Crash The Chatterbox: Hearing God’s Voice Above All Others, by Steven Furtick

[Note: This book was provided free of charge by WaterBrook Multnomah Press in exchange for an honest review.]

One of the surprises of this book is that although this book talks a lot about quieting voices is that it is not talking about me. Although this book talks about the problem of logorrhea (that is, compulsive and wearisome chattiness), a problem I am well acquainted with, this book is not about people who are bothersome in terms of chattering but rather about the incessant negative voices we hear in our heads. This book is not really a how-to book on techniques to quiet the voice inside of our heads, but rather it is an honest and soul-searching encouragement for us in fighting against the lies that we hear from the enemy within. Given what this book is, it does a very excellent job at providing personal stories as well as biblical examples of the messy struggle against negativity.

Like the author’s previous work, Greater, this work is full of chattiness and personal anecdotes with a good spiritual point to be made [1]. This particular book is organized in a very straightforward fashion, talking about the concept of chatterboxing (which is a term that springs from contemporary psychology) and then four promises that combat four lies of the enemies that we have to deal with inside of us: God says I am (combating the lies of insecurity about our identity), God says He will (overcoming the lies of fear with the truth), God says He has (in which the lies of condemnation are combated with a more balanced truth), and God says I can (overpowering the lies of discouragement with encouraging truth). Each chapter includes useful tips (the chapter on condemnation, for example, looks at the three p’s of personal, permanent, and pervasive, which would definitely describe the negative voice we all have to deal with in our dark nights of the soul) and ends with a twitter comment that gives the essential point of the chapter.

Although this book is not a particularly deep or intellectual book, it is a very warm and encouraging book and is told in such a friendly and real and conversational matter that one cannot help but relate to the obvious sincerity of the author and his honesty and vulnerability about his struggles. His discussion of the lifelong struggle of his father with drug and alcohol abuse is heartbreaking, as is his own struggle with discouragement and being a good husband and father considering his occasional struggles with impatience. There are many stories of people suffering with the death of loved ones or incurable illnesses, and keeping their faith in the midst of that discouragement. As an honest and encouraging book, this is worthy of reading and reflecting as we attempt to silence the chatterbox within us day after day with the loving truth of God’s word. May this book encourage you as well.

[1] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/book-review-greater/