"start here: doing hard things right where you are" by alex & brett harris

Start Here builds upon the notion Alex and Brett Harris presented on their blog, therebelution.com, and in their first book, Do Hard Things: teenagers should counter society’s low expectations and instead strive to do hard things for the glory of God.

The Harris brothers (younger brothers of Joshua Harris, whose Dug Down Deep I recently reviewed) wrote Start Here as a “personal field guide to jumping in and getting involved.” The book gives practical advice on a whole range of topics that teens may encounter when trying to do hard things. The book is obviously geared toward teenagers, but much of the advice could apply to anyone stepping out of his or her comfort zone to do something difficult.

In chapter four, the authors talk about saying no to some things, even though they are worthwhile pursuits. They say, “We realized that we didn’t have to do everything and be everywhere in order to serve God. We actually make ourselves more fruitful when we learn to say no (and yes) to the right things." I have a difficult time saying no, and then I get really busy and stressed out, so their words really resonated with me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think it will be an excellent resource for teens who desire to serve God, especially if they’re not quite sure what that looks like.

Should you read it? Absolutely.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.You can purchase it here.