weekend read: Jesus is Better Than You Imagined

Can I tell you a secret?

I hate reading Jesus books.

I KNOW. I’m so horrible. I like reading the Bible. I like reading my devotion. But I’m just not a big fan of books that preach or feel too Jesus-y. So to make me pick up and actually read a religious book, it has to be heavy on storytelling (a la Melanie Shankle or Shauna Niequist) and sneaky with the Jesus. Jesus needs to be woven into the story so well that I learn something new about God, but don’t feel like I’m sitting in church listening to a sermon.

That’s a tall order when it comes to Jesus books, I get it.

So when I was told to read Jesus Is Better than You Imagined by Jonathan Merritt before attending a writer’s workshop he’d be leading, I was a little skeptical.

But, the good news is, I liked it.

Jesus Is Better than You Imagined is a series of essays about Merritt’s journey to find God in a religion that had gone stale. He is open and honest with his struggles and I appreciate that honesty. He doesn’t have all the answers, shares his doubts, but ultimately loves Jesus and the mystery that surrounds him. Merritt doesn’t sugar-coat things and shares a painful past, but he understands that God is big enough and great enough to take care of all of it.

Jesus Is Better than You Imagined by Jonathan Merritt is a quick read and would be a great book to share with someone who knows they love Jesus, but they just can’t seem to get things right. This book will show them that they don’t have to.

Love talking about books? Always looking for a good book to read? Want to know what I’m currently reading? Follow my Instagram account dedicated to all things book-related: @themarygrahamreads.