When Joyce Meyer posted 'God's not mad at you' on Facebook a few months ago, she didn't realise that those five words would trigger thousands of posts of gratitude and relief. She had obviously hit a nerve.
'Where does this concept of God come from?' she asks in the introduction. 'Perhaps from an angry parent who was difficult to please. Or the pain of rejection from parents or friends who didn't know how to give unconditional love. Perhaps it came from the church! From religious teaching that offered us rules and regulations to follow and implied that we'd be unacceptable to God if we didn't follow them.'
It's a paradox that isn't often discussed by Christian teachers: God loved the world so much that He gave His son to rescue mankind. Yet we tend to think of Him as a stern judge who is ready to punish us at the slightest mis-step.
In God Is Not Mad At You, Joyce examines the sources of this mixed message and untangles the confusion that most Christians experience. Chapter titles include:
Perfectionism and Approval
The Pain of Rejection
Guilt and Shame
Developing Your Potential
Run To God, Not From Him
Getting Comfortable with God
Joyce's latest book addresses a need that isn't often discussed within the Christian community: the need to see God as the loving parent that He is, not a petty tyrant who is ready to pounce at the first opportunity. It will help to clarify for readers one of the greatest misconceptions within the church and free them to experience His love on an entirely new level.
