Book review of “Without Rival” by Lisa Bevere
One of my new favorite books! I follow Lisa on facebook and
she always drops truth bombs and nuggets of encouragement. In March and April I finally got around to reading one of her books, "Without Rival." She reminded me that, as women of faith, we each have a unique identity and an incomparable promise, an imperishable
inheritance from God our Father. She discusses the dangers of comparing and
competing, even as far as the question of gender equality. It was very
enlightening to read Paul’s letters in light of the culture of his Greek
audience; they had traditionally assigned important religious roles, such as
oracles, to women, who were revered as almost demi-gods. It took on a different
tone when I then read, “Let women be silent in public meetings and submit
themselves to religious authority” (1 Timothy 2:11). She also explored fear vs.
love in our relationships; where do we expect disappointment? Are we throwing
wishes into a wishing well but are too paralyzed by fear to act upon these
desires?
One of the most interesting revelations in this book, for
me, was the story of Photina. She was the Samaritan woman at the well, who
talked with Jesus about the Living Water. She believed He was the Messiah and
she was saved that day…but her story doesn’t end there. What an inspiration!
In short, I needed to hear this just now: “Your life and all
of its potential is a God-given entrustment. It would be a shame if all that is
in you were like so much treasure and talents buried under the opinions and
expectations of strangers” (p. 231). For all of these reasons, I highly recommend this book.
(Note: there are teaching videos available if you want to
read this book as a group study)
