What do you think?
Rate this book
Wounded by God's People: Discovering How God’s Love Heals Our Hearts
Tucked into Abraham's biography is the story of Hagar, a young Egyptian slave with whom Abraham had a son named Ishmael. Hagar stood out because she was wounded--not physically, but in ways that were as emotionally and spiritually painful as any injury to a body would be. Some wounds were provoked by her own bad behavior, but others were inflicted by those who considered themselves God's people.
Anne Graham Lotz too has been wounded by God's people. Some wounds have been deeper than others, some have come out of nowhere, and still others have been provoked by her own behavior, but all of the wounds have been deeply painful. They seemed to hurt even more when the wounders wrapped their behavior in a semblance of religion or piety.
As Hagar's story unfolds, you will discover that wounded people often become wounders themselves. While Anne identifies with the wounded, the unpleasant reality is that she also identifies with the wounders, because she has been one, too. She knows from experience that wounding is a cycle that needs to be broken. And by God's grace, it can be.
Many have had similar experiences. And perhaps you are among those who have been so deeply hurt that you have confused God's imperfect people with God. Maybe you have even run away from God as a result. Or perhaps you have been a wounder to the extent that you are living in a self-imposed exile, believing you are unworthy to be restored to a warm, loving relationship with God or with God's people. Whatever your hurts may be, Wounded by God's People helps you to begin a healing journey--one that enables you to reclaim the joy of God's presence and all the blessings God has for you.
God loves the wounded. And the wounders.
Anne Graham Lotz too has been wounded by God's people. Some wounds have been deeper than others, some have come out of nowhere, and still others have been provoked by her own behavior, but all of the wounds have been deeply painful. They seemed to hurt even more when the wounders wrapped their behavior in a semblance of religion or piety.
As Hagar's story unfolds, you will discover that wounded people often become wounders themselves. While Anne identifies with the wounded, the unpleasant reality is that she also identifies with the wounders, because she has been one, too. She knows from experience that wounding is a cycle that needs to be broken. And by God's grace, it can be.
Many have had similar experiences. And perhaps you are among those who have been so deeply hurt that you have confused God's imperfect people with God. Maybe you have even run away from God as a result. Or perhaps you have been a wounder to the extent that you are living in a self-imposed exile, believing you are unworthy to be restored to a warm, loving relationship with God or with God's people. Whatever your hurts may be, Wounded by God's People helps you to begin a healing journey--one that enables you to reclaim the joy of God's presence and all the blessings God has for you.
God loves the wounded. And the wounders.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2013
316 people are currently reading
721 people want to read
About the author
Anne Graham Lotz
151 books254 followersLotz is the child of Billy Graham & Ruth Bell Graham
Anne Graham Lotz (born May 1948) is an American Christian evangelist. She is the second daughter of evangelist Billy Graham and his wife Ruth Graham. Anne Graham Lotz accepts speaking invitations worldwide, is founder of AnGeL Ministries, and an award-winning author.
Anne Graham Lotz (born May 1948) is an American Christian evangelist. She is the second daughter of evangelist Billy Graham and his wife Ruth Graham. Anne Graham Lotz accepts speaking invitations worldwide, is founder of AnGeL Ministries, and an award-winning author.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
July 20, 2017
I'll be honest and say that I didn't finish this book. But I'm not categorizing it as a DNF because I loved every single word I read.
As the daughter of a pastor, I've gone through some incredibly painful and deeply scarring situations in the church. I sought this book out in an effort to find some sort of healing and understanding. I think I found it within the first sixty pages. That was all God needed me to read in order for me to get His message. One day I plan on finishing this for good, but that day isn't today. For now, those sixty pages that I read are more than enough.
If you've ever been wounded by the church or church members, please, please consider reading this book. It put so much of my pain into perspective.
As the daughter of a pastor, I've gone through some incredibly painful and deeply scarring situations in the church. I sought this book out in an effort to find some sort of healing and understanding. I think I found it within the first sixty pages. That was all God needed me to read in order for me to get His message. One day I plan on finishing this for good, but that day isn't today. For now, those sixty pages that I read are more than enough.
If you've ever been wounded by the church or church members, please, please consider reading this book. It put so much of my pain into perspective.
October 8, 2013
Wounds from Christian swords heal slowly..................
Those words leaped off the page at me and grabbed my attention. I had never stopped to think about it that way. If you've been in a church (any church) long enough, chances are, you've been hurt by another person.
While it shouldn't happen, it does, and Christians aren't perfect.
Some accidentally cut you with their sword, while others quite intentionally drive it deep.
Maybe to your face, or behind your back......
Maybe in letters or phone calls.........
Maybe in secret board meetings at the church.............
Maybe on their own blog (or social media), taking subtle jabs at you when they think you aren't paying attention, in order to make themselves feel important and intelligent.
How sad and self absorbed. What a testimony and example! I'm quite sure the heart of God is grieved multiple times over, by His very own children.
So many good Christian people, with gifts to offer, leaving the church with gashes and cuts. Anne Graham Lotz can identify. The good news is, you don't have to stay in exile, nursing your wounds. God created you for so much more.
This was the first book of Anne's that I have read, and I enjoyed it so much. She is spot on with so many of her thoughts and observations.
This book includes some of her own personal experiences with being hurt by other believers. Every reader will most likely identify with some aspect of this book. The underlying theme is that how we respond, is the key. Anne consistently redirects readers back to their relationship with God, encouraging them to seek Him that much more, each time they are wounded.
She asks pointed questions in this book that will challenge you to think and mature, beyond what you might have imagined for yourself. I know that reading this, caused me to self-reflect and consider my responses to various situations in my life. I also like that Anne points out the positive that comes from wounds, benefits like deeper compassion for others, refocusing our perspective, increasing discernment and more.
