The first (!) entry in my Book Review series, I’ll be giving you a look at the recently-released offering from Morgan Snyder. Enjoy!
Overview
“Becoming a king is an invitation to a process of becoming the kind of man to whom God can entrust his kingdom. The greatest revolution in human history began through twelve men saying ‘yes’ to a personal invitation from the King of kings to recover the ancient path. It’s not easy, it’s not cheap, and it’s not quick. The path is made available to all, but few choose it. It has always been so.”
This is how the author — Morgan Snyder — summed up the process of becoming a king at the hand of the King. He said it better and more succinctly than I could, so I thought it best to simply quote him.
And with this book he proved to faithful to that quote. With Becoming a King, Morgan simply gives the reader an invitation to the process of becoming a king. He doesn’t seek to give the reader a cookie-cutter, 5/10/12-step plan that will make you a king. Instead, what he does is attempt to lovingly open our often jaded masculine eyes to the truth that we were created to be kings, and the fact that we need — with everything in us — to approach the Father and submit ourselves to the king-making process that He’s curated and that only He can properly execute.
Each chapter of the book is its own mini-invitation into a single aspect of the larger process of becoming — becoming the full-hearted, engaged, powerful, purpose-filled men* that what were designed to be.
The chapters are as follows:
- Becoming Powerful
- Becoming a Son
- Becoming True
- Becoming the Man You Were Born to Be
- Becoming a Generalist
- Becoming a Warrior
- Becoming Good Soil
- Becoming Deep Roots
- Becoming Like-Hearted
- Becoming a King
*This book is written specifically to men, but I believe it would be valuable to women who would venture to read it as well. This book could help women have a better understanding of the male heart and the things that it struggles with, as well as giving women a view into some ways that they can potentially invite the men in their lives into the process of becoming the king that they, themselves need. In addition, I believe some of the larger principles could have some level of cross-application — i.e. instead of becoming a son, there could be application to becoming a daughter.
How this book found me
Good books almost have a way of finding you. In my experience, the way some books find their way to me and the timing in which they find me can be interesting in its own right. So, along with discussing the book itself, I usually like to take note of the circumstances that put the book in my path.
One of my go-to places for spiritual edification is Wild at Heart, the website of John Eldredge and his crew (and please believe there will be numerous book reviews of John Eldredge offerings to come, he’s one of my absolute favorites). And Morgan Snyder is a long-time friend and partner of John Eldredge and is a vital part of the Wild At Heart ministry team.
And several months ago, I was patronizing the Wild at Heart daily readings — as I do, and as I would recommend you do as well — and I started seeing excerpts of B.a.K. which was soon-to-be-released. I don’t go for many new releases that I come across, but I knew, just from the title, that this was one I needed to read.
I knew that I needed to read it because God had, in the preceding months, been opening my eyes to the importance of the theme of rule/dominion/kingship in the Bible narrative. God had been showing me that we severely undervalue — often to the point of ignoring — these themes in modern Christianity and I thought B.a.K. would help in my continued effort of digging into those themes.
In short, God’s timing strikes again.
How it impacted me
This book was an immediate help to me. It helped me to be more intentional than I had been in pursuing the Path. B.a.K. encouraged me in the process of both discovering God’s heart as well as allowing Him to uncover mine.
One of the things that immediately resonated with me, and that I have already begun practicing, is being more present — present with God, present with myself, and present with my family. Taking time to slow down and appreciate what’s going on with me right now, no matter how “mundane.” There is beauty and God’s presence in all of life, including its seemingly “small” occasions, and this book genuinely helped me learn to soak in more of those moments and really appreciate them.
Another thing this book has helped with is conceptualizing the idea of being a son of God. In the second chapter, Morgan recounts an intimate exchange that he had with his son at his life when he was a very broken man. While face-to-face with his little boy on the floor at bedtime, the then-3-year-old would make an eye-opening observation that would, from that point, forever change the way Morgan thought about himself and how he led his family.
The pure and innocent truth that the boy shared with his father was so, so powerful, and I’m so grateful for him sharing that story. It has forever impacted me, and I believe it will you, too.
But I’m not going to tell you what was said — you need to read it for yourself.
And with that said…
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely I would. This book is a must for men, especially.
We were created in God’s image and being in His image we were tasked with ruling and having dominion of His creation (Genesis 1: 26-28). But we need to be groomed and prepared for the task of ruling, and only God can completely prepare, and empower, us to rule well.
So, I invite you to buy this book and draw from the same goodness that I have. I gained so much more from this book than what I shared here, but I’ve got to leave some meat on the bone for you!
If you’re interested in purchasing a copy (or several), here’s the link to the Becoming a King page on Morgan’s blog where you can do so.
A quote to leave you with
The recovery of essential and substantive masculinity was central to what Jesus was after when he declared that “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19: 10 NASB). This verse has gotten neutered into a kind of eternal-Band-Aid-salvation prayer, but I would argue that the scope of Jesus’ redemptive intention was to go deep and wide. What if by “the lost,” he meant not people in general but all the parts of humanity that were lost and broken in the fall? The word translated as “save” is the Greek word sozo, which means ” to save from suffering and disease, to make well, to restore to health in every way.”
What if the context in which Jesus offers his life is not a one-time eternal ticket out of hell but rather a day-by-day and decade-by-decade apprenticeship in kingdom living? The world, the flesh, and the evil one are insistent in their intention to take us out as men: to destroy the image of God in us, to create a path for us to atrophy into a sort of androgynous entity called a person, losing our masculine hearts in the process. Paul urged us with this counsel on how to live in the kingdom of God as men: “Keep your eyes open for spiritual danger; stand true to the Lord; act like men; be strong; and whatever you do, do it with kindness and love” (I Cor. 16: 13-14 TLB).
Through the incarnate life of God, in Jesus, we are offered another way. He has come to put a knife in your hand, to train you as a warrior and as a man. For most men it is literal. For all men it is a metaphor invoking the reality of the ancient path.
Chapter 5: Becoming a Generalist (p. 70-71)
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-Alex