Seated with Christ
Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison
By Heather Holleman
Reviewed By: Bradyn Ouellette
If we’ve ever needed freedom from the grip of comparison that is so strong in culture, it’s today. Theodore Roosevelt famously said, “comparison is the thief of joy,” but I believe comparison is stealing much more than our joy these days. Comparison steals our joy, kindness, peace, hope, love for others, and so much more! But thankfully, Seated with Christ by Heather Holleman offers believers a new kind of life - a life free from comparison and full of love for the Savior. Before you turn away from this book thinking you don’t struggle with comparison, I want to ask you a few questions:
Do you find yourself in a state of constant evaluation?
Do you miss out on new opportunities due to fear of failure?
Are you in a battle of shame and condemnation?
Do you have a lack of vulnerability with others and Jesus?
If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, then this is the book for you. If you are still leery, trust me, this book is not a waste of a read!
Heather Holleman, Ph.D., takes us on a journey with her deep love of the scripture as she focuses on Ephesians 2:5-6 which emphasizes that Jesus raised us up and seated us with him in the heavenly places.
“… even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”
She starts the book by explaining that with this verse alone, Paul, the writer of Ephesians, offers us a verb to change our life. Being seated with Christ means that we aren’t the center of our world, rather we’re seated with Christ and other believers. She demonstrates that by Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for our sins, He won us a seat at His table in Heaven. Whatever accomplishments, successes, or victories we may be granted will never compare to our place at the table with Jesus. Heather continues to use scripture throughout her book to help her readers combat comparison by offering three thoughts to meditate on:
Adoration - developing a deep love and respect for Jesus by focusing on his radiance and beauty
Access - recognizing the intense wealth that we have access to through His richness and glory
Abiding - continually setting Jesus at the forefront of our minds and resting in His majesty
At the end of the book, Heather offers a list of scripture for readers to use as tools to help turn and transform our worldly minds into minds more like Christ.
I read Seated with Christ at the start of 2022, and I have not been able to stop talking about it. I constantly refer back to Heather’s wise teaching to remind myself that I am seated with Christ in the heavenly places. This book has forever changed my view of myself, others, and Jesus.
Here are a few quotes I liked from Seated with Christ
“When we don’t understand our seat in the heavenly realms, we battle for success and recognition. We clamor for fame.” (43)
“We don’t sit down because of who we are or what we’ve done. We sit down because Jesus offers us a seat.” (54)
“Within Jesus, a beauty more majestic and more notable than any other person in the entire history and future of mankind rests.” (79)
“But is it really worth it? Is a godly life that great that it outweighs the pleasures of sin? I will tell you this: Nothing - nothing! - compares with the peace of the Holy Spirit and knowing you are experiencing a close relationship with Jesus. Anything that would hinder you from God’s ways is a temporary happiness that will eventually reveal itself for what it is.” (138)
Audience:
Women, girls 16+; Heather Holleman deep dives into a lot of scripture which may require maturity in the young reader.
Usefulness Rating:
Women and youth and young adult girls would greatly benefit from this book because it points directly to the root of our comparison problem - pride. Heather’s honesty about the issue of our hearts is greatly influential and convicting.
Entertainment Value:
Heather’s vulnerability by sharing her testimony and other personal stories offers readers better insight into the purpose of this book and keeps it engaging.
Good for Groups:
I am planning to read this book in a group setting this coming summer. Each chapter concludes with a verse to read and five questions to discuss. The book is easy to discuss as it focuses on a topic that everyone has encountered.
To learn more about this week’s reviewer, Bradyn Ouellette, visit our Ladies on Track writer’s page or swing by Bradyn’s Instagram @_journalwithB
For more information about this book or other reading suggestions, feel free to contact me directly.
