The Vertical Self by Mark Sayers

"The Vertical Self" is about identity. It is about finding oneself as we were truly meant to be, children of God. Sayers argues that each of us is meant to be a particular person, and we need to find that identity once again. We are led astray by our society, which tells us that we can be anything we want to be. He claims our society focuses on what we have and our ability to gain more. Society tells us we can choose who we are based on what we wear, the movies we watch, the car we drive, and the job we have. Instead, Sayers argues that our identity is found in being God's children. And we need to get back to that truth. Everything we are meant to be is contained in the Bible. Unfortunately, he says, Christians today do not look much different than the rest of the world. He says we need to return to our vertical self, where identity is a solid foundation based on God's word, rather than on the society and culture around us. We need to influence society in positive ways by knowing who we are, rather than allowing society to influence our identities.
I enjoyed this book for many reasons. First of all, it used biblical support for each of these arguments. It also helped me to see where my identity truly comes from and how important it is to be grounded in that truth as I face the world today. Sayers writes in an easy to understand manner and uses real-world and biblical examples to drive home his points. He reminds Christians that we are not to be obsessed with self, but with our Savior. And that is something we need to be reminded of frequently in today's world.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”