Gracenomics: Unleash The Power Of Second Chance Living by Mike Foster

Takeaway: Grace is in short supply in the world, but as Christians we have been given Grace and should be leaders in giving grace.

Purchase Links: Kindle Edition,  Hardback (Hardback is currently cheaper.)

This is a book that I think almost everyone with a kindle should pick up.  It is short, most people will read it in less than 2 hours.  It is a quick read with lots of quotable ideas (somewhat similar in feel to Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier).

The basic idea is that as Christians one way that we change the world, or really just act like Christians, is to give grace to everyone around us.

There are a couple reasons for this, one is because of the grace that we have been shown by Christ.  But most of the rest of the reasons are really pragmatic.  Reasons like, we are imperfect so we need grace from others, it makes good business sense, it is a great way to diffuse tense situations.  If anything it is too pragmatic.  I get that there really are good pragmatic reasons for giving grace.  But another chapter of theological reasons would have made sense to me.  As Christians we can do things for pragmatic reasons, but if we have theological reasons for doing the same thing, then I think our theological reasons should take precedence.  Not out of theological intellectualism, but out of an attempt at living Christianly.  I think too often we live life without the help of God.  In giving grace, we cannot live without God’s help.  We are sinful, we will not give grace without the help of God.  I think in his sections on how to give grace, Foster acknowledges the role of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in our movement toward grace, I just wish there was a bit more in the why grace section.

Another weakness is that there is really not a great definition of grace.  It is fairly clear that he is not talking about Salvific Grace when he is talking about the grace we give to others.  But more incarcerational grace, the living out of Christ to others.  This could be called kindness, humility or love, but I appreciated that he kept with the more theological term grace.  But I do wish he was a bit more explicit about what he meant by the giving of grace.

In the end, in spite of the weaknesses, I think this is a needed message.  Christians need to be known for their grace.  Instead we are often known for our judgement (or honestly what is mostly just meanness.)  Christ was harsh at times with those among the religious of his day.  But he was full of grace for the downtrodden, the outcasts and those without power.  I think we need to be more filled with humility (a pre-requisite of grace) if we are going to really reach out to those that still need Christ.

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Originally this was $0.99 on kindle.  I still recommend it. But it is not nearly the deal that it was at the previous price.