean nothing. Some change does not mean total change” (pg. 189).

And now that I’ve actually read his excellent little book about how to live a grace-paced life in a burnout culture and begun (painfully!) putting his wise counsel to work, I’m really hoping he’s right about the potential results: “And, strangely, the vast majority of them eventually tell me that life on this side of Reset garage has turned out to be even more profitable and abundant. They are doing less but accomplishing more. They have reduced their work a little, but have seen God work more. They have been to Wilderness University, but have graduated with baskets full of fruit” (pg. 189).

That sounds really good, and Murray has even has walked the path ahead of us–the best kind of guide. I’ll be returning to this book again and again.

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