Drake Hyman's Reviews > Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change

Before I say anything negative, I want to stress that this book is a great resource for Christian counseling, and for relationships in general. It contains a ton of really awesome quotes and helpful illustrations. It is, no doubt, full of well-thought-out biblical truths from a man who has spent a lot of time dealing with people and reflecting on God's word. Man, this book nails it some times, and for that I really liked it.

But man, it is wordy. It is an absolute chore to read at times. Paul David Tripp clearly has a lot to say, and you could make a case that deep truths require deep dives and thorough exposition. Yet I think the opposite could be made more strongly here. The reason I say this is because I read it after finishing Ed Welch's Side by Side, which is less than half the length and in my estimation much more memorable, re-readable and recommendable. By contrast, in Tripp's book there is simply so much in the way of content that the structure starts to feel murky as you make your way through it. From the very beginning, an unnecessarily prolonged introductory chapter on the Gospel makes reading it feel like drudgery (not that the Gospel should be assumed, but if Peter and Paul can explain it better and more succinctly, why add to it?). Less is more.

Don't get me wrong, there are occasional moving climaxes that jolt you to attention as you come across a well-written point or a captivating anecdote. But amidst that is what I'll call "Listomania." Tripp loves to include lists, and lists within lists, and lists that transcend chapters and go into the next chapter, and more lists! These incessant lists are seemingly an attempt to concatenate related ideas, but I am of the opinion that they have the opposite effect of blurring the structure and, perhaps more tragically, the attraction of his book altogether. It's a real pity, given the abundance of truth here, that by the end, I was so ready for it to be over I had forgotten how each chapter connected back to the main premise. Each felt like a sermon containing multiple mini-sermons rather than a cohesive whole.

I recommend this book if you have a lot patience or are a fast reader. If you are not, I recommend Ed Welch's Side by Side instead. You could read it twice in the time it takes you to read this one, and you would learn just as much and be just as encouraged. 3/5

From the final chapter/summary:
"This book is first of all a call to live a daily ministry lifestyle rooted in God's Word…Second, this book is rooted in the belief that God has called and positioned all of his children to live as his ambassadors….God sends unfinished people to unfinished people with the message of his grace so that he can reclaim every heart for his glory."