I’ve just finished reading Average Joe: God’s Extraordinary Calling to Ordinary Men, by Troy Meeder. If you’re a man trying to figure out how your average life can have meaning, and how to find fulfillment without becoming a spiritual (or corporate) superstar, this wonderful little book will show you just how important “average” is to God’s plan. Meeder, who left a promising career in Human Resources to become the full-time Youth Pastor at a dynamic church, found his dreams of grandeur dashed when he was fired, and forced to take on a job as a landscaper to pay his family’s bills. When he was almost killed in a hole filled with sewage, God touched his heart and helped him to realign his priorities and see that “average” people in “average” jobs can still play a significant role in the Kingdom of God.
Each chapter in the book tells the life-story of an average person whom God used in extraordinary ways, weaving their story with stories from the Bible. Long on story, and light on scripture, this book would be a great, non-threatening way to introduce a group of average men to the gospel. There is a study guide included that can be used by individuals or groups.
The stories are inspiring, and the only criticism I would make is that Meeder sometimes fails to make a strong enough connection between the true-life stories and application for the reader. For instance, at the end of a chapter about a gardener who became one of Meeder’s mentors, he says, “A man can search the world over and never once meet a person like Jim.” But then, on the same page he observes, “There are Jims all around us. They work in the shadows of our everyday lives. Find them.” I was left wondering how I should do that.
Still, overall I found the book inspiring and worthwhile, and I’ve gained a new appreciation of how the aspirations of the world – even the aspiration to spiritual greatness – are a poor substitute for embracing God’s calling wherever I am, and however God will use me.
The publisher, Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group, provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. See a preview of this book HERE.
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