You Who?: Why You Matter and How to Deal With It
Written by Rachel Jankovic
Narrated by Rachel Jankovic
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
If "Who am I?" is the question you're asking, Rachel Jankovic doesn't want you to "find yourself" or "follow your heart."
Those lies are nothing to the confidence, freedom, and clarity of purpose that come with knowing what is actually essential about you. And the answer to that question is at once less and more than what you are hoping for.
Christians love the idea that self-expression is the essence of a beautiful person, but that's a lie, too. With trademark humor and no nonsense practicality, Rachel Jankovic explains the fake story of the Self, starting with the inventions of a supremely ugly man named Sartre (rhymes with "blart"). And we—men and women, young and old—have bought his lie of the Best Self, with terrible results.
Thankfully, that's not the end of our story, You Who: Why You Matter and How to Deal with It takes the identity question into the nitty gritty details of everyday life. Here's the first clue: Stop looking inside, and start planting flags of everyday faithfulness. In Christianity, the self is always a tool and never a destination.
Rachel Jankovic is a wife and mother of seven children. She is heavily involved with the Christ Church Ladies' Bible Reading Challenge, and she is author of Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches and Fit to Burst, two books on Christian motherhood.
More audiobooks from Rachel Jankovic
Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fit to Burst: Abundance, Mayhem, and the Joys of Motherhood Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to You Who?
Related audiobooks
(A)Typical Woman: Free, Whole, and Called in Christ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Flourish: How the Love of Christ Frees Us from Self-Focus Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5When Strivings Cease: Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement with the Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Freedom to Flourish: The Rest God Offers in the Purpose He Gives You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of our Identity in Christ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Seated with Christ: Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pleasing People: How not to be an approval junkie Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5When Strivings Cease: Audio Bible Studies: Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement with the Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLearning Contentment: A Study for Ladies of Every Age Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Building Her House: Commonsensical Wisdom for Christian Women Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Why Children Matter Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Virtuous: A Study for Ladies of Every Age Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Eve in Exile: And the Restoration of Femininity Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to be Free from Bitterness: and other essays on Christian Relationship Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5God Rest Ye Merry: Why Christmas Is the Foundation for Everything Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Devoted: Great Men and Their Godly Moms Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5For A Glory and a Covering: A Practical Theology of Marriage Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Decluttering Your Marriage Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Clouds Ye So Much Dread: Hard Times and the Kindness of God Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Let Me Be a Woman Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Elisabeth Elliot: Do the Next Thing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Popes and Feminists: How the Reformation Frees Women from Feminism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Standing on the Promises: A Handbook of Biblical Childrearing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Seeing Green: Don't Let Envy Color Your Joy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Future Men: Raising Boys to Fight Giants Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Teach Them to Work: Building a Positive Work Ethic in Our Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood in the Grand Plan of God Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Christianity For You
Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mere Christianity Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Great Divorce Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 5 Love Languages Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Boundaries: When To Say Yes, How to Say No Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Grief Observed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5More Than a Carpenter Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Boundaries in Marriage: Understanding the Choices That Make or Break Loving Relationships Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Holy Bible in Audio - King James Version: The Complete Old & New Testament Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cost of Discipleship Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: Third Edition with Bonus Content, New Reflections Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Weight of Glory Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little Book of Letting Go Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Garden Within: Where the War with Your Emotions Ends and Your Most Powerful Life Begins Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mary Magdalene: Women, the Church, and the Great Deception Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for You Who?
138 ratings15 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great truths that pack a punch to our self-love but then lifts our chins to see Christ. Girl, you need to read this book way more than you need to wash your face!
3 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I want every Christian woman to read this book. Rachel is skilled with words and with The Word. She breaks down the false philosophical presuppositions we have taken from the world to piece together our ideas of the Self, and then redirects us to scripture and how scripture defines and shapes the Self of the Christian. Make this your next read, you won’t be disappointed!
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is about identity in Christ. The first half of the book talks about humanistic philosophies that infiltrate our thinking and the second half is hard core amazing, keep reading to the end and then start over!!
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A must read for anyone pursuing Christ, life meaning, and a sense of self.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mrs. Jankovic presents some practical rebuttals to common cultural views of the self and how one obtains value and meaning in life.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent! Should be essential reading for every woman who names the name of Christ!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Goes against popular opinion. But the truth is always hard to hear, and it sets you free! Great book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rachel does not mince words. Her writing reminds me E Elliot. Wonderful, convicting book!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is such an important word for women today! ❤️
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a very important book for our time to the Christian who truly desires to follow Christ and find identity in him. We are so deceived by our culture and, like the proverbial frog in boiling water, we find our value in everything the world says to us. The author reveals the lies we believe and points to truth that hits between the eyes, using Scripture to substantiate her message. I listened to this book and was so affected I ordered a copy so I can read and re-read. I highly recommend it. It may make you a little uncomfortable, but oh how we need to hear this message.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent book. I really enjoyed it. It is full of solid theology.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5ascetism is the name of this game. TLDR: obey and you'll be u.