I highly recommend this one!
And if you haven't personally been wounded, I still suggest reading this book to make SURE you aren't the one wounding others!
Those words leaped off the page at me and grabbed my attention. I had never stopped to think about it that way. If you've been in a church (any church) long enough, chances are, you've been hurt by another person.
While it shouldn't happen, it does, and Christians aren't perfect.
Some accidentally cut you with their sword, while others quite intentionally drive it deep.
Maybe to your face, or behind your back......
Maybe in letters or phone calls.........
Maybe in secret board meetings at the church.............
Maybe on their own blog (or social media), taking subtle jabs at you when they think you aren't paying attention, in order to make themselves feel important and intelligent.
How sad and self absorbed. What a testimony and example! I'm quite sure the heart of God is grieved multiple times over, by His very own children.
So many good Christian people, with gifts to offer, leaving the church with gashes and cuts. Anne Graham Lotz can identify. The good news is, you don't have to stay in exile, nursing your wounds. God created you for so much more.
This was the first book of Anne's that I have read, and I enjoyed it so much. She is spot on with so many of her thoughts and observations.
This book includes some of her own personal experiences with being hurt by other believers. Every reader will most likely identify with some aspect of this book. The underlying theme is that how we respond, is the key. Anne consistently redirects readers back to their relationship with God, encouraging them to seek Him that much more, each time they are wounded.
She asks pointed questions in this book that will challenge you to think and mature, beyond what you might have imagined for yourself. I know that reading this, caused me to self-reflect and consider my responses to various situations in my life. I also like that Anne points out the positive that comes from wounds, benefits like deeper compassion for others, refocusing our perspective, increasing discernment and more.
I highly recommend this one!
And if you haven't personally been wounded, I still suggest reading this book to make SURE you aren't the one wounding others!
March 28, 2014
All of us are wounded; all of us have wounded others; all of us have experienced deep loss and hurt; all of us need to discover how God's love heals our hearts. Using the narrative of Hagar, the handmaiden of Sarah, Abraham's wife, in Genesis, Lotz provides commentary to address a kind of wounding which we agonize over: the pain and suffering that often comes at the hands of God's people, religious people, fellow believers in Christ. "Wounds from Christian swords heal slowly . . . " Because we dare to love deeply, the pain is so much greater when the hurt comes. It often leads to confusion, isolation, resentment, bitterness, and retaliation, among other things. In every situation, we have a choice how we will respond: will we hoard our hurt and allow it to fester or will we run to God, give Him the pain, let His love heal our hearts?
Drawing many examples from the lives of others as well as deep hurt which she and her husband have encountered, Lotz is not being theoretical or philosophical. She's being real in writing about a subject which often goes unaddressed in spiritual circles. Those involved in any way with the church or parachurch organizations will easily identify situations they or beloved friends have walked through.
Anne Graham Lotz reminds me of Elizabeth Elliott in that she doesn't beat around the bush, she doesn't water down the Gospel, she doesn't coddle sin. She is vulnerable in sharing her own suffering; she is adamant in asserting that forgiveness and allowing God to be the healer are the only way to peace and wholeness. Because I've experienced wounding within the Christian community, Lotz' book was personally helpful in thinking about myself, but also in extending care to others who have been hurt. This ought to be required reading for every person who is a believer in Jesus Christ.
Lotz brings the Scripture narrative alive, filling in details, creating likely emotions, allowing readers to identify their own similar situations. Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, the father of all the Arab nations, will never again be just a lowly Egyptian handmaiden after reading this book.
Drawing many examples from the lives of others as well as deep hurt which she and her husband have encountered, Lotz is not being theoretical or philosophical. She's being real in writing about a subject which often goes unaddressed in spiritual circles. Those involved in any way with the church or parachurch organizations will easily identify situations they or beloved friends have walked through.
Anne Graham Lotz reminds me of Elizabeth Elliott in that she doesn't beat around the bush, she doesn't water down the Gospel, she doesn't coddle sin. She is vulnerable in sharing her own suffering; she is adamant in asserting that forgiveness and allowing God to be the healer are the only way to peace and wholeness. Because I've experienced wounding within the Christian community, Lotz' book was personally helpful in thinking about myself, but also in extending care to others who have been hurt. This ought to be required reading for every person who is a believer in Jesus Christ.
Lotz brings the Scripture narrative alive, filling in details, creating likely emotions, allowing readers to identify their own similar situations. Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, the father of all the Arab nations, will never again be just a lowly Egyptian handmaiden after reading this book.
June 15, 2016
At times as Christians we can and do hurt each other. The hurt we cause others can leave some nasty scars; the hurt we inflict can drive people away from church.
Anne gives sound advice on how to receive healing from our hurts. She uses the example of Hagar and the hurt that inflicted on her by Sarah and Abraham.
Anne gives sound advice on how to receive healing from our hurts. She uses the example of Hagar and the hurt that inflicted on her by Sarah and Abraham.
Read
August 31, 2023This one that I am glad I have a book for….dive into it a little deeper
August 23, 2017
I rarely write book reviews, but this book requires one from me. For those who have been hurt by Christians, this book is balm to your soul. Although as Christians we know that we are all sinners, we simultaneously long to develop relationships with one another based on trust. When that trust is broken or we discover it was misplaced, the wound that is left injures our ability to trust anyone who resembles our wounder. As a result, Christians and non-Christians who have been wounded by Christians find it nearly impossible to trust another Christian. Worst of all, that mistrust can be extended to God Himself, which is unfair to Him because His children often fail to accurately represent Him.
