Running with the Giants: What Old Testament Heroes Want You to Know about Life and Leadership

This book is great. You are put in a setting in which you get to run a lap w/ many of the greats from the Old Testament. They come down and in one lap, give you a treasure of knowledge or a key point that helped them be who they are and that you can apply to your life.

John Maxwell's THINKING FOR A CHANGE was one of the best books I read last year . . . so when I saw RUNNING WITH THE GIANTS, another title from this NEW YORK TIMES best selling author and motivational teacher, I scooped it up eagerly. The premise certainly caught my attention . . . Maxwell imagines that he is running with various Old Testament heroes, and he presents the advice that he receives from each one. For example, he urges you to think about Noah for when you wonder if your life really counts . . . to think about Esther for when you are uncertain about your future . . . and to think about Joseph for when your life isn't turning out the way you planned . . . Moses, Rebekah, Abraham, David, and Jonathan are among the others who also appear in this short (136 pages) in but thought-provoking work. I particularly enjoyed the questions for personal reflection after each section, such as this one: What helps you to do the right thing when those around you are doing wrong? In addition, Maxwell presented a prayer from each Biblical character . . . this one, entitled "Jonathan's Prayer for Us," caught my attention: Sovereign Master and King, Please empower my friends to see the big picture so they may know their place and be glad to be a part of something great, cultivate the right attitude toward the potential and success of others, and possess a servant's heart that receives great joy in adding value to leaders. Amen There were several other memorable passages; among them: [writing about Moses] Soon we are running our lap together. For a while, we simply travel side-by-side, waiting to hear what he says. Finally, Moses, the man who spoke with God face-to-face as one would to a friend, says, "live in the faith zone, not the safe zone." As we continue running, Moses seems to consider what he wants to tell us. Finally he says, "Each person's life story is written in risks--the ones taken and the ones avoided. Look at my life. Do you think you would know my story if I hadn't stepped out of the safe zone? Would I even be talking to you right now if I hadn't entered the faith zone?" His gaze is fixed on us. It is intense. "The greatest moment in my walk with God came at the burning bush," Moses continues. "The decision I made there that day wrote the next forty years of my life story. It is a decision that brought daily encounters with the living God! But in the moment of decision, it was not easy to make." [writing about Rebekah] Rebekah went the extra mile. Her generosity stands in stark contrast to the prevailing attitudes today. Rebekah seemed to be saying, I'll do what you asked me to do, then I'm going to do something more. In contrast, many people today seem to be thinking, I'm going to do the least that is expected of me, and I'm going to try to get the most out of it. Sadly, this underlying spirit has even crept into the lives and thoughts of many people of faith. Few individuals desire to do more than they must. Everywhere you

An inspiring little book that draws life and leadership principles from Old Testament Biblical characters. Maxwell uses the power and example of these people's life stories to draw out some great truths. The backdrop is running in a stadium with the "great cloud of witnesses" that surround the Christian and having some heroes of the faith come down to run a lap with you and give advice on lessons they learned. See the other reviews for the list of Old Testament heroes that are included. Each chapter has some discussion questions that can be used for personal reflection or for discussion as a group. There is also a brief prayer from each Biblical character for the reader to apply the truths from that chapter to their life. The discussion questions at the end of each book could easily be used for a small group study. Although the chapters are all brief, to really be able to answer many of the discussion questions adequately, you would need to read the Biblical passages for the Biblical figures mentioned in each chapter. This would obviously be a good thing. Even if you don't use the discussion question, it's still a motivation and inspiring read.

Having read and reviewed most of Maxwell's other books, I am probably somewhat unfair when suggesting that he frequently recycles many of the same leadership principles. Stated another way, had I read only the one Maxwell book each time I was composing a review of it, I would probably rate each of the Maxwell books Five Stars. They are carefully organized, well written, and thought-provoking. The same is true of this volume in which Maxwell focuses on ten heroes and heroines from the Old Testament. He suggests that each manifests an important life and leadership principle: Noah (one person can make a difference), Esther (God has a place for you), Joseph (Don't give up on your dreams), Moses (live in the "faith zone," not the "safe zone"), Rebekah (give generously to others), Abraham (God always does the right thing), Nehemiah (no problem is too big when you have help), The Servant Girl (one small act can make a big difference), David (you can overcome the limitations others put on you), and finally Jonathan (strengthen a leader and save a nation). Maxwell devotes a chapter to each and concludes with a "Discussion Guide" based on the material provided in the given chapter.It is easy to list the names of the heroines and heroes, and, to list also the life and leadership principle each embodies. Far more difficult, obviously, to correlate their ancient cultures with our own. That is precisely Maxwell's point: However different cultures and individual circumstances may be, there really are some enduring values which are relevant to each. After I read this book, I was prompted to ask questions such as these. Have not contemporaries such as Gandhi made a difference? Was it not Mother Teresa's mission in life to give generously to others? Did Martin Luther King, Jr. ever give up on his dream? Were Gandhi, King, Sadat, and Rabin (to name but four) in a "safe zone" or a "faith zone" when assassinated?To varying degrees, ancient as well as contemporary heroes and heroines demonstrate in their lives and in their leadership of others the same principles and values which Maxwell affirms all of his many books. This one is different from the others in that it attracts our attention to ten individuals most of whom we seldom think about, much less appreciate, and from whom we can learn much of value if our hearts as well as our minds are both willing and able.

John Maxwell once again provides solid, practical wisdom that encurages and inspires. The examples from the Old Testament make the life lessons easy to apply to your own life. This book really helped me.