Valuable

Sarah Walton

Liz Carter offers a fresh and needed voice. To the one who feels useless, the pages of this book will remind you of where your true worth is found. To the one who’s exhausted from striving, these pages will free you from the tyranny of ‘being enough,’ all while growing in you a greater awareness and compassion for the least of these. A book I definitely needed to read!

Eric Schumacher

Carefully applying Scripture and peppering her writing with personal illustration, Liz Carter challenges the church to reconsider its preoccupation with ‘usefulness’ and helps us grasp our value in the light of God's transforming love in Christ. Valuable is paradigm-shifting—a challenging and freeing approach to our relationship with God.

“A must-read!”

I was already aware of Liz’s writing from previous books, so was anticipating this new book of hers greatly. She writes beautifully and has a thorough grasp of scripture; her books are deep, but also rooted in honesty. Living with a chronic disease means she faces struggles every day and she doesn’t shy away from that in her writing. In fact, the feeling of being less capable because of her illness is what started the journey of this particular book, in which she looks at the upside-down kingdom of God. While we might look at someone and wrongly view them negatively because of their lack of productivity, or we may struggle with feelings of uselessness ourselves, God looks at us and sees our great value. She challenges the notion that we are meant to be of use to God and invites us to journey “to apply a new language in our lives, in our weakness, in our identity and in our deepest places”.

“A must-read!”

I was already aware of Liz’s writing from previous books, so was anticipating this new book of hers greatly. She writes beautifully and has a thorough grasp of scripture; her books are deep, but also rooted in honesty. Living with a chronic disease means she faces struggles every day and she doesn’t shy away from that in her writing. In fact, the feeling of being less capable because of her illness is what started the journey of this particular book, in which she looks at the upside-down kingdom of God. While we might look at someone and wrongly view them negatively because of their lack of productivity, or we may struggle with feelings of uselessness ourselves, God looks at us and sees our great value. She challenges the notion that we are meant to be of use to God and invites us to journey “to apply a new language in our lives, in our weakness, in our identity and in our deepest places”.

“A healing balm for my weary soul”

As someone who is so often frustrated at how little they can do, the subtitle of this book really got my attention, and I'm so glad I took the plunge and read it! Parts of it were difficult to read the first time through, and I did have to read the whole book before it fully made sense to me. A bit like antiseptic on an open wound, it also stung at times. However, I can tell that allowing Liz's words to speak God's truths to me in fresh ways has helped clean out decades of lies, and will allow so much healing to follow. I needed a lot of tissues as I worked my way through the book the first time, but the tears I cried were ones of relief and release. Now, as I read it for a second time (which I doubt will be the last!) it is producing fewer tears, and more joy and hope, as I discover more of the indescribable love God longs to lavish upon me.

This book especially resonated with me as someone who, like Liz, wrestles with the challenges of chronic illness limiting my physical abilities. Nonetheless, I think Liz has taken great care to ensure it would be just as beneficial to anyone who is tired (physically or metaphorically) of not feeling 'enough' as a Christian, in any aspect of their faith or life. For anyone who is confident in their usefulness, but likes a challenge, I'd recommended it for a fresh perspective on how you view and interact with others!

“A healing balm for my weary soul”

As someone who is so often frustrated at how little they can do, the subtitle of this book really got my attention, and I'm so glad I took the plunge and read it! Parts of it were difficult to read the first time through, and I did have to read the whole book before it fully made sense to me. A bit like antiseptic on an open wound, it also stung at times. However, I can tell that allowing Liz's words to speak God's truths to me in fresh ways has helped clean out decades of lies, and will allow so much healing to follow. I needed a lot of tissues as I worked my way through the book the first time, but the tears I cried were ones of relief and release. Now, as I read it for a second time (which I doubt will be the last!) it is producing fewer tears, and more joy and hope, as I discover more of the indescribable love God longs to lavish upon me.

This book especially resonated with me as someone who, like Liz, wrestles with the challenges of chronic illness limiting my physical abilities. Nonetheless, I think Liz has taken great care to ensure it would be just as beneficial to anyone who is tired (physically or metaphorically) of not feeling 'enough' as a Christian, in any aspect of their faith or life. For anyone who is confident in their usefulness, but likes a challenge, I'd recommended it for a fresh perspective on how you view and interact with others!