Although I have never turned from God, I have wrestled with the dissonance of being cruelly mistreated by some of God's people. Prior to finding this book, there seemed to be an absence of Christian materials that would admit that such a problem exists. This absence of validation only adds to the pain of having been hurt by Christians. At times like these, the trust of those who are wounded is often too damaged to allow them to reach out to other Christians. Additionally, if the wounded do share their experience, they are often met with doubt ("I am sure ___ didn't mean to be hurtful") or judgment for being unforgiving. After a few times of receiving these responses, anyone would react by withdrawing further and feel spurned by those they are told they should reach out to.
If you have had these types of experiences, this book will minister to you. Lotz's descriptions of her experiences resonate with an insight that can only be acquired from having been there. Her ability to describe the internal battles and conflicting emotions that are experienced in the aftermath of this type of abuse, provides the validation that the wounded desperately need. However, this book does not only minister to the wounded. It also provides necessary intercession to those who inflicted the wounds. Altogether, this book addresses an issue that has been too long been swept under the carpet by many Christians. The topic is messy and confrontational, but that is the nature of redemption and healing.
Although I have never turned from God, I have wrestled with the dissonance of being cruelly mistreated by some of God's people. Prior to finding this book, there seemed to be an absence of Christian materials that would admit that such a problem exists. This absence of validation only adds to the pain of having been hurt by Christians. At times like these, the trust of those who are wounded is often too damaged to allow them to reach out to other Christians. Additionally, if the wounded do share their experience, they are often met with doubt ("I am sure ___ didn't mean to be hurtful") or judgment for being unforgiving. After a few times of receiving these responses, anyone would react by withdrawing further and feel spurned by those they are told they should reach out to.
If you have had these types of experiences, this book will minister to you. Lotz's descriptions of her experiences resonate with an insight that can only be acquired from having been there. Her ability to describe the internal battles and conflicting emotions that are experienced in the aftermath of this type of abuse, provides the validation that the wounded desperately need. However, this book does not only minister to the wounded. It also provides necessary intercession to those who inflicted the wounds. Altogether, this book addresses an issue that has been too long been swept under the carpet by many Christians. The topic is messy and confrontational, but that is the nature of redemption and healing.
July 3, 2016
I picked this book up because I needed it. I'm a pastor, and the damage done by Christians is irrefutable. I've been hurt many times, and even recently. But wounds shouldn't keep us from God or from growing more Christ-like in our own walk with the Lord. Christians are often tarnished image bearers, and God wants, and is working toward, our healing. We can actually learn and grow from our wounds, and this can make us stronger, more gracious, and more cautious in how we relate, reply, respond, and react around others. Mrs. Graham-Lotz does a fine job with this book. I needed to hear her message. It is based on her personal experience and derived scripturally from the story of Hagar, the handmaiden of Sarah (Abraham's wife). One line the author said that resonated with me was, "Christian swords cut deeper and their wounds last longer..." This is true. This book isn't a finger-pointing, blame-casting exercise. It admits that we each are wounders and can wound as easily as we can be wounded. We don't languish in self-pity, and we don't castigate God for the hurts people (especially His people, or so-called Christians) carry out against us in His name. Instead, we use the hurts to press into God and draw nearer to His healing heart. He will bless us, restore us, help us, and heal us. This brings great hope.
February 10, 2024
This was a very important book for me personally, though it isn’t all that deep or insightful theologically.
The daughter of Billy Graham can write and speak well, drawing on Hagar’s life to show us how to handle hard times, and use them to draw us nearer to the Lord.
She strikes an important balance in this regard: how to name the wounds we have suffered, without falling prey to a victim mentality about them. It’s important to recognize and identify your wounds, to admit you have been wounded, to see how it is affecting your faith and outlook on life. If we don’t see it or deny it is there, that can be just as harmful. But if we only see the wound and look back on our wounder with resentment, or look inward with self-pity, instead of treating it and moving forward with faith in God, we are no better off.
I don’t think Lotz is a Calvinist, but she strikes a strong note of God’s sovereignty in this way: we wouldn’t know God as well as we do, if we didn’t walk through trials and come through them still looking to Him in faith. But as a Graham will do, she also emphasizes our choice and responsibility to respond well or poorly to being wounded.
Anyone struggling in their faith because of hard times, conflict, or negative church experiences, should read this.
The daughter of Billy Graham can write and speak well, drawing on Hagar’s life to show us how to handle hard times, and use them to draw us nearer to the Lord.
She strikes an important balance in this regard: how to name the wounds we have suffered, without falling prey to a victim mentality about them. It’s important to recognize and identify your wounds, to admit you have been wounded, to see how it is affecting your faith and outlook on life. If we don’t see it or deny it is there, that can be just as harmful. But if we only see the wound and look back on our wounder with resentment, or look inward with self-pity, instead of treating it and moving forward with faith in God, we are no better off.
I don’t think Lotz is a Calvinist, but she strikes a strong note of God’s sovereignty in this way: we wouldn’t know God as well as we do, if we didn’t walk through trials and come through them still looking to Him in faith. But as a Graham will do, she also emphasizes our choice and responsibility to respond well or poorly to being wounded.
Anyone struggling in their faith because of hard times, conflict, or negative church experiences, should read this.
April 2, 2021
The story of Hagar has had a special place in my heart over the past few years; there are so many questions I wish the Bible elaborated on with her life. While the expansion of her story in this book is speculation, it adds such a richness to her and Ishmael's experience and probable point of view. There is a lot of wisdom in how to respond and move forward when you are treated badly by one of God's people.
