Life without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23 by Dallas Willard

Life without Lack is based on the 23rd psalm, though only loosely. Traditionally when a book subtitle notes a specific psalm, it focusses on the text of the psalm. Dallas Willard spends very little time on the words of the psalm and instead looks at the life that we live when we live in the 23rd psalm.

Willard spends two full chapters discussing God, who He is and what he is like, as well as how we interact with Him. He then moves to discuss the love of God for his people and how the deception of Satan weakens our bond with God. The next chapters turn to the triangle of trust, love, and death to self as integral in our faith. The final chapter is an outline for putting into practice this life of trust, or without lack.

Willard calls on us to use our minds in discovering God, experiencing him for ourselves, with which I agree wholly. However, he also describes God as energy, endless energy, which I find limiting even if reassuring. I find it problematic because we know quite a bit about energy, but to me by naming something that we know of in this earthly life it limits who God is. He is literally outside this world. So, I would have to disagree with this aspect that he presents. However, by using our minds and engaging our minds, and filtering what we read about God with what God has told us about himself (the Bible), we can gain much insight. Once past this particular point that Willard makes, he continues to challenge our thoughts and mind to understand this Psalm 23 life.

It was refreshing to find that Willard does not shy from talk of Satan’s influence in our lives. He speaks specifically of deception, three types that are described in the Bible. This part of the book helps me see how I might be on my guard against Satan and so claim the victory for my heart and mind in Christ.

‘…The three things that must be working within us before we can truly experience the sufficiency of God: faith, death to self and agape love,’ (p. 94). These three aspects are related to relationships: our relationship with God, with self, and with others. The discussion of faith that Willard undertakes can be a little confusing in parts, but also includes many very practical ideas to increase faith, or trust, in God and change our relationship with him. The second, death to self, is very well explained in chapter 6 – perhaps better explained than I’ve heard anywhere. Our relationship with others then comes down to agape love, which Willard describes by leaning on Bible passages before explaining more about love and its characteristics.

At times, the material is long and can be confusing, however by reading carefully and even multiple times, perhaps as if it is a conversation rather than written text, it becomes easier to grasp the ideas that Dallas Willard presents. Each chapter has numerous subtitles that blend into the whole but should be understood separately then placed together; this also makes it more challenging to comprehend. The free or accompanying study guide helps focus on the main ideas presented in each chapter. This too assists in clarifying meaning of the various sub-sections in each chapter.

Even in taking only what is easily understood, the book is worth reading. I read this book with my small group, and one member said, ‘he is a little new-agish,’ and I agree that some of it requires filtering and seeking to understanding with the help of God’s Spirit that which He wants to you gain.

4/5 stars. Life without Lack has a lot of thoughts that challenge traditional thinking and push us beyond mere faith into a trusting relationship with God and therefore a life of security in knowing God’s all-sufficiency.

If you liked this, check out other book reviews from this year.