One sentence summary
In her book Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely, Lysa TerKeurst teaches readers how to rise above rejection, redefine relationships, and tangibly experience Jesus’s perfect love with vulnerability and wisdom.
Book genre
Uninvited is a non-fiction Christian Devotional.
Main topic of the book
The main topic of Uninvited is learning how to live in the presence of a perfectly loving Gott despite feeling excluded and unworthy.
Key Ideas
- The power of the Gospel: Lysa TerKeurst emphasizes God’s grace and loving kindness through scripture and personal stories.
- The purpose of relationships: People should not be our source of identity or love-seeking, rather relationships should be formed to express care authentically.
- Practicing healthy boundaries: Making decisions that benefit both you and your relationships, rather than looking for external affirmation or consistency.
Main parts of the book and a short summary
- Chapter 1: The Moment of Rejection: Describes when Lysa was excluded from an event and how she coped with the emotions of rejection.
- Chapter 2: The Innocent Yearning for Love: Describes the importance of discovering our true identity and accepting love from God and others.
- Chapter 3: The Right Way to Respond: Explores the power of prayer and the role it can play in finding peace, acceptance, and understanding.
- Chapter 4: The Art of Identity: Explains the importance of defining our identity in Christ and using it to combat feelings of rejection.
- Chapter 5: The Pursuit of Peace: Discusses the power of graciousness, dispelling the negative feelings of fear and resentment that come with exclusion.
- Chapter 6: The Practice of Presence: Encompasses taking a stand against exclusion, both in ourselves and in our society, and understanding how God’s presence can guide us.
- Chapter 7: The Dance of Identity: Becoming aware of the lies we tell ourselves and choosing to see things from God’s perspective.
- Chapter 8: The Key to Grace: Explores the power of grace to restore relationships and promote reconciliation.
- Chapter 9: The Thing about Safety: Explains the importance of establishing healthy boundaries and how it can guard against feelings of rejection.
- Chapter 10: The End Result of Love: Rounding out the book, this final chapter focuses on how, by living loved, we can extend God’s love to the world around us.
Key takeaways
- Relationships should not be sought out as an attempt to gain acceptance or identity- they should be formed to express authentically.
- The power of the Gospel can restore self-esteem and help us accept love from God and others.
- Defining our identity in Christ and trusting in the power of grace can help us combat feelings of exclusion and insecurity.
- Establishing healthy boundaries and living from a place of love can help us experience Jesus’s perfect love.
Author’s background and qualifications
Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times Bestselling author and speaker. She holds a Masters degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and along with authoring many books, she runs the non-profit organization Proverbs 31 Ministries which helps to provide Biblical guidance for readers.
Target audience
Uninvited is aimed at those of faith, specifically those who experience feelings of rejection, left out, and loneliness. Lysa offers various scripture-based practices that can help readers to overcome their difficult emotions.
Publisher and first publication date
Uninvited was first published in 2015 by Thomas Nelson.