March 8, 2015
I have put you in the cleft of a rock. I have intentionally put you in a hard place. You are stuck there. But I have covered you with My hand, and you have felt the nearness of My presence. Then I removed My hand so that you have felt abandoned by Me. But Anne, look back. Look back! My glory can be seen if you will look back...
Wounds hurt, but they also … deepen my compassion, strengthen my faith, refocus my perspective, enlarge my heart, broaden my understanding, and increase my discernment.
Wounds caused by our own people aren’t the same as the wounds of an enemy. We can’t chalk them up to random acts of unkindness. They’re personal. They are inflicted by people who know us, by people we believed have loved us or at least thought kindly of us. When it is not just our people but God’s people, the wound can gape wide open into a maelstrom of confusion. Alienation. Isolation. Shame.
he entrusted himself to him who judges justly
Hagar caught my attention. She stood out because she was wounded not physically, but in ways that were as emotionally and spiritually painful as any injury to a body would be. Some wounds were provoked by her own bad behavior, but others were inflicted by those who were considered to be God’s people.
Some wounds have been deeper than others, some seemed to have come out of nowhere, some have been provoked by my own bad behavior, yet all of the wounds have been deeply painful.
God can truly redeem the pain, the guilt, and the grief.
The way you and I handle being rejected and wounded is critical. Our response can lead to healing … or to even more hurt.
God loved Hagar. He loves those who just can’t take it anymore and who run away. In fact, the Bible is filled with stories of His love for those like Hagar.
God’s love heals. He can redeem the wounded. And forgive the wounders.
How could this be happening to her— again after all these years? She had repented! She had turned back and submitted to Sarah. She and Sarah had seemed to work out a cordial relationship. How had everything disintegrated so suddenly? Once again, Hagar found herself on the desert road and this time it was not her choice. She’d been given no opportunity to explain herself
Wounds from Christian swords heal very slowly.
aloneness can cause us to wander in our spirits also. We want to get away from the darkness, to get out of the wilderness, but in our frantic effort we stumble from remorse to resentment, from self- pity to self- flagellation, from self- deception to depression, from brokenness to bitterness, from faith to agnosticism, from frustration to anger, from hurt to hardness, from hardness to helplessness.
who can I turn to? As Hagar stumbled through the vast wilderness, her clothing catching on thorns, her feet stumbling over the rocks, her throat choking on the dust, she lost sight of everything but her own despair. Her self- preoccupation, though understandable, blinded her to God’s presence and to God’s provision
As I look back, I can see that not only is He Jehovah- Rophe, the One Who Heals us, but He also is the Good Shepherd who goes before us, leads us, and cares for us as we follow Him.
Take your eyes off your circumstances and root your faith in God’s character and in God’s Word
God has heard . 11 God has heard your cries; He has heard the cries of your son or daughter; He has heard the cries of your loved ones and friends and neighbors and any and all who lift up their voices and weep …
Hagar had reached that turning point in her own journey. She had to decide if she was truly ready and willing to change. She had to stop her sobbing, stop fighting the wounders mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and just be still. She had to acknowledge the reality of her current position so she could get on with the rest of her life. Regardless of how she arrived where she was, she was there. I wonder if, in her weariness, she was just too tired to even take another step, think another thought, make any decisions at all. God understands.
His word spoke peace to her heart when He said, “Do not be afraid.”
The God of Abraham was also the God of Hagar. The God of Isaac was also the God of Ishmael. God was not only the God of the inner circle, but the God of those on the periphery!
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest . The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him . Matthew 11:28; Revelation 22:17; Luke 15:20–21
Let go of the past so that you can move forward into all that God has for you. Let go of your resentment over the way you’ve been treated. Let go of your bitterness toward others who have misrepresented God to you. Let go of your unforgiveness of those who have hurt you. Let go of your hardened heart toward those who have rejected you. Let go of the overwhelming desire to justify what you did and explain what they did. Let go of your vengeful spirit. Let go of your offense with God because He allowed you to be wounded. Let go of the life of your dreams that is less now because of them. Just let go!
Wounds hurt, but they also … deepen my compassion, strengthen my faith, refocus my perspective, enlarge my heart, broaden my understanding, and increase my discernment.
Wounds caused by our own people aren’t the same as the wounds of an enemy. We can’t chalk them up to random acts of unkindness. They’re personal. They are inflicted by people who know us, by people we believed have loved us or at least thought kindly of us. When it is not just our people but God’s people, the wound can gape wide open into a maelstrom of confusion. Alienation. Isolation. Shame.
he entrusted himself to him who judges justly
Hagar caught my attention. She stood out because she was wounded not physically, but in ways that were as emotionally and spiritually painful as any injury to a body would be. Some wounds were provoked by her own bad behavior, but others were inflicted by those who were considered to be God’s people.
Some wounds have been deeper than others, some seemed to have come out of nowhere, some have been provoked by my own bad behavior, yet all of the wounds have been deeply painful.
God can truly redeem the pain, the guilt, and the grief.
The way you and I handle being rejected and wounded is critical. Our response can lead to healing … or to even more hurt.
God loved Hagar. He loves those who just can’t take it anymore and who run away. In fact, the Bible is filled with stories of His love for those like Hagar.
God’s love heals. He can redeem the wounded. And forgive the wounders.
