The Road Most Travelled

Robert Jeffress, The Road Most Traveled: Releasing the Power of Contentment in Your Life, Broadman & Holman, 1996. 184 pages. ISBN 080546266x

I am reading a book by Fr. Schall, On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs. In one of the earlier essays he speaks about how used book stores can be a treasure chest. He states that for a little amount one can purchase some of the best books written. I have a similar experience in cataloging new and donated books. Sometimes I come across a book that catches my eye that I must read. Recently, I cataloged The Road Most Traveled: Releasing the Power of Contentment in Your Life. Maybe, what drew my attention is the word contentment in the title or maybe, it was the Road most traveled because I was curious what it meant. Usually I perused a book before reading it. I examine the title, the preface, the table of content, the back cover and any other introductory material. Usually, in a short time, I can discover the subject and purpose of the book. By that time, I usually know if I want to read the book or lay it aside.

The Road Most Traveled is a good book for a man approaching mid-life or a time where he is evaluating his life. For about two years now, I have been evaluating my life. Some people call this mid-life crisis, but Jeffress prefers to call it mid-life evaluation whichs seems a better fit for my situation. Jeffress believes that the key to contentment is accepting the sovereignty of God in our life. The author asserts, "The Road Most Traveled deals with the most basic issue in a man's life: contentment. Until a man can make peace with the unchangeable circumstances, choices, or even mistakes of his life, he will never be emotionally or spiritually free to perform the duties outlined by many books" (4). Among the topics covered in the book are how to be content wherever you are, finances, glorifying God in your work, accepting your spouse and children as God's gift, accepting on mistakes, accepting your inevitable death, and "seeing God's hand in your life."

I was not disappointed with the book after reading it. The author shared some essential principles for accepting our lot in life. A good point the author makes multiple times is: "The message of The Road Most Traveled" is that while most of us are destined to live an ordinary life, every detail of your life is part of God's plan--a plan designed for our good and for God's eternal purpose" (175). If our life in this world was perfect, we would never seek God; but we are pilgrims and this is not our final resting place. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to evaluate their life or looking for ways to find contentment in his life.