Think Again: Relief from the Burden of Introspection
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Evaluating yourself being mindful of who you are and what you are doing is necessary and can lead to positive change. But what about the dark side of introspection? Do you ever feel weighed down and exhausted by your own self-analysis? Perhaps you made a mistake, said a careless word, or even messed up big time. Your self-examination spirals into a full-blown cross-examination. You keep revisiting what happened. Your mind circles around the event, fruitlessly trying to somehow make the outcome different so you don’t feel the embarrassment, shame, and regret.
The modern self-esteem movement has left us empty and self-focused. We exhaust our healthy introspection and pervert it into constant self-evaluation, wrong views of ourselves, self-accusation, and false guilt. Introspection was never meant to bear such weight.
Think Again offers real relief from the burden of introspection that so many of us carry each day. Pastor Jared Mellinger, who tends to overdose on self-analysis himself, shows us how the hope of the gospel can rescue us from the bad fruit of unsound introspection. Mellinger’s short, story-filled chapters help readers identify and turn away from unhealthy introspection. There is an outward-focused God who delights to rescue an inward-focused people and lead them into a better way to live. When we truly understand it, we’ll see that the gospel actually sets us free from thinking about ourselves too much. We can seek after and pray for the peace and joy the sanity that comes from thinking about ourselves less often.
Think Again includes practical instructions for self-examination, fighting false guilt, breaking free from hyper-introspection, and more. Ultimately, Think Again demonstrates that the solution to thinking too much about ourselves is to look to Jesus Christ, and it gives readers the tools to begin to turn from the mirror.
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- Offers real relief from the burden of introspection
- Shows us how the hope of the gospel can rescue us from the bad fruit of unsound introspection
- Presents story-filled chapters to help readers identify and turn away from unhealthy introspection
- It’s a Long Drive Home from Hamburg
- Welcome the Sunlight
- Selfie Sticks
- From Introspection to Christ-ospection
- Escaping the Dungeon
- Fighting False Guilt
- Rescuing Self-Reflection
- Grace in the Mirror
- “Cheer Up, You’re Worse Than You Think”
- Self-Forgetfulness
- A World Bursting with Beauty
- The Gift of Community
- Ten Looks
You’re introspective. Everyone is. But if you’re honest, you’re more than introspective; you’re self-absorbed. You think about yourself a ridiculous amount. Everyone does. But there is escape from suffocating introspection and healing of the cataract of selfishness in your soul-eye. Let Jared Mellinger help you. He humbly and humorously speaks from experience. Discover, as Chesterton once said, ‘how much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it.’
—Jon Bloom, Cofounder of Desiring God; author of Not By Sight and other books
Jared Mellinger’s book, Think Again, is simply one of the clearest, biblically faithful, most winsome, solidly helpful, and briefest(!) books you’ll ever read on the topic of introspection. Jared skillfully avoids the extremes of never thinking about ourselves and always thinking about ourselves, and points us to the only cure for our self-absorbed souls: being overwhelmed by the matchless beauty and glory of Christ. I can’t wait to give this to others.
—Bob Kauflin, Director of Sovereign Grace Music; elder at Sovereign Grace Church, Louisville, KY; author of Worship Matters and True Worshipers
In an age of narcissism, entitlement, and attention-seeking egos in search of self-esteem, we need more voices pointing us to a vision and story greater than self. For only when we lose ourselves do we find our truest, healthiest, and most life-giving selves in Jesus. Jared has written an excellent book to help us along in this journey.
—Scott Sauls, Senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church, Nashville, TN; author of Jesus Outside the Lines and Befriend
- Title: Think Again: Relief from the Burden of Introspection
- Author: Jared Mellinger
- Publisher: New Growth Press
- Print Publication Date: 2017
- Pages: 192
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- ISBNs: 9781942572565, 1942572565
- Resource ID: LLS:THINKAGAIN
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-10-04T18:35:26Z
Jared Mellinger joined the Pastoral Team in 2006, upon graduating from Pastors College of Sovereign Grace Churches. He became senior pastor in 2008. Jared graduated from Kutztown University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education. He enjoys reading, rollerblading, poetry, drinking coffee, building fires, and listening to Josh Garrels. Jared is the author of Think Again: Relief from the Burden of Introspection as well as A Bright Tomorrow: How to Face the Future Without Fear. He resides in Glen Mills, PA with his wife Meghan and their six children.