Quick Review of Heart of the Matter

I am a big fan of CCEF, the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation.  Several of the books published by those affiliated with CCEF have been life changing. One of the most instrumental books in my walk with Christ has been How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp. But CCEF’s impact on my life does not stop with that book. I have also received marital help, assistance in dealing with issues of shame and abuse, training in counseling others, and much more. 

All of the writers affiliated with CCEF are very good at exposing our sinful tendencies. Reading these books will rip you open and expose you.  But it never stops there. In as much as they tear they also heal with gospel balm. They never leave you on your own to deal with your problems. Change is always found in a person; namely Jesus Christ. The folks at CCEF are very faithful in pointing to Jesus.

With my love for CCEF it will be no surprise for you to hear that I was excited about Heart of the Matter. This book is a compilation of sections from other CCEF books put into a daily devotional format. Each day the reader is given a Bible verse and a brief devotional related to that passage.

Everything You Need

One of my favorite things about CCEF is that they believe that God has given us everything that we need for life and godliness in the person of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Word. That is essentially what this book is about. Every day the reader is given a devotional that relates to various life situations. I believe that a year in this book would convince the reader that they have in Christ everything they need for the situations that life throws at them. In fact, they’ll probably come to discover that it is not merely “life” that is throwing things at them but the God of grace. 

There are a variety of topics included in this book: love, hope, grace, redemption, faith, contentment, conflict, relationships, prayer, fear, patience, humility, and anger. Not everything is covered but the reader is given a framework for relating the gospel to everyday life.

Should You Buy It?

I plan to use this as a daily devotional in January. I would not suggest only using this book, though. It does not have in depth study of the various texts. This book is valuable in application. I would suggest taking the passage at the top of each day, studying it a little, chewing on it, thinking and praying through it, and then reading the devotional that goes along with the text to drive home gospel application. 

The book is retailing at $19.99 which is not a bad price.  I imagine that it will go down as the book becomes more readily available at online stores like Amazon. Yet, even if it does not 20 bucks is not a horrible price for a book that you will use all year. 

I believe you would benefit from reading this book. 

Review of Shame Interrupted

A few weeks ago I saw something in the face of my son that I have experienced in my own heart a million times over; shame.  He had just done something that was rather inappropriate and it was exposed.  Nothing horrible, mind you, he’s only four.  So the things he is ashamed of are things like losing at Beyblade or accidentally running through the house naked when we have company over.  But he still experiences shame.  And on that day he wore it on his face.  It broke my heart. 

That same heart break was heightened for me over a period of time as I reflected on the first few chapters of Ed Welch’s book Shame Interrupted.  Welch takes the reader places that you probably do not want to go.  In the second chapter, Shame Exposed, Welch uncovers the mask and asks probing questions to help the reader identify shame.  I checked almost every one of them. 

Shame has (or maybe I should say “had”) become a major part of who I am as a person.  Those first chapters exposed things that I had preferred to stay in the darkness.  The Spirit of Freedom used the writing of Welch to pry those things into the light.  Reading through those first few chapters of Shame Interrupted was very difficult. 

I knew where Welch was going with this and it felt like he couldn’t get there fast enough.  But he kept probing and twisting and exposing.  Yes, in order to be healed it must be exposed.  And that is what Welch did. 

Finally, Welch takes the reader to Jesus for healing.  For the next two hundred or so pages the reader is shown how Jesus relates to our shame and ultimately how he transforms it and in the process transforms us. 

Summary

Honestly the format of the book is a little difficult to track.  I think that a clue is given in chapter 20 when Welch speaks of the “basic rhythm of life with the new King and in the new Kingdom”.  He notes that this rhythm goes like this:

Put your shame into words.

Turn to your rescuer

               Know him.

               Be associate with him.

               Get your feet washed. 

               Persevere—get ready to fight.

Turn towards others: Love. 

That is the basic structure of the book.  After exposing our shame and helping the reader “put it into words”, Welch spends the remainder of the book assisting the reader in that turn towards Jesus.  The book seems to be a little less intentional about outlining what it looks like to “turn towards others” but those principles are smattered throughout the reading. 

My Take

I read this book a few months ago.  Normally, I review books pretty quickly after reading them.  This book was different.  It was one of those life shaping books.  Those first few chapters came to me at a unique time in my life when I had just finished reading a few other books that were related to an issue from my past that I preferred to keep buried. 

Honestly, the book tormented my soul.  Not for anything Welch did that was in error.  This was a necessary bruising that I was enduring.  Eventually, I was able to begin the process of healing and plod through the rest of the book.  I wish that I could say that this book provided healing by pointing me to Jesus.  I think that perhaps it could have—but the Lord chose to use other means to provide healing.  He used Welch to provide the exposing and painful side of healing. 

Welch does do an apt job of presenting Christ.  If you came to this book raw with shame and were able to quickly go through the first six or seven chapters I think you would find immense healing.  But as it was, I came to the book somewhat cold and deadened to these events of the past.  I couldn’t quickly jaunt through those first six or seven chapters.  The Lord had me in a spot ripe for exposure and he used Welch to shine the light on my shame and force me to face it. 

Should You Buy It?

I highly recommend this book.  I would have preferred it to be a little bit shorter and hope that in the future CCEF comes out with a condensed version.  That would be easier to giveaway in counseling sessions.  As it is 352 pages can be really daunting to give to somebody. 

If you think that you do not need this book you probably do.  I doubt there will be a large line at the bookstore of people waiting to purchase a book that will completely ravage your soul, but it is necessary.  Your shame needs to be exposed. 

If your shame already has been exposed and you want to know how to find healing in Jesus then Welch is a great guide to point you to the Savior.  I believe that you will find healing in this book—or better yet, be warmly introduced to the One that will provide ultimate healing. 

You can get the book on your Kindle for under 10 bucks or the book format for 17.99 (which is worth it for a 352 page book). 

I also invite you to check out the trailer for the book:

How to Put Words to Your Shame

Ed Welch in his book, Shame Interrupted, gives a few helpful questions to ask to try to put words to a shameful event. 

What happened?

How do you still carry it with you?

• How do you feel like an outcast?
• How do you feel exposed?
• How do you feel dirty?
• How do you feel worthless, like nothing?
• How have you tried to manage these experiences in the past?
• Has Jesus ever been part of how you managed shame?

How does your shame affect your relationships with other people?

• Whom do you avoid?
• How do you cover up?
• How do you try to make up for being so bad?  For example, do you say yes to everyone, like a slave who is never good enough?  Do you avoid the Lord as a way to say, “I’m not good enough to come to you yet”? 

How does your shame affect your relationship with God?

• Is anger mixed with your sense of unworthiness?

I have found these probing questions very helpful on the path to finding healing for some of the deep seated shame that I feel in my own life.  Perhaps you will find them helpful too.  I will be reviewing Welch’s book later today.  It is one that you ought to purchase.