Biographies of God's Generals

Biographies of Great Men of God

If you’re just getting started, pick this book first because. Okay, that last reason is superficial. But seriously, any time I’m asked to recommend Christian biographies, this is one of my first picks, because Richard and his wife Sabrina’s story has stuck with me and millions of other readers as well. You’ll not only get a glimpse at what it’s like to be imprisoned and tortured for Christ, but also how it’s the grace of Christ that sustains believers in persecution, not our own power or discipline. Equal parts convicting and inspirational.

Biographies allows us to look into people's lives and learn from both their positive and negative experiences. The tenacity of Winston Churchill's stand in the mid-1930s against Germany even when opposed by his own party. The humility and faith of George Whitfield when forced to preach in the open air. The frustration of reading about the Founding Fathers not addressing the issue of slavery. Biographies allow us to learn from both the successes and failures of great men and women.

Biographies puts life into perspective. How many of us get frustrated because life is hard and things are not going as planned? When you read of Stonewall Jackson losing his wife and child or how George Washington's mother was a constant source of pain, it helps cut down your problems to size and allows us to see that everyone has difficulties and challenges in life. It is helpful to know you are not alone. A good biography will show the continued struggles that many had in life. You see how they struggled to succeed and often were at the brink of failure. Captain John Paul Jones' great victory over the Serapis was at several points almost a great defeat. His own officers tried to surrender, and a ship of his squadron fired on his ship during the battle doing significant damage.

The portrait of each biblical figure consists of a brief biography, rendered from the scriptural accounts of the figure's life, and a brief reflection on one particular characteristic of the figure from which certain spiritual lessons may be drawn. For example, Fortosis reads the story of Job as a story of suffering that points to suffering and loss as the fundamental condition of humanity.

Do you ever feel like the struggles you face are so great, no one could have ever overcome such obstacles before? It’s true that Christians often face hard times and we certainly have burdens. But we can face them with courage, knowing that God will give us strength. Many times have been encouraged by the story of a Christian who faced seemingly insurmountable odds, yet still did great things for Christ.

Many great Christians had difficult lives. Many of them faced terrible losses and tragedies. But they fought on and served faithfully. Whether you need to grow your faith, or you need some inspiration for service, you can find encouragement through reading Christian biographies. Before diving into our list of best autobiographies, let’s take a moment to get our autobiography definition sorted. When it comes to biography vs. autobiography, the distinction is easy: Biographies are written by an author other than the subject, and autobiographies are written by the subject themselves. The difference between a memoir and an autobiography can be a little trickier. A general guideline is that an autobiography is the story of a life, while a memoir is a story from a life. In other words, a memoir focuses on a distinct period of time or theme, while an autobiography runs through a person’s life, and is usually told chronologically. Even an autobiography can’t encompass a whole life though, as the author is still living it. Sometimes a series of memoirs is later compiled and categorized as an autobiography. Other times there are books that straddle both genres.