How could this be happening to her— again after all these years? She had repented! She had turned back and submitted to Sarah. She and Sarah had seemed to work out a cordial relationship. How had everything disintegrated so suddenly? Once again, Hagar found herself on the desert road and this time it was not her choice. She’d been given no opportunity to explain herself
Wounds from Christian swords heal very slowly.
aloneness can cause us to wander in our spirits also. We want to get away from the darkness, to get out of the wilderness, but in our frantic effort we stumble from remorse to resentment, from self- pity to self- flagellation, from self- deception to depression, from brokenness to bitterness, from faith to agnosticism, from frustration to anger, from hurt to hardness, from hardness to helplessness.
who can I turn to? As Hagar stumbled through the vast wilderness, her clothing catching on thorns, her feet stumbling over the rocks, her throat choking on the dust, she lost sight of everything but her own despair. Her self- preoccupation, though understandable, blinded her to God’s presence and to God’s provision
As I look back, I can see that not only is He Jehovah- Rophe, the One Who Heals us, but He also is the Good Shepherd who goes before us, leads us, and cares for us as we follow Him.
Take your eyes off your circumstances and root your faith in God’s character and in God’s Word
God has heard . 11 God has heard your cries; He has heard the cries of your son or daughter; He has heard the cries of your loved ones and friends and neighbors and any and all who lift up their voices and weep …
Hagar had reached that turning point in her own journey. She had to decide if she was truly ready and willing to change. She had to stop her sobbing, stop fighting the wounders mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and just be still. She had to acknowledge the reality of her current position so she could get on with the rest of her life. Regardless of how she arrived where she was, she was there. I wonder if, in her weariness, she was just too tired to even take another step, think another thought, make any decisions at all. God understands.
His word spoke peace to her heart when He said, “Do not be afraid.”
The God of Abraham was also the God of Hagar. The God of Isaac was also the God of Ishmael. God was not only the God of the inner circle, but the God of those on the periphery!
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest . The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him . Matthew 11:28; Revelation 22:17; Luke 15:20–21
Let go of the past so that you can move forward into all that God has for you. Let go of your resentment over the way you’ve been treated. Let go of your bitterness toward others who have misrepresented God to you. Let go of your unforgiveness of those who have hurt you. Let go of your hardened heart toward those who have rejected you. Let go of the overwhelming desire to justify what you did and explain what they did. Let go of your vengeful spirit. Let go of your offense with God because He allowed you to be wounded. Let go of the life of your dreams that is less now because of them. Just let go!
August 24, 2018
Two-haiku review:
Billy Graham's daughter
Writes about hurts from Christians
Compares to Hagar
Well thought out, written
Christian life is not easy
Forgiveness is key
Billy Graham's daughter
Writes about hurts from Christians
Compares to Hagar
Well thought out, written
Christian life is not easy
Forgiveness is key
April 15, 2021
Billy Graham’s daughter uses her own story and the story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael to talk what it looks like to deal & heal with wounds inflicted by Gods people.
Some really good principles, some of which include not continuing cycles of wounding (hurt people hurt people), avoiding victim mentality (all happens in Gods sovereignty, we are never victims in the gospel), and forgiving and moving forward even when it is one sided, trusting and hoping in God for reconciliation.
My biggest critique would be that I felt like there was a lot of creative liberties with the exposition of Hagar and Ishmaels story. This led to shaky implications drawn from the text. My only other critique of this book would be that there is value not dwelling on what is true but unhelpful. So the reader will have to judge if fixating on said wounds, even for the purpose of better perspective and insight, is worth the hours of dwelling on it.
Some really good principles, some of which include not continuing cycles of wounding (hurt people hurt people), avoiding victim mentality (all happens in Gods sovereignty, we are never victims in the gospel), and forgiving and moving forward even when it is one sided, trusting and hoping in God for reconciliation.
My biggest critique would be that I felt like there was a lot of creative liberties with the exposition of Hagar and Ishmaels story. This led to shaky implications drawn from the text. My only other critique of this book would be that there is value not dwelling on what is true but unhelpful. So the reader will have to judge if fixating on said wounds, even for the purpose of better perspective and insight, is worth the hours of dwelling on it.
August 31, 2013
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Anne Graham Lotz, ©2013 ~ Wounded by God's People: Discovering How God's Love Heals Our Hearts
I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke of their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
--Hosea 11:4
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
--Psalm 147:3
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
--Philippians 4:19-20
Anne Graham Lotz brings God's Word into our hearts to heal and show us the direction God has for us, each of us. Years ago, the city I lived in had a gathering once a year called Women's Day Away. We came from far and near to this special day set apart to attend workshops, have tea and coffee with friends, and to listen to the KeyNote Speaker ~ two different times it was Anne Graham Lotz. I have never forgotten sitting in that old church from generation to generation with the warmth of the well-loved smooth wooden pews amid sisters of the heart as we listened together to Anne's experience with her God, our God ~ never failing us, always with us, never setting us apart.
While reading Wounded by God's People: Discovering How God's Love Heals Our Hearts, experiences are shared while the Lord searches hearts to bring to the surface areas He wants to heal.
Anne talks about looking back in a rearview mirror, we cannot see where we are going forward. Unmet expectations, not arriving where we thought we should be ~ destroying our future, and possibly that of our family and loved ones. I think of a wood stove with the damper in the wrong position ~ is the smoke going up the chimney, or into our breathing room, causing us to be choked off?
But I don't stop with just the decision to forgive. Once I have made the decision to forgive, I move forward by doing something for the person who hurt me.
--Wounded by God's People, 200
One poignant example that stood out to me was going beyond forgiveness of words, to actions of the heart ~ sacrificially giving of ourselves to another in as much need of this care as we are.
But then my decision to forgive needs to be followed with an act of love that's sacrificial in nature.
--Ibid., 200
I know this is true because I have experienced it. Times specifically come to mind when I chose to listen to God, setting myself apart to free another ~ and I became free. God's Word is true. He comes alongside and does not leave us.
