What do you think?
Rate this book
Freedom from Performing: Grace in an Applause-Driven World
Delving into fresh insights from Jesus’ parables, author and speaker Becky Harling directs you to leave behind a life dependent on the accolades of others and go on a grace-filled journey of seeking God’s applause alone. The 12 lessons feature discussion-provoking questions and exercises for personal or group study.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2011
11 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Becky Harling
22 books36 followersBECKY HARLING has a degree in Biblical Literature and is a sought-after speaker and Bible teacher at women's conferences and retreats. Through her writing, Becky creatively combines deep biblical insight with her powerful testimony and the stories of other women. Her life experiences as a pastor's wife, parent of four adult children, grandmother of five grandchildren, women's ministries director, survivor of breast cancer and sexual abuse bring depth to her message. She brings a message of hope and healing that is refreshingly transparent. Becky is a gifted communicator with a passion for helping women find hope, healing, freedom, and ultimately life transformation through Jesus Christ. She is the author of Rewriting Your Emotional Script, Freedom From Performing, The 30 Day Praise Challenge, The 30 Day Praise Challenge for Parents, and How to Listen So People Will Talk.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 5, 2022
Cried while reading the first few chapters. God dealt with the way I see Him and the way He sees me. Growing up getting awards at school made me become someone who loved getting that “affirmation”
This book is helping me navigate through and out of my performing-for-God ways. I am so so grateful I got to read this.
This book is helping me navigate through and out of my performing-for-God ways. I am so so grateful I got to read this.
July 7, 2011
Freedom from Performing
Grace in an applause-driven world
By Becky Harling
Published by NavPress
Source: Review copy
So many times as women we feel the need to perform, to accomplish certain tasks, or act a certain way to get kudos from those around us. We seek our significance in what others around us think about us and their applause.
Becky Harling writes “Our significance doesn’t come from what we do or from others and their accolades for our performance. We have intrinsic worth simply because we are made in God’s image. It is our true self that God loves, forgives, longs to surround with grace. Our value is a gift given because of God’s grace.”
Each chapter of the book takes a reason we may feel the need to perform such as shame, a shaky identity or being an overachiever. She then couples that reason with a parable that addresses the same topic. She shows the parable as it applies to the specific form of performing, and blankets it with the grace that God offers in that parable. She includes a message from scripture, a prayer and a passage to remember each chapter about grace.
The book lends itself great to a weekly bible study as it has study questions at the end of each chapter for 6 days. You can easily use these in your own personal study as well by just answering the questions in the time you have.
The themes of God’s grace and the Holy Spirit being the leader are interspersed throughout the book as we learn that we are not meant to perform, but to live in a spirit of thankfulness and surrender.
I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Grace in an applause-driven world
By Becky Harling
Published by NavPress
Source: Review copy
So many times as women we feel the need to perform, to accomplish certain tasks, or act a certain way to get kudos from those around us. We seek our significance in what others around us think about us and their applause.
Becky Harling writes “Our significance doesn’t come from what we do or from others and their accolades for our performance. We have intrinsic worth simply because we are made in God’s image. It is our true self that God loves, forgives, longs to surround with grace. Our value is a gift given because of God’s grace.”
Each chapter of the book takes a reason we may feel the need to perform such as shame, a shaky identity or being an overachiever. She then couples that reason with a parable that addresses the same topic. She shows the parable as it applies to the specific form of performing, and blankets it with the grace that God offers in that parable. She includes a message from scripture, a prayer and a passage to remember each chapter about grace.
The book lends itself great to a weekly bible study as it has study questions at the end of each chapter for 6 days. You can easily use these in your own personal study as well by just answering the questions in the time you have.
The themes of God’s grace and the Holy Spirit being the leader are interspersed throughout the book as we learn that we are not meant to perform, but to live in a spirit of thankfulness and surrender.
I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
July 21, 2011
I am and always will be a big “fan” of bible study books. A superb bible study book especially if is written by a woman and meant for women brings a certain delight for me. It makes bible reading more enjoyable and bridges the “gap” of how things in ancient time before and after Jesus Christ and how it can be relevant in modern times.
In this particular bible study, I have learned from Ms. Becky Harling what grace really means. How must of us strive the be the “Super woman or Wonder woman” who strive for the approval of others or simply obsessed on how to pleased them all.
In the process we end up being emotionally and physical exhausted as we try to “perform” in front of the audience which compose mainly of our friends, family, relatives and even God.
Ms. Harling thoroughly explores how we can have authentic grace or how our significance doesn’t come from what we do or from what others expect from our performance.
I truly loved this 12 week bible study and I highly recommend it for individual or group study as this gives you fresh insights as what grace is all about.
In this particular bible study, I have learned from Ms. Becky Harling what grace really means. How must of us strive the be the “Super woman or Wonder woman” who strive for the approval of others or simply obsessed on how to pleased them all.
In the process we end up being emotionally and physical exhausted as we try to “perform” in front of the audience which compose mainly of our friends, family, relatives and even God.
Ms. Harling thoroughly explores how we can have authentic grace or how our significance doesn’t come from what we do or from what others expect from our performance.
I truly loved this 12 week bible study and I highly recommend it for individual or group study as this gives you fresh insights as what grace is all about.
December 22, 2013
Just bought the book and realized that it is twelve chapters meant to be read one per week. Thought I would maybe double time it, being the performer/checklist driven person I am, but I'm quickly realizing that it will take more than that for it all to sink in.
a little formulaic, but fit a checklist person, that was comfortable. although it felt geared toward married women, there were plenty of examples that included single women too.
a little formulaic, but fit a checklist person, that was comfortable. although it felt geared toward married women, there were plenty of examples that included single women too.
March 29, 2016
It did take me awhile to get through this, but it was worth out. Becky addresses so much in our motives as Christians. Is it about us or about God? We spent a lot of time in Scripture and she asked some deep thinking questions.
April 15, 2012
The message of the book -- I agree with. The fact that the author uses Rob Bell as a source and quotes Beth Moore -- total turnoff.
July 17, 2012
Another supporting step in my road to freedom. Amazing book. Lots of practical everyday examples of how and why we do what we do.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews