Blogging for Books: Soul Print

SOUL PRINT: Mark Batterson (Soul Print comes out on January 18)

The only book I took with me to Italy was Mark Batterson’s Wild Goose Chase. I devoured it. So it’s no surprise to me that I devoured his new book Soul Print in just a few days.

Your soulprint is “who God has destined you to become from the inside out” (7). This includes your true identity: who you were, who you are, and who you will be.

A theme throughout the book was the reminder of becoming who God meant us to be. “When it comes to the will of God, we tend to focus on what and where. But what you are doing or where you are going are secondary issues. God’s primary concern is who you’re becoming” (12).

Batterson really knows how to speak to people in their 20’s – something that is a real gift – but the book applies to anyone willing to read it. He challenges us to really evaluate and get to know ourselves better. This was a great read, especially since 2010 was a year of self-discovery for me. Reading Soul Print encouraged me to continue learning how God has created me.

A few good reminders for me:

“So you may not like your present circumstances, but they may be the key to your character development. And character development is the key to your future” (32).

“Integrity isn’t sexy…. Without it in your life, everything falls apart. And that includes your destiny. You’ll never fulfill your God-given destiny without integrity” (79).

“The only perfect mirror is Scripture. And the more you read it, the more you will reflect God. Why? Because the Bible is where God is revealed…. [The Bible] is not only the best cure for identity problems. It’s also the best prevention” (135).

“The reason so many of us are strangers to ourselves is because we don’t sit before the Lord. If you want to discover your destiny, you’ve got to spend time in the presence of God” (144).

I firmly believe in reading books at certain points in life. I am so glad that my circumstances of looking for a job and being at an “in-between” time coincided with reading this book. It was a great reminder of where I get my true identity.

I reviewed this book for Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers Blogging for Books. I received this book for free in exchange for a review of the book.