Photo by Ben White

 

On this site, one can find more than one book on emotional healing, and they are all about presenting Jesus as a refuge from a lifetime of trauma, pain and other heavy emotional burdens.

 

Still, some people might wonder if this kind of emotional healing is really that different from, say, a non-Christian resource.

 

This isn’t to say those are bad, but a good Christian guide to emotional healing certainly should distinguish itself better with its religious identity. After all, Jesus came to heal everyone, be they Gentile or Jew, but He was still Jesus, the Son of God, who died to save everyone from their sins.

 

Now, this does certainly come off as preachy. And in the worst-case scenario, such a book risks itself as all about making a religious argument and neglect to actually provide healing. This is why defining this type of Christian book is essential.

 

After all, today’s America has a lot more people disaffiliated from Christianity compared to previous generations. Being a source of emotional and psychological healing as well as a spiritual support for lost souls is a lot harder than many people realize. (And yes, this goes from both the Christian and non-Christian perspective.) A Christian inner healing book has to navigate these complex realities.

 

So, what are the best qualities that such a book should have?

 

Biblical and Beautiful

 

 

 

 

Photo by Patrick Fore

 

Perhaps a simple way to identify this kind of book is that it uses Scripture as a teaching tool for emotional recovery and renewal. After all, the very name of Into His Rest ministries alludes to a number of verses, particularly Matthew 11:28:

 

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

 

No doubt this brings to mind a lot of successful Christian books from the past. Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life is one example, and there have been many more like it ever since.

 

Of course, some might think that it seems irreverent and improper to selectively take verses out of the Bible no matter what the intention. While that is a valid concern, that also shouldn’t take away from the bigger point of a Bible-based emotional restoration.

 

This is important when there are voices in the world who are already rejecting the Bible because they were ‘beaten in the head over it’ or some other form of abuse. Lost and hurting souls need to be shown that God’s Word can still be used for the complete opposite. It can be used to help people recover from the trauma of bad pastors and bad parents, showing them that reading it will lead them to a redemptive view of themselves.

 

And while such a Biblical healing book may still end up critiqued for the way it picks verses, God knows what is in the heart and He “works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).”

 

How a Christian Book on Emotional Healing Talks About Faith

 

 

 

 

Photo by Tony Eight Media

 

Asides from Scripture, the idea of using faith to help people on their healing journey can be distinctively Christian.

 

Those who doubt this might allude to other books that simply substitute faith in God with faith in oneself, or even just faith in a different religion. What they may not know is that the way Christians approach faith-based emotional healing has always been through a relationship with Jesus. This is a recurring theme that’s evident across all denominations.

 

To many non-Christians (especially the really cynical ones), this can be a tired cliché. Still, that may be because the world needs more people who can show just how nurturing, wholesome and healthy a relationship with God is.

 

God only wants what is best for every person, and He is always there in their darkest moments. Hence, some of the best Christian works about recovery really emphasize on the hope that stems from the loving relationship He has with every human being.

 

Yes, there are healing prayers and scriptures that come with it, but the relationship aspect really isn’t something that can be just replicated elsewhere. It presents faith as more than just a belief in God. It is a faith that believes in His love, mercy and all the good things in between.

 

Yes It’s Always About Jesus, and That’s Why It’s Good News

 

Now, to be fair to many skeptics and non-Christians, there are one too many books who oversimplify and overemphasize the idea of spiritual healing through Christ. Some say it makes Him look pretty self-important, or self-absorbed. Others could simply be inundated because they have heard it from their pastors before, but nothing has every really changed in their lives.

 

Books that want to lift up the spirits and point to Christ have a responsibility to renew people’s understanding of what Jesus really means for the world.

 

Simply repeating the Gospel narrative, or constantly encouraging people to pray isn’t enough. The best Christian messages offer a spiritual journey and relationship when it comes to healing through Christ. It is the good news that there is a God who is always there, both in the midst of suffering and in the eternal life that comes.

 

It is the good news that there is an eternal God, creator of the universe, who came down to be with all those isolated by their pains and traumas, assuring them that He is still there.

 

You can learn more about how others have leaned on their faith for emotional healing, check out Cleansing the Sanctuary of the Heart. You can find it here, but it is also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the ReadersMagnet bookstore.