Wounded by God's People: Discovering How God’s Love Heals Our Hearts
Tucked into Abraham's biography is the story of Hagar, a young Egyptian slave with whom Abraham had a son named Ishmael. Hagar stood out because she was wounded--not physically, but in ways that were as emotionally and spiritually painful as any injury to a body would be. Some wounds were provoked by her own bad behavior, but others were inflicted by those who considered themselves God's people.
Anne Graham Lotz too has been wounded by God's people. Some wounds have been deeper than others, some have come out of nowhere, and still others have been provoked by her own behavior, but all of the wounds have been deeply painful. They seemed to hurt even more when the wounders wrapped their behavior in a semblance of religion or piety.
As Hagar's story unfolds, you will discover that wounded people often become wounders themselves. While Anne identifies with the wounded, the unpleasant reality is that she also identifies with the wounders, because she has been one, too. She knows from experience that wounding is a cycle that needs to be broken. And by God's grace, it can be.
Many have had similar experiences. And perhaps you are among those who have been so deeply hurt that you have confused God's imperfect people with God. Maybe you have even run away from God as a result. Or perhaps you have been a wounder to the extent that you are living in a self-imposed exile, believing you are unworthy to be restored to a warm, loving relationship with God or with God's people. Whatever your hurts may be, Wounded by God's People helps you to begin a healing journey--one that enables you to reclaim the joy of God's presence and all the blessings God has for you.
God loves the wounded. And the wounders.
Top Highlights
“I was confronted with a choice: Would I reject Him because I was rejected by them?” (source)
“As I look back on my life, it saddens me to acknowledge that some of my most painful wounds were inflicted by religious people — Gods people. Those who have been the most hurtful, those who have been the most unkind, those who have betrayed, slandered, and undermined me have been those who have also called themselves by God’s name. They have been considered Christians by themselves and by others. Yet they have been men and women whose words and behavior are inconsistent with what they say they believe and contradict what God says.” (source)
“Don’t underestimate the power of forgiveness in your own life. While others may remain distant, hardened, cold, vengeful, and give only a negative response to your forgiveness — if they give any response at all — the very act of forgiveness fleshed out in sacrificial love will begin the healing process in you. And sometimes it does make a difference in the other person.” (source)
“As hurt as I was by the church’s rejection, my relationship with God was strong enough and my understanding of His Word thorough enough to know that being rejected by the church did not mean being rejected by Him.” (source)
“And like a grapevine, in order to be fruitful we must submit to pruning. When we resist and fight back, what we are really doing is refusing to glorify God, thereby thwarting the very purpose for our existence.” (source)
Product Details
- Title : Wounded by God's People: Discovering How God’s Love Heals Our Hearts
- Authors:
- Lotz, Anne Graham
- Moore, Beth
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Publication Date: 2013
- ISBN: 9780310337546