My new book, Growing Down: Unlearning the Patterns of Adulthood that Keep Us from Jesus from B&H Publishing releases April 1. I wanted to share a little bit about that book with you today.

In our culture, independence, self-reliance, and initiative are all prized marks of being a mature adult. But in the kingdom of God, many of these same patterns run contrary to the gospel and actually keep us from truly and deeply relating to Jesus. To grow up in Christ ironically means we must grow down, becoming like children in order to receive the kingdom as it is intended to be experienced.

This is what Jesus said. To come to Him, there is an overarching call that runs contrary to becoming an adult: “Become like a child.” If we want to do that, then we must intentionally confront those things patterns of behavior that keep us from receiving the kingdom as children. In other words, to grow up we must grow down.

We live in a world that seems overburdened with complexity. It’s the message of simplicity that I hope resonates most with readers. To simply know that God is our Father, and that we are His children.

If you’re interested in the book (and I hope that many, many of you are), you can pre-order a copy here. The official launch date is April 1.