“A powerful antidote to feeling useless to God”

If you've ever felt judged by other Christians on how useful you are to God, then this book is a powerful antidote.
In 'Valuable', Liz shines a light on how the language of "use" is sometimes unwittingly employed within a Christian context. She describes how the "useful" plumb-line can make people feel rejected, rather than released - believing their worth is in how useful they are, rather than in who they are to God.
In her gentle, lyrical style, Liz uses real life, poignant examples of people who have suffered from the "usage" labels put on them. She then drip-feeds hope and encouragement as she draws out how the Bible portrays God's attitude towards the vulnerable.
With a prayer and reflection at the end of each chapter, as well as a bonus Reflection Guide at the end, this book is easy to read, straightforward to understand, and would make great study material for small groups.
I love that Liz keeps her own language uncomplicated and simple, and, along with sharing some of her own life lessons within chronic illness, makes it easy to believe that we are all immensely valuable in God's kingdom.

“A powerful antidote to feeling useless to God”

If you've ever felt judged by other Christians on how useful you are to God, then this book is a powerful antidote.
In 'Valuable', Liz shines a light on how the language of "use" is sometimes unwittingly employed within a Christian context. She describes how the "useful" plumb-line can make people feel rejected, rather than released - believing their worth is in how useful they are, rather than in who they are to God.
In her gentle, lyrical style, Liz uses real life, poignant examples of people who have suffered from the "usage" labels put on them. She then drip-feeds hope and encouragement as she draws out how the Bible portrays God's attitude towards the vulnerable.
With a prayer and reflection at the end of each chapter, as well as a bonus Reflection Guide at the end, this book is easy to read, straightforward to understand, and would make great study material for small groups.
I love that Liz keeps her own language uncomplicated and simple, and, along with sharing some of her own life lessons within chronic illness, makes it easy to believe that we are all immensely valuable in God's kingdom.

“Must read”

“Let’s not fall into the trap of thinking that the desire of God’s heart is to get his children to do things for him. God’s heart is for intimacy and transformation.”

“Weakness is a place where we experience God’s power, and a place where God’s power is displayed to others around us too. And so weakness can be a place of flourishing”

“We have a God who guards great storehouses of our tears, each one known intimately, each one never forgotten, each one part of an ocean where love strokes the ripples and justice roars in the waves”

Liz, thank you for this treasure. ☺️ God really opened my eyes through your wisdom and raw honesty.

Liz takes you on a beautifully poetic and theologically rich journey of understanding what your identity is in Christ, removing the “useful to God” narrative. In a culture where success is most celebrated, this book was counter cultural. Rooting our identity, hope and value in who God is and what He has done and continues to do. Inviting you in to relationship with Him and partnership in the Gospel. What a privilege it is to think we are worthy of the title of coworkers with Christ and fully embraced not because of what we can do! Grace, love and more grace.

It was full of real life, painful examples, which helped grow much empathy in my heart for those who are unable to feel “useful”. I feel it is a must read for anyone who is friends with someone with chronic illness, mental health difficulties or any other circumstance which might hinder them from feeling “useful”.

I related many times throughout the book as I reflected back on times when MH difficulties felt quite debilitating and just attending church felt very hard, partly due to the weight of inferiority I put on myself. If we could all share in the narrative Liz is exploring, I am sure that more people would feel rooted in and embraced by church community in a profound way as they cease to find their worth solely in what they bring.

“Must read”

“Let’s not fall into the trap of thinking that the desire of God’s heart is to get his children to do things for him. God’s heart is for intimacy and transformation.”

“Weakness is a place where we experience God’s power, and a place where God’s power is displayed to others around us too. And so weakness can be a place of flourishing”

“We have a God who guards great storehouses of our tears, each one known intimately, each one never forgotten, each one part of an ocean where love strokes the ripples and justice roars in the waves”

Liz, thank you for this treasure. ☺️ God really opened my eyes through your wisdom and raw honesty.

Liz takes you on a beautifully poetic and theologically rich journey of understanding what your identity is in Christ, removing the “useful to God” narrative. In a culture where success is most celebrated, this book was counter cultural. Rooting our identity, hope and value in who God is and what He has done and continues to do. Inviting you in to relationship with Him and partnership in the Gospel. What a privilege it is to think we are worthy of the title of coworkers with Christ and fully embraced not because of what we can do! Grace, love and more grace.

It was full of real life, painful examples, which helped grow much empathy in my heart for those who are unable to feel “useful”. I feel it is a must read for anyone who is friends with someone with chronic illness, mental health difficulties or any other circumstance which might hinder them from feeling “useful”.

I related many times throughout the book as I reflected back on times when MH difficulties felt quite debilitating and just attending church felt very hard, partly due to the weight of inferiority I put on myself. If we could all share in the narrative Liz is exploring, I am sure that more people would feel rooted in and embraced by church community in a profound way as they cease to find their worth solely in what they bring.

“Brief, Encouraging, Helpful”

This book is encouraging and practical. I think it would help anyone struggling with feeling “useful”, someone looking to come alongside a weary friend, a pastor, or someone simply seeking to understand what being “used for God” means. Thankful for this book!