Edward T. Welch Reviews

Added January 25, 2008

Running Scared

Fear, Worry and the God of Rest

Author: Edward T. Welch
Publisher: New Growth Press
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: January 2008
Genre: Nonfiction: Christian Living
Format: Trade paperback
Price: $12.99
ISBN-13: 978:0-9785567-5-4
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

Running Scared puts some sacred sense into this universal emotion. Everyone has "fear factors" and author Edward T. Welch provides a comprehensive and compassion perspective of the reasons behind these triggers. By the last page, readers will realize that the only place worth running to is to the refuge offered by a loving God.

The author systematically tackles this emotion by first offering a look at the real power fear plays in people's lives. These initial observations capture the irregular, often frantic pulse of fear in today's society. Worry and worst-case scenarios run side by side in this section, leaving readers with the definite impression that the writer may have gone a bout or two with this nasty terror in his own life. Yet, the second (and much larger) part of the book lays all these fears before God and seeks His spiritual guidance. And it's here that the book shines a spotlight in the darkness. Through the author's insightful view of Scripture passages, readers will see this life-binding emotion within a razor-sharp reality.

What's truly wonderful about this book is the connection established between the writer and reader. The opening pages leap out with the facts and the many faces of fear, which will cause a lot of heads to nod in understanding. Readers will feel that the author is not only aware of the debilitating effects of this emotion, but he is also sympathetic to the tragic conclusions it brings into our lives. That's why the second part of the book is so powerful. It builds on this trust and empathy, while gently taking readers' hands and leading them to a place of victory and freedom.

Running Scared works better than a nightlight in banishing fears.

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This page was last updated on January 25, 2008

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