This is a fascinating and unique study, which focuses on humility but includes a deep dive into the thorny topic of pride and what that actually looks like in everyday life.

Who and what

Holding a PhD in Theology, Joel Muddamalle is the Director of Theology and Research at Proverbs 31 Ministries and the theologian in residence for Haven Place Ministries. I knew of him but was not particularly predisposed to read or to like this book. However, getting into its contents rapidly changed my mindset and I was quickly gripped.

In essence, the objective of The Hidden Peace is to get over to the reader that the deep peace we all long for begins with coming to the end of ourselves. That there are inescapable aspects of life we are all marked by. That we have less control than we want, more anxiety than we're comfortable with and just enough insecurity to continually remind us of our shortcomings - and that to experience all these things is to be human.

Deep dive

The author’s contention is that humility is both the solution and the way for a Christian to walk. That whether we've incorrectly defined it or underestimated its relevance to our daily life, humility is the missing piece for the security, strength and confidence we all want.

Muddamalle’s overarching message is that it's time to stop trying so hard to avoid our limitations or overcompensate for them. He clearly and concisely tells us that God has better for us and that ‘better’ begins with bowing low in humility.

He clearly and concisely tells us that God has better for us and that ‘better’ begins with bowing low in humility.

Among other things, the book is aimed at helping the reader:

• Walk through hurtful situations in the most God-honouring way by gaining a true understanding of biblical humility.
• Answer the question "why do bad things happen to good people?" by learning a perspective shift that will change how you process suffering.
• Stop believing the lie that theology is out of touch or too difficult to comprehend as Joel shows you how to dig into scripture and study it yourself.

Anecdotes and appendices

With relatable stories, practical wisdom and biblical theology broken down into digestible takeaways, The Hidden Peace helped me to realise that weakness is not our enemy, but rather, being planted in the soil of humility, weakness becomes a means to gaining more strength and more peace.

Joel does use a lot of personal examples, many of which are truly interesting. I also found the appendix, containing a lot of Bible verses on humility, to be very helpful to further deep dive into. Also included are bite-sized devotionals for study and reflection, and prompts to ‘consider’, ‘cultivate’ and ‘commit’, which are aimed to ‘help you go deeper with the concepts and give you the tools to apply them to your daily life’.

The Hidden Peace helped me to realise that weakness is not our enemy, but rather, being planted in the soil of humility, weakness becomes a means to gaining more strength and more peace.

Being changed

All in all, I found this intriguing work both eye-opening and inspiring in so many ways. It honestly called me out a bunch of times, and he even made me laugh every now and then.

While reading, I was, and still am, changing the way I talk, act, and think about situations and people. And while I’m doing this, I feel so much more - free, happy, and at peace.

I would also like to thank the author for setting an example of humility, honesty, and compassion – for, as far as I can tell, Joel Muddamalle is truly authentic.

The Hidden Peace (272 pp) is published by Thomas Nelson and is available from Peters.co.uk for £11.09 (plus p&p).