Book Review on Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with both our Hearts and Minds
By Jen Wilkin
Reviewed by Becca Walker
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your MIND and with all your strength.” –– Mark 12:30 (emphasis mine)
As women, we generally connect on a more emotional level in relationships, making loving God with our hearts and souls a bit more natural for me than loving Him through other areas. My greatest struggle with our above January theme verse is loving God with all of my mind. Yes, this has to do with my thoughts, but first it has to do with what I am putting into my mind.
What am I reading?
What (and who) am I listening to?
When I first recognized my need for growing in my love for God with my mind, I did what most people do: turn to books. There were many I read, but I was particularly encouraged by Jen Wilkin’s Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both our Hearts and Our Minds.
One thing Jen’s book revealed to me was my reliance on books outside of THE book to grow my faith. I was reading so many books by many incredible authors, but I wasn’t truly engaging with the Bible consistently. Since egaging in the Bible is a primary part of loving the Lord God with all our mind, you may wonder why I am writing a review for a book that is not the Bible. The answer is this: though I knew I should be engaging with the Bible, I did not know how to do so well.
I had tried those Bible reading plans, but could never stick with them on my own. I had tried to just read Scripture, but was always frustrated by my lack of understanding. I was at the point where reading the Bible seemed like more of a chore than something that grew my love and faith. This is where Jen’s book made all the difference.
Women of the Word is a short and incredibly easy read. She begins by making a case for Bible literacy and its importance. She then goes into how she studies the Bible with 5 Ps: purpose, perspective, patience, process, and prayer. She gives examples of how she marks her Bible and how she journals. She encourages you to try different ideas until you find what works for you, because we all study and learn in different ways.
My favorite thing about the book is her emphasis on how studying with all 5 Ps powerfully work together. We need to include all the aspects of study into our own study of the Bible, and Jen helps make that so doable for those of us who have had a hard time finding a productive way to engage the Bible.
If you are looking to grow in your love of the Lord with all your mind, I suggest studying with purpose, perspective, patience, process, and prayer. Check out Jen’s book for some great advice on how to do just that!
Meet the author!
Becca Walker is a 2nd grade teacher in Edmond, Oklahoma. Her passion for kids mainly comes from the fact that she herself is still just a kid at heart. She and her husband, Brennan, love to serve in the church in many ways. Whether it is children’s ministry, youth, worship, or leading a young adult small group, they love it all! Becca’s main loves are her family, her pups Wrigley and Rizzo, her Savior, Old Navy, and of course, the incredible community at Council Road Baptist Church.