BOOKS
LOSE TO FIND: CHANGE OF CONTROL
Lose to Find: Change of Control reads like a Christ follower’s diary of wrestling with surrender. Despite constantly feeling like the most unlikely spokesperson and champion for stewardship and generosity, it became clear to Roger Lam that God was not satisfied to leave the other areas of his life besides money remaining in his control–his vocation, safety and purpose. Continuing in the same authenticity and conversational tone for which readers around the world have shown appreciation in his first book, Roger Lam humorously shares his continued God-ordained spiritual transformation, going beyond the area of money which (he thought) he had already mastered. This new leg of his Spirit-filled journey entails unimaginable, interlinked supernatural adventures starting in Hong Kong, followed by divine appointments in Beijing, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, South India, Shanghai and Washington D.C. all within a calendar year.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE BOOK
[Full disclosure: I count the author as a friend, and now a teacher] “Lose to Find” was a timely read for me- another example of the many “God-incidences” Roger writes about in his new book. Along with much of the world, I have been catapulted into the “new normal” of a Covid 19 world. It now seems we will be in this world for a long season and with its consequences for at least a generation. It is a world of uncertainty and risks, where nothing is guaranteed. Beneath the concerns we have about our lives and livelihoods, there are deeper questions about how and where we find meaning, purpose and hope to persevere in life and death. “Lose to Find” (written before the pandemic) offers that the “old normal” for too many of us do not work because it is not what we were designed for. And, that the “new normal” is not simply an adjustment we need to make in response to circumstances beyond our control, but rather a fundamental realignment over which God has given us authority.
Roger never says this directly- he is a gentle teacher and there is not a ”preachy” sentence in the book. Roger is not telling others what he thinks they need to do. He is simply sharing the story of his own life but in a manner that can help to illumine our own paths during dark days. Throughout the book, I felt as if Roger was sitting across the table conversing over a coffee rather than talking down from some lofty pedestal. Roger is a deeply religious man but without a hint of the noxious religiosity that has turned so many away from the faith. Roger’s new vocation is serving God as a theologian on stewardship. He is not formally trained at seminary or divinity school- he is a theologian for our age, having spent his entire career in the marketplace- where most in the world live. While some of the details of Roger’s former career in global finance may be lost on the reader they do make for interesting reading. More to the point, they reveal a deeper meaning and purpose we may consider. When I worked in Hong Kong and met many ambitious, smart professionals like Roger, I would often ask, “What if you spend your career climbing the ladder only to find it is leaning against the wrong wall?” Roger traded the corporate ladder for a door unto a new way of living and seeing the world around him. (Read his first short book to understand the full context of his trading that ladder for the door.).
This book is the story of his first steps through that door and not always clearly understood what this new world means. I, for one, deeply appreciated the faithfulness and humility of this book rather than the certitude that seems to saturate so many other contemporary Christian books. I recommend Lose to Find because, simply put, we all need as much guidance and wisdom as we can get in these days. Ultimately, we must choose for ourselves what we shall value, honor and give our emotional and physical resources to, but it does help to have wise and gentle teachers for that journey. I finished “Lose to Find” feeling like there is more to the story. Perhaps a trilogy is what Roger has in mind. If so, I very much look forward to reading those words.
He is transparent, gritty, humble and candid regarding his relationship with money and, by God’s grace, the ensuing redemption and transformation in his life. You won’t want to put it down and I believe you’ll find it to be a very worthwhile investment of time.
This book, as a sequel to Roger’s earlier journey in Lost and Found: Money vs. Riches, is written in such an intimate, fallible way that it resonates deeply to my very own brokenness and reminds us of God’s redeeming strength through our weaknesses. Roger opens himself up in true companionship with those who are willing to struggle (with money and beyond) to walk in faith, willing to strive in God’s way and not their own way.
Roger Lam has written a compelling biography of how God intervenes in the life of a senior Christian marketplace leader. It is a challenging story of trusting God to envision others to maximize their God-given assignment.”
In a real and authentic, often humorous, voice, Roger once again artfully presents hard truths in a velvet package. Lose to Find: Change of Control (and its predecessor Lost and Found: Money vs. Riches) provides a delightful retell- ing of the adventure with and joyful discovery of a divine God who loves us and cares for every detail of our lives. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in growing in the area of generosity and stewardship, not only of their finances but also of their hearts.
LOST AND FOUND: MONEY VS. RICHES
Roger Lam was faced with a real money problem at a very young age when his birthright – the family business, was snatched away from him, and he developed a secret distrust of parental provision since the age of 14. Money became his biggest hang-up and slave driver, and the childhood financial trauma triggered a quest for worldly success academically and then in the field of finance fueled by fear and anger for the better part of two decades until he got a divine wake-up call. In Lost and Found: Money vs. Riches, Roger Lam shares his counterintuitive, God-orchestrated journey of setting free from the slavery to money by following the countercultural Biblical teachings on wealth and possessions. Along the way, he had to repeatedly confront and overcome his underdog mindset, which was a byproduct of his sense of insecurity. Some of the stories are nothing short of supernatural.Without a doubt, Roger Lam has suffered monetary losses in his lifetime, but what he found instead over the course of his journey is of infinite and eternal value. By telling his story with great transparency and vulnerability, the life lessons that can be extracted from each chapter are potentially transformative and redemptive to our world, which has been blinded to awareness of the real truth of provision.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE BOOK
Roger is a compassionate, caring man who is ready to obey God when God wants to use him. His book Lost and Found: Money vs. Riches is a great reminder that hearing and obeying God would produce God’s fruit. Not only is his story a blessing to those who have received financial help, but also to anyone who wants to honor God with their finances.
Roger Lam is honest and transparent in sharing his financial journey that led him to understand the difference between money and riches. Read the book and make this life-changing discovery for yourself.
Roger‘ s personal journey that he shares with such vulnerability is an anointed piece of work. His honesty, humility, and grace is evident in every page as he aligns himself to the character of Christ – namely His humility, his unselfishness, and his faithfulness. I found Roger and Sylvia’s story gently speaking into my heart, teaching me through real life experience and scripture that our Father God is indeed the owner of everything!