Worry

Written by cycleguy on August 18th, 2014

Product Details

Back in early July Caleb Suko asked me if I would be willing to be on the launch team for his new book, “What If…” It is subtitled “How to Kill Worry and Anxiety Before They Kill You.” I was more than happy to help out but then I found out the launch would be less than a week after I was gone on vacation. Bad mix. Read book on vacation. Nope. So I told Caleb and he was okay with me reading it whenever I had the time and then writing a review. I even waited until the book came out so I could buy it and not carry around a 198 pdf file. 🙂 So, here is my review.

First, I met Caleb through blogging. He is a missionary/pastor in Odessa, Ukraine. He is married and the father of five children. Given the events of the past couple of months in Ukraine and being the father of five children should give him some credibility about worry and anxiety. 😉 To make matters a bit more tense, until just about a week ago (August 5th), he and Christine and the five children have spent the past 10 months in the states traveling thousands of miles visiting their supporting churches. All while keeping an eye on his beloved Ukraine (which is also Christine’s homeland).

The book: I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have read many books over the 40+ years of being a pastor on subjects like worry, anxiety, fear, etc. Some have been written from a clinical view. Some have been “cheesy” i.e. offering easy answers or being filled with cliches. Some offered no answers. Some took the therapeutic route, while some took the “super spiritual” route. What I like about Caleb’s book is he did a great job of avoiding all the clinical garbage which comes from a subject like this, while at the same time giving some “meat” to what is behind worry and anxiety and how it affects a person. There is one thing I really like about this book

Caleb saturates it with Scripture. It is everywhere.

I also like that he doesn’t browbeat anyone, condemning them to hell as a hopeless sinner because they do worry. What he does do is give some logical, reasonable answers to the problem which plagues so many of us. In fact, he spends a whole chapter hitting the “Don’t worry…be happy” philosophy really hard. It is really hard to say one of the best parts of the book is such-and-such because that part is chapters 11-15 (“Don’t Worry About…”) and then chapters 17-19 (“How to Kill Worry”).  Both sections are practical, usable information.

I suggest if you have an issue with worry  and anxiety or if you do any counseling which involves these issues, this book would be a good one to add to your library.

I was asked to review Caleb’s book but not told I had to give a good review. I am glad to. Well done my Ukrainian friend and brother!

 

23 Comments so far ↓

  1. Hi Bill,

    Caleb, nice to meet you. After years as a missionary kid overseas, it is always nice to meet and hear about other people living and working overseas. We have been watching the news and aching too with the unrest there. Dear ones of ours have been adopted from that region of Ukraine too.

    Thanks for your take on this book, Bill.

    Nice to be here again,
    Jennifer Dougan
    http://www.jenniferdougan.com

  2. Daniel says:

    Wouldn’t it be awkward if you didn’t like the book? Yikes, what we you have done then? I will check this one out.

  3. the Old Adam says:

    That is one question that I always ask of Christians who actually believe that they are doing a good job of living an obedient Christian life.

    “Do you ever worry? About anything?”

    That reflects an attitude of not trusting God.

    And lo and behold…we are ALL in that boat.

    I guess we really do need a Savior, after all…and not a self-help, improvement guru.

    Thank you, Bill!

  4. Caleb Suko says:

    Bill I’m so glad you agreed to review the book! I appreciate your honest review and taking the time to do it!

    We are now back in Ukraine and feeling pretty safe here in Odessa but meanwhile praying all the time that God would bring peace to Eastern Ukraine!

    • cycleguy says:

      Glad I could help out Caleb. I’ll keep praying for you all as well.

    • Zee says:

      Caleb – I hope Odessa will remain safe from the “saviors” and you guys will be safe!

      • cycleguy says:

        Amen to that Zee!

      • Caleb Suko says:

        Thank you Zee! How’s things in Kiev? We just drove through quickly when we flew in but I’m hoping I’ll get up there later this year.

        • Zee says:

          Things in Kyiv are quiet and they finally took apart the last remains of Maidan (the tents on the main square). Back in winter, Maidan represented people’s unity, desire to change things, and to fight for our rights… After the war moved to the East, those who really knew what they were doing on Maidan, went to the Eastern Ukraine to continue fighting and protecting our land. Those who remained behind on Maidan were people who just wanted the fame and a reason to brag without being in danger.

          It’s one thing to say “I’ve spent three months living on Maidan in a tent” in winter, when there was a danger of attack, and it’s a completely different one when someone says that in summer, when everything is quiet and they can just be there, drink vodka, discuss Putler’s actions, and “be Ukrainians.” It was mainly the homeless and those who didn’t want to work who remained there.

  5. I found myself worrying over an issue this past weekend. It resolved itself about the way I thought, but I wasted a lot of time thinking about it.

  6. Dan Erickson says:

    Sounds like a good read. I could have used it more 20 or 30 years ago. But I still have my times. Although part of me wanted to be part of Caleb’s book launch team, I have decided I need to go all or none and chose none recently. Your review coming a little later is good. If all the reviews are at the front it seems a little less honest.

  7. floyd says:

    Good review, Bill, couldn’t agree more.