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Summary of The Good and Beautiful You

The structure of The Good and Beautiful You follows the previous three books. Each chapter starts with identifying a false narrative that comes from the world. Then Smith provides a true narrative based on a Christian perspective. Each chapter then ends with a Soul Training exercise. These spiritual practices are designed to help the content sink in for readers. There is also an appendix with a guide to use for small group discussions.

Here are the ten false narratives and their corresponding true narratives:

The ten narratives are all worth pondering in their own right. Number seven – “All that matters is getting to heaven” is one of our favorites. We already addressed this topic in The Gospel – What did Jesus think he was doing? Two others stood out as impactful and compelling to us. First, we will cover number one about identity. This provides a foundation for all the rest. Second, we will unpack number six about forgiveness.

Top Takeaways from The Good and Beautiful You

1. You Are a Soul, Not a Self

Identity is a hot topic today and for good reason. A strong anthropological foundation is a prerequisite for a secure identity. There are many worldviews competing in our current culture to form us into a specific type of person. In order to follow Jesus, we need to understand our nature as God created it.

Our current culture views a human primarily as a self. The first impact of this way of thinking is that humans are viewed inherently as individuals. Success becomes measured by money, sex, and power. Self-reliance and self-help become major industries as people try to improve themselves. Identity is limited to one’s accumulated perceptions of itself and seeks acceptance and affirmation to be validated.

Secondly, the impact of this way of thinking is that identity begins with the physical dimension and not the spiritual dimension. The self is essentially degraded to a mere accident when our view is limited to the physical dimension. It is the result of random atomic collisions and the slow evolution of scientific processes. Success becomes defined as survival and maximizing pleasure.

The self is too small to bear the weight of who we really are.

James Bryan Smith

Living as a self ultimately leads to despair. It has no anchor in reality. Understanding that God created humans as embodied souls allows us to attach meaning and significance to our existence that comes from outside ourselves and our accumulated experiences. Our souls are designed for connection with God. God reconciles us to himself through Christ. We are able to live out all subsequent true narratives to the fullest.

2. The Finality of the Cross and The Reality of the Resurrection

Smith begins the chapter on forgiveness with a story about hearing Bob George on the radio addressing the once and for all aspect of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Until you rest in the finality of the cross, you will never experience the reality of the resurrection.

Bob George

This powerful quote impacted Smith in a profound way, and it is worth unpacking in some detail. First, the finality of the cross determines how we view confession and forgiveness. What is the purpose of confessing sins? If the first response that comes to mind is forgiveness, you are not alone, but the Bible says that all our past, present, and future sins are all paid for and forgiven immediately when we put our faith in Christ. It was all completed on the cross. This is a mysterious wonder that breaks our scientific understanding of time and cause & effect.

Confession leads to healing, so it is still an important practice. It just doesn’t lead to forgiveness. You are already forgiven. It is a great relief that God doesn’t deal with us on the basis of our sin. He views us as his children. We are loved and redeemed once and for all.

Secondly, with a clear understanding of the finality of the cross, we are able to live out the reality of the resurrection. The resurrection gives us power through Christ to live a new life. A new life with the freedom to flourish according to the gifts God has given us all. Without an understanding of the soul and the finality of the cross, attempting to live this out becomes empty striving. It ends is disillusion and disappointment.

Evaluation of The Good and Beautiful You

Overall, this book is a must read for anyone who enjoyed or profited from the first three books. Smith succeeds again at bridging the gap between the theoretical and practical. If the work of Dallas Willard resonates with you, these books will help you apply the principles in tangible ways. The Soul Training practices that accompany each chapter are a helpful guide for embedding these truths in your life and not remaining merely head knowledge.