The 3rd Power
What's It About?
We are living in a spiritual fog.Consider:
- People are fleeing organized religion in record numbers.
- Less than 20 percent of Americans regularly attend church, citing a lack of need for a more formal practice of religion.
- Of the 88 percent of Americans said to own a Bible, 57 percent read it only four times a year or less.
- The world, to so many, is perceived as an increasingly terrifying place.
- People are struggling with job insecurity, economic stability, shrinking medical benefits, an aging population, and a sense of disillusionment with government, politics, the corporate world, marriage and other institutions.
- Technological clutter fed by round-the-clock news, social media opinion and debate, and easy access to pretty much anything is providing a huge distraction.
But there are ways to change this narrative, says Scott Ventrella, for those willing to open the door when God knocks.
“You’ve heard the expression, ‘God works in mysterious ways.’ What is not so mysterious is that for God to have a positive impact on our lives, we must allow him to do so. … He will call us to Him, but we must choose to recognize and acknowledge His calling.”
That is one of the primary takeaways in a new work by Ventrella that, frankly, is full of them: The 3rd Power: The Faith Formula to Sooth the Soul and Restore the Spirit (CrossLink Publishing).
BLUEPRINT FOR A SPIRITUAL LIFE
While The 3rd Power provides the blueprint for a spiritual life, it is as much a lifestyle primer as it is a religious one, nonetheless grounded in the concept of full devotion to Jesus Christ. Ventrella’s lessons instruct how to be a good person and be true to yourself, those around you, and God.
Readers can process the book in several ways. They can follow the narrative, consider the many real-life anecdotes to support Ventrella’s points, and digest the overall thinking. They can engage directly in the many questionnaires and checkpoints throughout about their own spiritual participation and orientation.
Or readers can do what I did as a book reviewer: attach post-it notes to track the salient points and memorable sound bites. The only trouble with my approach: I can’t recall ever taking so many notes and marking so valuable nuggets – and I was only up to page 13!
LIFE LESSONS FOR EVERYONE
Whether readers see themselves as what Ventrella characterizes as casual Christians, Sunday Christians or committed Christians — or not Christian at all, I suppose — there are mountains of advice, information and life lessons that anyone can benefit from.
Ventrella presents us with a structured guide to spiritual understanding and growth. And he emphasizes that, like physical and intellectual growth, solid spiritual foundations and understanding don’t all happen at once. In fact, he likens it to what readers would recognize as stages of human relationship building: attraction, dating and marriage.
Taking analogies a step further, Ventrella cites the importance of an annual spiritual exam, much like an annual physical exam. To him, the spiritual exam is even more important “because your spiritual well-being impacts every aspect of your life on earth — physical health, relationships, education, career and so forth.”
The 3rd Power, says Ventrella, is a simple yet powerful way to think about and apply our faith to address all kinds of challenges, as well as opportunities that come our way.
THE THREE POWERS
He divides the book into three Powers, whose names are pretty self-explanatory: the Me Power, We Power and Thee Power:
- Me Power — the inherent capability God expects us to develop and use to achieve self-fulfillment and make the world a better place.
- We Power — understanding that we are all connected as one part of the same body, with the ability to reach out to others for guidance and support and likewise being available to offer it to others.
- Thee Power — the ultimate power and our direct connection to God, independent of all others.
Ventrella introduces readers to new ways of thinking about everyday assumptions. For example, in his discussion about serving others, he refers to those others as “customers.” That might seem a cold way to describe God, self, spouse, children, significant others, friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers. But when Ventrella outlines how you want to treat them — as top priority, with sensitivity to their needs, having vested interest in their success, addressing their problems quickly, delivering quality or risk losing them — you see his point.
Is placing your top “customers” in order of priority, Ventrella reasons, any different from sorting through a list of potential wedding guests with eventual thumbs up to some and down to others?
In understanding the importance of self, Ventrella likens it to flight attendants directing passengers to put their own oxygen masks on first in the event of an emergency rather than acting on the gut instinct to help others.
“THE MOST POWERFUL WAY TO KNOW GOD”
While Ventrella addresses so many life situations and practices, he devotes a fair amount of attention to prayer, calling it “the most powerful way to know God.” And he recognizes the tendency of people to pray only when they have a problem or need something specific.
He cites scientific research showing that prayer has a major impact on our psychological and physical well-being, helping us to gain faith, hope and love. For example:
- Prayer is one of the most effective mind-body techniques for lowering heart rate and blood pressure.
- Heart patients who said they depended on God for strength were three times more likely to survive.
- Patients who were prayed over experienced less pain, needed less medication and did not die as frequently as patients who were not prayed for.
The 3rd Power provides a treasure trove of ideas for living a fuller life and having a positive, optimistic outlook. Ventrella writes in an authoritative voice — he believes in what he says, he practices what he preaches, and he wants readers to have the opportunity for a higher spiritual connection to God. While he wants to get his ideas across, he is not preachy but rather invites the reader to be as receptive as fits their desire.
“I felt called to write this book,” Ventrella says. “It is a message to all Christians — including those in name only, seekers who are new to Christ’s teachings, and those who have fallen completely away from religion — to deepen their faith.”
The 3rd Power is available for purchase. Learn more about Ventrella on his BookTrib author profile page.
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