Get a Hold of Yourself: Embracing Authenticity in a Complicated World - Paperback

by Troy D. Watson (Author), Betty Pries (Foreword by)

Jesus doesn't shy away from our complexities or contradictions. Nor should we.

We often sense a gap between who we are and who we could be, should be, or feel called to be. "I don't understand myself," the apostle Paul writes in the New Testament. "Why do I struggle to do the things I want to do and keep doing the things I don't want to do?" That might be one of the most relatable passages in the Bible!

As Christians, we're inclined to seek the Scriptures for guidance, but even Jesus' teachings can be confusing. If Jesus says we are to die to ourselves and deny ourselves, how do we do that while loving and being true to ourselves? How do we accept our need for growth and grace without feeling like hypocrites? How can we become more Christlike while also becoming more like ourselves?

In Get a Hold of Yourself, pastor Troy Watson digs into some of Jesus' puzzling teachings to unearth how we can learn to face contradictions rather than avoid them. Jesus' perplexing stories and paradoxical sayings are meant to shake people from their social defaults and awaken them to a new reality. When we embrace ourselves as both sinners and saints, hurting and healed, cowardly and courageous, we are empowered to live more authentically in our complicated world.

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Jesus doesn't shy away from our complexities or contradictions. Nor should we.

We often sense a gap between who we are and who we could be, should be, or feel called to be. "I don't understand myself," the apostle Paul writes in the New Testament. "Why do I struggle to do the things I want to do and keep doing the things I don't want to do?" That might be one of the most relatable passages in the Bible!

As Christians, we're inclined to seek the Scriptures for guidance, but even Jesus' teachings can be confusing. If Jesus says we are to die to ourselves and deny ourselves, how do we do that while loving and being true to ourselves? How do we accept our need for growth and grace without feeling like hypocrites? How can we become more Christlike while also becoming more like ourselves?

In Get a Hold of Yourself, pastor Troy Watson digs into some of Jesus' puzzling teachings to unearth how we can learn to face contradictions rather than avoid them. Jesus' perplexing stories and paradoxical sayings are meant to shake people from their social defaults and awaken them to a new reality. When we embrace ourselves as both sinners and saints, hurting and healed, cowardly and courageous, we are empowered to live more authentically in our complicated world.

Author Biography

Troy Watson is a Mennonite pastor, columnist, and music recording artist. He writes and speaks on issues of spiritual and personal growth from a theological and psychological perspective. He brings creative and innovative perspectives from the Bible, providing fresh insight on how to live with meaning and joy amid of our complex, confusing, and contradictory lives.

His columns have appeared in Canadian Mennonite, the St. Catherines Standard, and Sun Media publications. He is a recipient of the 2023 Canadian Christian Communicators Association Award of Merit, awarded 1st place in the column category. Watson resides in Stratford, Ontario, with his wife Tammy and his two sons Elias and Cai.