Bad Girls of the Bible review

Bad Girls of the Bible and What We Can Learn from Them:

 Women everywhere marvel at those “good girls” in Scripture–Sarah, Mary, Esther–but on most days, that’s not who they see when they look in the mirror. Most women (if they’re honest) see the selfishness of Sapphira or the deception of Delilah. They catch of glimpse of Jezebel’s take-charge pride or Eve’s disastrous disobedience. Like Bathsheba, Herodias, and the rest, today’s modern woman is surrounded by temptations, exhausted by the demands of daily living, and burdened by her own desires.

So what’s a good girl to do? Learn from their lives, says beloved humor writer Liz Curtis Higgs, and by God’s grace, choose a better path. In Bad Girls of the Bible, Higgs offers a unique and clear-sighted approach to understanding those “other women” in Scripture, combining a contemporary retelling of their stories with a solid, verse-by-verse study of their mistakes and what lessons women today can learn from them.

Whether they were “Bad to the Bone,” “Bad for a Season, but Not Forever” or only “Bad for a Moment,” these infamous sisters show women how not to handle the challenges of life. With her trademark humor and encouragement, Liz Curtis Higgs teaches us how to avoid their tragic mistakes and joyfully embrace grace.

My Review:

 Higgs story telling ability really shines in this study book.  I really enjoyed the "contemporary retelling" of each girls story and I liked the way Higgs walks us through the actual Bible verses as well.    Her diligence in research doesn't shine quite as much in this book as it does in The Girl's Still Got It, but it is obvious that she has done it.

What I enjoyed most about this book is the "what lesson can we learn" section at the end of each chapter and of course the "Good Girl Thoughts worth Considering" which is the reflection section (just say that, reflection section.  Fun to say isn't it?).  Higgs manages to show us how we can learn from these "bad girls" and use their mistakes as a way to evaluate ourselves and turn from a path that may lead us to appearing in a future bad girls book.

Higgs personality really shines throughout the book and you feel like you are sitting with a group of your girlfriends having a chat session.  With lines such as "Grab your daisies, sister, and let's pull of the petals, one by one. 'She loved him.  She loved him not.  She loved him.  She loved him not...' Not, it seems," (Did Delilah love Samson?) we see Higgs humor.  With her admission of leaving a store with a book in which she was undercharged without correcting it (she did later, but not at the time!) we see her getting tripped up just like we do sometimes.  (This was in the Sapphira chapter.)  You really feel like you are just hanging out with the gals while reading this, which is a good thing considering what the subject is.

You almost feel like you are gossiping.  "Did you hear what Eve did?"  "Eve, the one that is sooooo perfect?  No, tell me!"  or "Oh my gosh!  You remember Rahab?  You know.... (whisper) the harlot?  Guess what I saw her do!"  Only this gossip has a purpose.  These gal's stories were included in the Bible for a reason.  "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT)  Higgs really helps us to examine these particular scriptures and to examine our own lives to see if we have these same wrongs in our own lives.  I bet that you will identify in some small way with at least one of these bad girls!

Learn more about Liz Curtis Higgs on her website
Read chapter 1 of Bad Girls of the Bible here
order your own copy from Amazon here