Although you may not be in exile physically ― you may still be going to church, attending Bible studies, involved in religious activities ― could it be that your spirit is nonetheless in exile because you are stuck in the quicksand of past wounds? Is there a cold vacancy where there used to be a warm vibrancy of love for the things and people of God? Is there a root of bitterness that is strangling your spirit on the inside, threatening to choke off the future God has in store for you?
--Ibid., 204
Anne is open about where she has been, and others. Whether on purpose or accidentally, there is occasion to wound and be wounded by those we trust and expect to be treated rightly. Through the story of Hagar, Anne reveals Truth from God's heart. A fresh encounter with the risen Lord Jesus Christ is available to each of us.
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
--Psalm 145:18-19
I have mentioned areas that spoke to me. You will experience with Anne, the Lord's nearness to us. His desire is to heal our hearts and those whose hearts need mending, available through communicating together. We are not alone. Extend a hand and release both hearts to seek Him.
***Thank you to BookSneeze for sending me a copy of Wounded by God's People: Discovering How God's Love Heals Our Hearts by Anne Graham Lotz. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Anne Graham Lotz, ©2013 ~ Wounded by God's People: Discovering How God's Love Heals Our Hearts
I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke of their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
--Hosea 11:4
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
--Psalm 147:3
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
--Philippians 4:19-20
Anne Graham Lotz brings God's Word into our hearts to heal and show us the direction God has for us, each of us. Years ago, the city I lived in had a gathering once a year called Women's Day Away. We came from far and near to this special day set apart to attend workshops, have tea and coffee with friends, and to listen to the KeyNote Speaker ~ two different times it was Anne Graham Lotz. I have never forgotten sitting in that old church from generation to generation with the warmth of the well-loved smooth wooden pews amid sisters of the heart as we listened together to Anne's experience with her God, our God ~ never failing us, always with us, never setting us apart.
While reading Wounded by God's People: Discovering How God's Love Heals Our Hearts, experiences are shared while the Lord searches hearts to bring to the surface areas He wants to heal.
Anne talks about looking back in a rearview mirror, we cannot see where we are going forward. Unmet expectations, not arriving where we thought we should be ~ destroying our future, and possibly that of our family and loved ones. I think of a wood stove with the damper in the wrong position ~ is the smoke going up the chimney, or into our breathing room, causing us to be choked off?
But I don't stop with just the decision to forgive. Once I have made the decision to forgive, I move forward by doing something for the person who hurt me.
--Wounded by God's People, 200
One poignant example that stood out to me was going beyond forgiveness of words, to actions of the heart ~ sacrificially giving of ourselves to another in as much need of this care as we are.
But then my decision to forgive needs to be followed with an act of love that's sacrificial in nature.
--Ibid., 200
I know this is true because I have experienced it. Times specifically come to mind when I chose to listen to God, setting myself apart to free another ~ and I became free. God's Word is true. He comes alongside and does not leave us.
Although you may not be in exile physically ― you may still be going to church, attending Bible studies, involved in religious activities ― could it be that your spirit is nonetheless in exile because you are stuck in the quicksand of past wounds? Is there a cold vacancy where there used to be a warm vibrancy of love for the things and people of God? Is there a root of bitterness that is strangling your spirit on the inside, threatening to choke off the future God has in store for you?
--Ibid., 204
Anne is open about where she has been, and others. Whether on purpose or accidentally, there is occasion to wound and be wounded by those we trust and expect to be treated rightly. Through the story of Hagar, Anne reveals Truth from God's heart. A fresh encounter with the risen Lord Jesus Christ is available to each of us.
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
--Psalm 145:18-19
I have mentioned areas that spoke to me. You will experience with Anne, the Lord's nearness to us. His desire is to heal our hearts and those whose hearts need mending, available through communicating together. We are not alone. Extend a hand and release both hearts to seek Him.
***Thank you to BookSneeze for sending me a copy of Wounded by God's People: Discovering How God's Love Heals Our Hearts by Anne Graham Lotz. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
October 14, 2013
"Wounded by God's People" is a Christian Living book about forgiving and healing from deep hurts. The target audience seems to be Christians who have been so badly hurt by other Christians that they are deeply bitter and angry and have completely rejected the church or even God.
From the first few pages, I'd expected more of a Bible study with a focus on how we shouldn't reject God based on how God's people act. So I'd expected a focus on what God is like (compared to his people), but the book focused more on how we ought to respond to Christians when they hurt us. There were some points about how God pursued and had plans for Hagar, but the focus of Anne's stories was more on forgiving others and healing.
Each chapter had two main parts: Anne's speculative retelling of the Hagar story and Anne's stories of how she's been hurt and what she found helped her to heal from that hurt. Hagar's story was mainly used to point out the different ways a person might feel when hurt by one of God's people.
The book was generally easy to follow, but I got stuck on things like God being in the darkness and God using hurt to plow us deep so fruit can grow. I didn't really follow how she was getting that from the Bible, but probably I simply wasn't understanding her metaphors.
To be honest, I found "The Search for Peace" by Robert McGee to be easier to follow and more helpful in leading me to forgive and heal from deep hurts of all kinds. But others might feel that Anne's book speaks to their hearts and touches them where they're at.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher through Booksneeze.com.
From the first few pages, I'd expected more of a Bible study with a focus on how we shouldn't reject God based on how God's people act. So I'd expected a focus on what God is like (compared to his people), but the book focused more on how we ought to respond to Christians when they hurt us. There were some points about how God pursued and had plans for Hagar, but the focus of Anne's stories was more on forgiving others and healing.
