“If you have a God who is nothing but wrath, and if you have little understanding of what happened on the cross, you’ll be a driven person. You’ll try very hard to be moral . . . but you will always feel unworthy. It will be hard to grow into a loving person, because fear […]
“Faith and fear both fight for you to believe in something you cannot see. Choose your battles wisely. Build your life even wiser. Make decisions that lead to obedience.”- Nicki Koziarz “If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”- Dolly Parton In Chapter 15 (“The God We Want”), the concluding chapter […]
“Haven’t we all had those days when we wish we could have one phone call with God so He could tell us what to do? We don’t want options . . . to figure this out. We just want to know, God, what are you doing?“- Nicki Koziarz (emphasis author’s) “But the dove found no […]
“Oh, what kindness we begin to practice when we act like our losses matter. . . . Loss, disappointment, grief, and injustice provoke anger. . . . Your rage is not a sign that something’s wrong with you; there’s something wrong with the world. . . . We’re often embarrassed by our anger, but it’s […]
“Too many of us live in prisons we’ve constructed for ourselves where the bars are fear and perfectionism. The fastest way to break yourself out is to stop asking, ‘Will I fail?’ and start asking, ‘Whether I succeed or fail, will it make a great story/’ “- Jennifer Fulwiler In Chapter 11 (“You Can Live […]
“I have discovered a consistent pattern of fear and anxiety unraveling souls amid the loss and disappointment that we experience when life is different than we expect. I have found that the longing persists, and pain can be relentless when we become blind to the goodness right before us. Our aching trumps our ability to […]
“It may look like the clouds are gathering for a storm, but I can rest because I have God’s companionship and that is enough. Decisions aren’t so harrowing — because I know the light dawns slowly but will come as needed.”- Jan Johnson, When the Soul Listens In Chapter 7 (“Ask This Question Before Every […]
“Fear is the driving force behind greed. Fear fuels greed. . . . Greed is supported by an endless cast of what ifs.”- Andy Stanley Then he (Jesus) said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”- Luke 12:51 (NIV) In Chapter 8 […]
“Fear can be an appropriate response to the dangers of life in a fallen world, but we must not let it rule our hearts. Fear is a good thing in the face of danger, but it makes a cruel god.”- Paul David Tripp Paul David Tripp concludes Chapter 4 of Suffering with the fourth through […]
“I only find true freedom when I bring every part of my heart into the light, letting unconditional love pour water onto the destructive fires of shame and fear.”- Christa Black Gifford As Christa Black Gifford concludes Chapter 7 of Heart Made Whole, she notes the scary nature of intimacy. Especially to a human heart […]
“A lot of people. .. step into the will of the flesh only to find that fear and striving beget more fear and striving. Flesh gives birth to flesh, which means that instead of relieving the pressure in their lives, they exponentially increase it.”- Banning Liebscher “How did your new life begin? Was it by […]
“Do not meditate on the mess. You gain nothing by setting your eyes on your problem. You gain everything by setting your eyes on the Lord.”- Max Lucado “God . . . is the blessed controller of all things, the king over all kings and the master of all masters.”- 1 Timothy 6:25 (Phillips) Max […]