Think Again by Jared Mellinger

Evaluating yourself---being mindful of who you are and what you are doing---is necessary and can lead to positive change. But what about the dark side of introspection? Do you ever feel weighed down and exhausted by your own self-analysis? Perhaps you made a mistake, said a careless word, or even messed up big time. Your self-examination spirals into a full-blown cross-examination. You keep revisiting what happened. Your mind circles around the event, fruitlessly trying to somehow make the outcome different so you don't feel the embarrassment, shame, and regret.

The modern self-esteem movement has left us empty and self-focused. We exhaust our healthy introspection and pervert it into constant self-evaluation, wrong views of ourselves, self-accusation, and false guilt. Introspection was never meant to bear such weight.

Think Again offers real relief from the burden of introspection that so many of us carry each day. Pastor Jared Mellinger, who tends to overdose on self-analysis himself, shows us how the hope of the gospel can rescue us from the bad fruit of unsound introspection. Mellinger's short, story-filled chapters help readers identify and turn away from unhealthy introspection.

There is an outward-focused God who delights to rescue an inward-focused people and lead them into a better way to live. When we truly understand it, we'll see that the gospel actually sets us free from thinking about ourselves too much. 

Book review:

   I am guilty of thinking too much, especially when it comes to things about me. This book sounded like it was written for someone like me, and it indeed was.

 The book is written in an easy to read and interesting style, and the author does a great job of tackling this subject of too much introspection. He shows why it is bad, when the best times to do some introspection is, and when not to do it.

 The part where he addressed false guilt was very helpful to me, as this is a big tripping point for me.

 If you are someone who second guesses yourself constantly, feels guilty for things you should not, and spends way too much time evaluating yourself...... this is a book for you. Mellinger gives some great helpful advice on how to think, but not to think too much, and to get out of the habit of beating oneself up so much. I highly recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the author:

Jared Mellinger is the senior pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church. Jared graduated from Kutztown University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education. He enjoys reading, rollerblading, poetry, drinking coffee, building fires, and listening to Josh Garrels. Jared resides in Glen Mills, PA with his wife Meghan and their six children.



Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for the review copy.