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dirst's review
4.0
A very good book on understanding what it really means when we fear man over fearing God.
geneticginger's review
3.0
Great book that biblically walks through fear of man and how to focus on fearing God.
josiahdegraaf's review
5.0
This was a truly excellent book that not only was a fantastic analysis and deconstruction of our culture's messed-up understanding of self-esteem, but was also a book that I personally needed to read and learn from. The book's central goal is to help its readers to fear God more than man, and the more Welch unpacked what a fear of man looks like, the more and more clearly I could see it in the culture and in my own life as well. Welch's love for people comes clearly through in this book, as well as his refusal to avoid giving the hard truths when they need to be told. Pastoral in nature, Welch gives a lot of wise advice on how we can spot this fear of man present in our lives and how we can best overthrow it by cultivating a deeper fear of God.
It's hard for me to fully encompass in this review how good this book was, so I'm going to settle by saying this and then including some of my favorite quotes below. This is a book that I think a lot of people in our culture need to read. And it was a book that I needed to read as well. So this book comes with my heartiest recommendations.
Rating: 4.5-5 Stars (Extremely Good).
Select Quotes:
"We are more concerned about looking stupid (a fear of people) than we are about acting sinfully (fear of the Lord." (40)
"'Needs' or 'rights' lead irresistibly into fear of man. If you 'need' love (to feel okay about yourself), you will soon be controlled by the one who dispenses love." (87)
"If we think that sin is in any way superficial, then we do not understand the true nature of sin. When psychological needs, rather than sin, are seen as our primary problem, not only is our self-understanding affected, but the Gospel itself is changed. The good news of Jesus is not intended to make us feel good about ourselves. Instead, the good news humbles us." (146)
"Is it possible that we are called to love not because other people are empty and need love (to feel better about themselves) but because love is the way in which we imitate Christ and bring glory to God?" (147)
"Don't we do children a disservice by showering them with unearned approval? The self-respect the schools are seeking to bestow comes only as a person develops a growing ability to meet difficult tasks, risk failure, and overcome obstacles. You can't simply confer self-esteem upon another person. To assume that other people can control our view of ourselves is what creates low self-esteem in the first place!" (29)
"There is something about the power of God, not to mention the thought of Hell, that cuts through the painful introspection associated with the fear of others." (72)
"We need more sermons that leave us trembling." (96)
"God's Word, not feelings, is our standard. To be driven by our fluctuating sense of well-being may seem spiritual, but it is wrong. It exalts our interpretation above God's." (170)
It's hard for me to fully encompass in this review how good this book was, so I'm going to settle by saying this and then including some of my favorite quotes below. This is a book that I think a lot of people in our culture need to read. And it was a book that I needed to read as well. So this book comes with my heartiest recommendations.
Rating: 4.5-5 Stars (Extremely Good).
Select Quotes:
"We are more concerned about looking stupid (a fear of people) than we are about acting sinfully (fear of the Lord." (40)
"'Needs' or 'rights' lead irresistibly into fear of man. If you 'need' love (to feel okay about yourself), you will soon be controlled by the one who dispenses love." (87)
"If we think that sin is in any way superficial, then we do not understand the true nature of sin. When psychological needs, rather than sin, are seen as our primary problem, not only is our self-understanding affected, but the Gospel itself is changed. The good news of Jesus is not intended to make us feel good about ourselves. Instead, the good news humbles us." (146)
"Is it possible that we are called to love not because other people are empty and need love (to feel better about themselves) but because love is the way in which we imitate Christ and bring glory to God?" (147)
"Don't we do children a disservice by showering them with unearned approval? The self-respect the schools are seeking to bestow comes only as a person develops a growing ability to meet difficult tasks, risk failure, and overcome obstacles. You can't simply confer self-esteem upon another person. To assume that other people can control our view of ourselves is what creates low self-esteem in the first place!" (29)
"There is something about the power of God, not to mention the thought of Hell, that cuts through the painful introspection associated with the fear of others." (72)
"We need more sermons that leave us trembling." (96)
"God's Word, not feelings, is our standard. To be driven by our fluctuating sense of well-being may seem spiritual, but it is wrong. It exalts our interpretation above God's." (170)
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