The Ache for Meaning: How the Temptations of Christ Reveal Who We Are and What We're Seeking

by Tommy Brown

Will I have enough? Am I enough? Do I matter?

Deep in our souls is an ache that longs to be noticed, filled, transformed. And that ache boils down to these three fundamental questions.

The extraordinary thing is that we find the answers to all three questions in the temptations of Christ. As Jesus faces the wilderness, the core needs of every human being are on the ache to be secure, to be approved of, to have some control over our lives. But the ways that we are tempted to fill these needs inevitably fail.

In The Ache for Meaning , Tommy Brown journeys through our questions and temptations into the deeper invitation Jesus offers. In the mindsets and practices Christ embodied, we discover what kept him centered on his identity and purpose―and what equips us to do the same. Because when you know where you’ve come from and where you’re going, daily temptations toward security, approval, and power to control pale in comparison to your most significant You are a child of God.

Genres: Audiobook, Theology, Christian, Religion

208 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2023

About the author

Tommy Brown is a pastor with a B.A. in Pastoral Ministry and Masters degrees in Divinity and Management. As a contemplative teacher, he seeks to connect the dots between Scripture, God’s deep work in the human soul, and the patterns of our ordinary lives. He is the author of The Seven Money Types (Zondervan, '17) and The Ache for Meaning (NavPress, September '23). Learn more at www.tommybrown.org.

Reviews

[Marty Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great read that used the temptations of Christ to frame a conversation about some of the most central questions we wrestle with. At the heart of what it means to be human is a struggle with insecurity. Will I have enough? Am I enough? Do I matter? Tommy Brown helps us navigate these questions.

First, the book is simply enjoyable to read. Brown’s voice is inviting and pastoral. He is vulnerable and tells poignant stories. Sometimes reading can be a chore, but this book certainly was not one of those.

Second, the journey of the book was well designed with a three-part meter to each question. I always appreciate when an author can give me a rhythm to the conversation. Each of Brown’s sections include a look at the temptation, an invitation, and a practice.

And it’s that practice that also makes the book applicable in a way that wasn’t forced. His suggested practices are not so light that they lack a punch, nor are they so heavy that I wouldn’t say yes to the invitation.

This is a small book about big things — and it struck the balance of both well.

[David Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to this book for some time now. Books that remind me of Henri Nouwen always move quickly up the queue. This reflection on the desert temptations of Jesus, set against Tommy's vulnerable and clear-headed stories of a desert-ish experience of his own, rings true in the ways that you expect truth to ring. Resonance is a quality I look for in a book and this book is resonant. Tommy has a great analytical mind that distills but doesn't reduce, and so we're given helpful hooks and generative turns of phrase in this book that keep it percolating in you after you've read it. Such a universal title, hard to live up to, but The Ache for Meaning brings the goods.

[Amanda Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m having a hard time putting into words what stirred in my heart on every page of this book. The author unpacks this all too familiar story in an easy to read but deeply contemplative manner. It’s a book I no doubt will be returning to often. I’m feeling grateful to have read it.

[Alex Whosoever · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ache for meaning is a book I had the pleasure of reading for a spiritual formation class that I’m taking at my local church. This book covers many disciplines and practices that would be familiar to anyone who has spent much time reading or studying spiritual formation. What is different and interesting about this book is how those familiar practices of spiritual formation find their way into the story of the temptations of Jesus from the gospel of Matthew. In Each of these temptations we discover three deep rooted questions about our identity and purpose.

Each one of these questions are explored and answered, not simply through Tommy’s theological expertise or church know-how. But through personal stories he shares about his own struggles and battles with these questions.

Tommy then directs our attention back to Jesus, who was not exempt from facing and wrestling with these questions for himself. Jesus’ needs for security, approval, and power, as with ours, are legitimate human needs but how we meet these needs, as Jesus did, makes all the difference in our lives.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to discover new hope in the words of Jesus and answers to their own ache for meaning.

For every temptation there is a question. For every question there is an invitation. For every invitation there is a calling.

For fans of: Henri Nouwen, Eugene H. Peterson, and John Mark Comer.