Each chapter had two main parts: Anne's speculative retelling of the Hagar story and Anne's stories of how she's been hurt and what she found helped her to heal from that hurt. Hagar's story was mainly used to point out the different ways a person might feel when hurt by one of God's people.
The book was generally easy to follow, but I got stuck on things like God being in the darkness and God using hurt to plow us deep so fruit can grow. I didn't really follow how she was getting that from the Bible, but probably I simply wasn't understanding her metaphors.
To be honest, I found "The Search for Peace" by Robert McGee to be easier to follow and more helpful in leading me to forgive and heal from deep hurts of all kinds. But others might feel that Anne's book speaks to their hearts and touches them where they're at.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher through Booksneeze.com.
July 7, 2021
This book covers a topic that definitely needs addressing and who better than a Graham to write it? Anyone lesser would be discounted as a disgruntled outsider. However, it fumbled on a couple of fronts:
I heard this book in audio format, which may have resulted in its lower rating. In AGL’s scrupulous desire to not “fictionalize” the biblical story of Hagar, she repeatedly (and I mean every time) used phrases like, “she must have felt”, “I wonder if she thought,” “perhaps she…” And then followed up with very specific fictional type scenarios: “I wonder if while gasping for breath, she turned and shook in fear…” In audio form it was highly annoying. Perhaps in reading one could skim those caveats and enjoy the story, but the audio version just got more and more annoying.
Another writing style critique: there were an awful lot of listing of outcomes, probabilities, sets of feelings, ways of responding, possible attitudes, ways of thinking, etc., etc. You get the idea.
The mix of fiction that did not allow for “willing suspension of disbelief” combined with the frequent non-fiction style of listings (I could almost see the bullet points) made for an unsatisfactory experience. (Maybe do a non-fiction based on Ezekiel 34?)
I was hoping for more insights into how to move back in. I did get a few ideas, however, for most of us lost sheep, finding our own way back into the fold takes a lot longer…
I heard this book in audio format, which may have resulted in its lower rating. In AGL’s scrupulous desire to not “fictionalize” the biblical story of Hagar, she repeatedly (and I mean every time) used phrases like, “she must have felt”, “I wonder if she thought,” “perhaps she…” And then followed up with very specific fictional type scenarios: “I wonder if while gasping for breath, she turned and shook in fear…” In audio form it was highly annoying. Perhaps in reading one could skim those caveats and enjoy the story, but the audio version just got more and more annoying.
Another writing style critique: there were an awful lot of listing of outcomes, probabilities, sets of feelings, ways of responding, possible attitudes, ways of thinking, etc., etc. You get the idea.
The mix of fiction that did not allow for “willing suspension of disbelief” combined with the frequent non-fiction style of listings (I could almost see the bullet points) made for an unsatisfactory experience. (Maybe do a non-fiction based on Ezekiel 34?)
I was hoping for more insights into how to move back in. I did get a few ideas, however, for most of us lost sheep, finding our own way back into the fold takes a lot longer…
March 10, 2017
I like Anne and appreciate her motive in writing this book. However, people who are in abusive situations could be hurt by taking some of the advice given (for instance, offering a sacrificial gift to an abuser/wounder, or the idea that God will always prevent/change bad situations - like preventing her from fainting - if you just cry out in faith). I wish she had addressed the dynamics of abuse, the reality of unanswered prayer, and how sometimes the most loving thing you can do is separate from someone who repeatedly abuses you and let God deal with them.
I also felt that at times she tried too hard to match her experiences and lessons with the story of Hagar. There was a lot of speculation about what Hagar and Ishmael might have thought and felt.
That said, I am always encouraged by Hagar's experience in the wilderness and her name for God (El Roi), "the God who sees." I appreciated Anne acknowledging the pain some people face and how it can make them doubt and turn away from the church and God.
I also felt that at times she tried too hard to match her experiences and lessons with the story of Hagar. There was a lot of speculation about what Hagar and Ishmael might have thought and felt.
That said, I am always encouraged by Hagar's experience in the wilderness and her name for God (El Roi), "the God who sees." I appreciated Anne acknowledging the pain some people face and how it can make them doubt and turn away from the church and God.
January 27, 2018
This book was a refreshing encouragement! Anne loves God and His Word and her greatest desire expressed in this book is for righteous living and God’s glory. She does a wonderful job of compassionately addressing the reality of pain suffered by those who have been wounded and graciously addressing how the wounded often turn in to wounders themselves. I was encouraged in my pain, that God sees me and loves me as one wounded by His people and challenged to check my heart and see where I have possible wounded in return or have chosen withdrawal instead of flourishing. We have to remember that God is not always represented well by His people but that does not change who God is!
December 23, 2016
I liked this book. However, I thought it was really repetitive and dragged out. I loved how this book told of the story of Hagar. I was able to relate to Hagar in many ways and how she felt so isolated from God. But coming to the realization who it is ourselves who isolate from God. We also hold resentment towards God and others for the wounds that people have put on us. However, we must forgive and show sacrificial love towards them.
August 6, 2017
Wounded Warriors
Why would it be necessary to write such a book and why would there be such a need to read how to overcome the wounds of one's Christian brothers and sisters? We are a fallen people. We need help getting back up. Despite being a part of one of the most respected families in the faith, Ann Graham Lotz has experienced the wounds and helped other overcome the wounds we inflict on each other. Blessings!
Why would it be necessary to write such a book and why would there be such a need to read how to overcome the wounds of one's Christian brothers and sisters? We are a fallen people. We need help getting back up. Despite being a part of one of the most respected families in the faith, Ann Graham Lotz has experienced the wounds and helped other overcome the wounds we inflict on each other. Blessings!