My goodreads review
This review is long over due. I've been reading(and re-reading) this book to clearly understand the author. I've taken great pains to read this book so closely that I can pinpoint exactly what is wrong with it. Like anything. there is good in this book. There is also good in the work of President Nelson of the Mormon Church. That does not mean you should engage with the work, or read it for sanctifying purposes. That would be a dangerous endeavor and would not sanctify you, but only possibly lead you to a place of deception. With that said... here is my blunt and honest review.
To summarize this book... it is written by a Christian mean girl with a lot of opinions on identity void of the right focus, and lacking empathy and compassion for those outside of Christ. with judgmental harsh overtones for anyone who is trying to "create" a form of self expression that is not within the bounds of the expected conformity of her brand of "biblical." She offers an extremely narrow view on who God intends you to be encouraging strict conformity, not to Gods law, but rather an overcorrection against culture. There are hints of shaming women who do not submit to being mothers and rather find fulfilment in other things. As though any form of expression outside of motherhood must be formed by the culture and not influenced by God himself who is the author and creator of many shades of people. God is not black and white, he gifts women with many different skills - and yes, many do become mothers and it is also blessed by God.
As always, RJ uses a ton of words in a complex fashion to confuse her reader and then inserts jab in random places that pack a punch lacking the gospel graces, and sprinkling some unbiblical standards as the cherry on top. She conflates sin with likes and choices in life, and accuses all types of expression as off base and not in step with submission to Jesus if it isn't her standard. Save yourself that mind numbing lecture, and find books on identity that are balanced, respectful to differing positions without compromising truth, do not promote ascetism, have the right focus, and isn't just a primer on how to engage the culture wars. (which is ultimately what I felt this book was. A little book, with a lot of words, on how to not be like the culture in any capacity even if those things are neutral and not sin.)
Another glaring issue is that RJ constantly, in every form of media she produces - ASSUMES the gospel. (I took a highlighter and marked every time she referenced the gospel vs obedience and it was very out of balance.) She mentions the gospel in clearer terms only a handful of times (the life death burial and resurrection of Jesus) but, does not give the indicatives before the imperatives. Causing you to focus more on how obedience is the joy producing, soul sustaining, point of salvation - rather than Jesus Christ as a person being the point. She assumes you (the reader) are a Christian, and that you know what that means and what Jesus has done for you. It is not until the book is almost done that she begins to mention the gospel is clearer terms, but it is not her sole focus - rather she uses it as a crutch to support her arguments Again, RJ has shown little, to no capacity to connect the gospel indicatives with the commands of scripture. She gets the horse before the cart. Her mono coventalism is shiny through, and again we are exhorted to a type if obedience that smells more like we reside under a covenant of works rather than the covenant of grace. That obedience keeps, sustains, and grows you - rather than Christ doing those things, and the fruit of that union being obedience. The very few time she gives an explanations of Christs Death or mentioning the gospel in more clear references, she focuses more on what is "dead" in what we "are" rather than what Jesus has done to free us from. Which is using the gospel to defend a form of ascetism. Another time she uses the gospel as a side point, where obedience is really what will bring joy and peace. And that our turning away from obedience is a turning away from Christ, but the obedience she speaks of is spoken as our superfood - not Christ. Even though she double speaks and mentions Christ as our purpose and identity. It’s confusing, to be honest. Overall, the gospel is not the focus of this book. You fleeing from disobedience, to obedience (which takes a form of denial of good things that she deems are distractions or false self identities) is ultimately what she is calling Christian women (her audience) to.
With all that to say, I could write my own book to counter her book. There is just so much to say, and I am only mentioning that which is on the forefront of my mind.
Please, do not read this book.
I received this book for free from Rebekah Merkle (the authors sister) in an attempt to maybe change my mind of the Wilson family. Thank you for the gift, but no. My opinion has only grown even more solidified. All that comes from canon press smells of cultish behaviors. and abusive tactics. I pray the Lord guards his people. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Every Christian woman NEEDS to read this! I was convicted and encouraged at every chapter!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was wonderful! So much truth about who we are and how who God says we are is in opposition to who the world says we are. Very encouraging!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book actually changed my life! I never knew how selfish I lived my faith until I read this book. I can now live contently in Christ.