[Jorah Barefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone that usually struggles to read books in the spiritual/faith genre (as more often than not it feels like reading a textbook), this was a pleasant surprise. The way the author writes from his own experiences and draws you in to experience the same growth he has feels like getting lost in a deep conversation with a close friend or mentor. I found myself devouring the words on my first read and am excited to go through a second time to better allow myself to slow down and absorb the lessons. Even then, I already appreciate the language I didn’t know I needed to better approach a life filled with insecurities and anxieties.

[Erika Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers a beautiful teaching on the temptations that Christ faced in the desert. If you're like me, you might not have given a lot of thought to this familiar story. The Ache For Meaning is not seeking to improve your Biblical intellectualism, rather, it is answering three profoundly deep questions: Will I have enough? Am I enough? and Do I matter? For each of the three temptations, Tommy offers a chapter on the temptation, the invitation, and a practice. The chapters on practice offer the reader a practical application that are birthed from an understanding of who you really are as a child of God.

[Hustonfamilyak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking, insightful, and needed practical advice for our hurried lives.

The author covers as promised in the summary those three big questions of Am I Enough, Do I Have Enough, and Do I Matter? Big questions that are personal to everyone, even to Christ. Tommy takes you through these questions using the lens of Jesus temptations in the desert while doing a masterful job of sprinkling in his own humble human experience. I found the book engaging and thought provoking, as well as wise spiritual direction of how to create space in your life to add God into the day to day of this hurried and short time we have. Worth a second read for sure, which I certainly plan to do.

[Megan White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A BEMA podcast recommendation- on the shorter side yet not lacking any wonder or beauty. Deeply rooted in Scripture, it explores how the temptations Jesus faced in the desert speak directly to the three core questions we wrestle with in real life: Will I have enough? Am I enough? Do I matter?

The author does an excellent job unpacking each temptation, the invitation Jesus offers in His response, and the practical application for our own lives. Much of the book is informed by Jewish tradition and rabbinic teaching—making it a true treat.

[Micah Humann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! What a great book. A really fresh and applicable way to look at the temptations of Jesus and how they apply to some of our life’s biggest questions. Some really good nuggets of wisdom. I especially enjoyed the kite metaphor. Sometimes we try to run with a kite to make it fly and it doesn’t work very well. Sometimes we have to just sit and wait for the wind to pick up and lift the kite on its own.

[Rachel Keaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so grateful that I read this book when I did. It spoke directly into some of the struggles I've been facing recently and did so with humor, relatability, and practicality. I'm excited to try out some of the author's suggestions, particularly trying to incorporate Sabbath rest to combat striving.

[Hannah Logan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was most of the things I’ve heard most of my adult Christian life. Relating everything to a personal story or a sports analogy really turns me off. I was expecting something different, especially due to the profound-sounding title reminiscent of C.S. Lewis. This book just fell flat for me, but may not for others.

[Amy Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. Insightful in the big picture but not in the details. He quotes rabbis so much, can I say equal to the Bible, and talks about keeping the sabbath so much that I wondered if he was in the Jewish roots cult.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really solid book, easy listen. I love how scholarly Brown is in the sources he quotes and pulls from. I doubt l'll remember much of it later but it was a great look at the temptations of Jesus and our need for power and control and approval.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt more like a biography than a work of theology at times. The intro chapter was the best and most focused and the book felt (even at its slim length) weighed down by meanderings at times.

[Robby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to read it again!

Tommy offers insight into how to deal with the questions that plague humanity each and every day: “Will I have enough? Am I enough? Do I matter?” Tommy’s spirit-filled perspective addresses these three questions in a healthy, meaningful, and productive way. The Ache For Meaning is a great resource for readers asking any, or all of these questions. I look forward to reading it again!

[Milly · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Wished it shared more than every other Bible study ever.
It was good stuff on Jesus temptations and I loved the conversation on the sabbath, reminding us of the importance, but I wished it had more substance and insight to what it claims to talk about on the cover.

[Jambean8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard this before associated with the three main types on the Enneagram but that didn't dive into the connections more than just surface mention. I appreciate the deeper dive and the format of release-receive-apply for each question. Great read!

[Eowyn Oh · Rating 4 out of 5]

focused entirely on the temptation of Jesus and how it reveals human needs and desires- never heard this breakdown before!