Disciplines of a Godly Young Man (Review)

Since I don’t have any boys or young men at home now, this initially wasn’t a title that I was thrilled about reviewing. But, even given these circumstances, I am very impressed with this book.

Disciplines of a Godly Young Man, by R. Kent Hughes and W. Carey Hughes, discusses, as the title suggests, 14 disciplines that need to be developed in Christians. I was immediately drawn into the book when the introduction described the lives of men that we consider geniuses in their respective fields.  Leonardo da Vinci is known, among other talents,  for his amazing drawings of the human figure. But he drew thousands of hands as training for this skill. Mozart tallied up 3500 hours of piano practice before his sixth birthday! Thomas Edison invented the light bulb after a thousand failures. The authors make the valid point that if we Christians want to achieve Christ-like character and an intimate relationship with God, then we need to put effort into achieving these goals. (Although we are not saved by our works, our actions can help us develop a closer walk with God.)

The disciplines discussed include: purity, friendship, mind, devotion, prayer, perseverance, church, giving, witness, ministry, and tongue. A chapter including scripture references and real-life examples is devoted to each.

Although the intended audience of this book is young men, I found these disciplines applicable for my life as well. Many chapters were both convicting, motivating, and applicable to my life. I highly recommend this book for young men of high school or college age who desire to become godly men and are motivated to work toward that goal.

Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book as a member of the Crossway Review program. All opinions are my own.