May 7, 2019
Honest and real
This book helped me process wounds rather than continue brushing them off and deal with them for God's purpose. It really comforted me thru my trial.
This book helped me process wounds rather than continue brushing them off and deal with them for God's purpose. It really comforted me thru my trial.
June 25, 2020
Could not get into it
November 10, 2025
Dynamic look at the reverberating effects of wounds but the healing grace and mercy of a tender Father... We can draw from the encouraging words of Paul, who said that he bore in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus - that he had been crucified with Christ and had a thorn in the flesh. Those are all wounds. But he didn't get mired in his woundedness, because he was clearly pursuing his goal. While sitting in prison, arrested unjustly for preaching the Gospel, here is how he described his life's ambition:
"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death... Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Paul's wounds furrowed him deep, and the faith that took root and grew in his life has borne abundant eternal fruit for two thousand years. Without wounds in his life - or in mine or in yours - he and we would remain shallow, living on the surface of our relationship with God, and barren of any eternal, spiritual fruit. One of the early Puritan writers was convinced of this, also, and his beautiful prayer expresses his desire to be "quarried deep". And that requires pain. Even as a field is wounded by the plough that turns over the soil in preparation for planting seeds, my life needs to be ploughed deep - wounded, even to the depths of "death"...
"Lord Jesus, Give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its
approach; help me chastely to flee it, and jealously to resolve that my heart
shall be Thine alone. Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find
myself in Thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being. Give me a deeper
knowledge of Thyself as Savior, Master, Lord, and King. Give me deeper power
in private prayer, more sweetness in Thy word, more steadfast grip on its truth.
Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral
virtue apart from Thee. Plough deep in me, great Lord, Heavenly Father. That
my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide, until
Thou alone are seen in me, Thy beauty golden like summer harvest, the
fruitfulness of autumn plenty. I have no Master but Thee, no law but Thy will,
no delight but Thyself, no wealth but Thou givest, no good but that Thou
blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest. I am nothing but that Thou makest
me, I have nothing but that I receive from Thee, I can be nothing but that grace
adorns me. Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with
living water."
"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death... Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Paul's wounds furrowed him deep, and the faith that took root and grew in his life has borne abundant eternal fruit for two thousand years. Without wounds in his life - or in mine or in yours - he and we would remain shallow, living on the surface of our relationship with God, and barren of any eternal, spiritual fruit. One of the early Puritan writers was convinced of this, also, and his beautiful prayer expresses his desire to be "quarried deep". And that requires pain. Even as a field is wounded by the plough that turns over the soil in preparation for planting seeds, my life needs to be ploughed deep - wounded, even to the depths of "death"...
"Lord Jesus, Give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its
approach; help me chastely to flee it, and jealously to resolve that my heart
shall be Thine alone. Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find
myself in Thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being. Give me a deeper
knowledge of Thyself as Savior, Master, Lord, and King. Give me deeper power
in private prayer, more sweetness in Thy word, more steadfast grip on its truth.
Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral
virtue apart from Thee. Plough deep in me, great Lord, Heavenly Father. That
my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide, until
Thou alone are seen in me, Thy beauty golden like summer harvest, the
fruitfulness of autumn plenty. I have no Master but Thee, no law but Thy will,
no delight but Thyself, no wealth but Thou givest, no good but that Thou
blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest. I am nothing but that Thou makest
me, I have nothing but that I receive from Thee, I can be nothing but that grace
adorns me. Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with
living water."
December 1, 2022
Timely, powerful, insightful and so needed! Great book! Here are my notes from the book:
Sometimes the deepest wounds are by those who also call themselves God’s children.
If anyone could understand, it is our Savior. He was despised and rejected by those He came to save.
When they hurled their insults at Him, he did not retaliate. He did not respond to the threats. He charged it to His Father.
If anyone had a right to respond, retaliate and react, it was Jesus.
Don’t let anyone rob you of the greatest treasure, which is a personal and passionate relationship with Jesus.
Don’t reject the God of those that are rejecting you.
Hagar was wounded by the family (Abraham and Sarah) by which came the heritage of our Jesus.
Sarah was wounded because she could not have a child, and was probably looked down upon as a result. But now this wounded woman became a wounder to Hagar.
Sarah, an exemplary woman in the Bible, wounded another person.
After being wounded, if we think on it and live in it, we can easily slip into becoming a wounder.
Hannah was mocked because she couldn’t have a child, but she chose to pray and talk to God instead of retaliate.
Although a wounded person might not get over their hurt easily, you still should still ask forgiveness.
Wounds can be contagious. Families and countries have taken sides and began wars and fights over past hates.
Hagar did what seems to be the easiest when hurt, she ran. Though running may be the easiest answer, it doesn’t solve the problem.
Instead of having imaginary conversations with your wounders, you must forgive or you will not heal.
Place your eyes on the Healer rather than the scars of your wounders.
Wounds have a way of festering if you don’t let them heal.
As did Hagar, there must be a time to stop crying and start crying out.
God told Hagar to go lift up her son Ishmael after she ran away. It doesn’t seem to make sense that lifting a person during your own turmoil can relieve your pain. Yet God seems to use that method. Who can you lift up? Who is your Ishmael, one that needs your hand?
Allow God to use this valley to open your eyes. Don’t let the pain or hurt blind you from what God wants you to see.
God opened Hagar’s eyes to see water. Had the water been there the whole time?
The hurt can broaden your heart, deepen your compassion, refocus your purpose and draw you nigh to God.
God can give you a vision in your valley.
You can not move forward by looking backwards.
Look up and look ahead. You cannot move forward by looking backwards.
When Jesus was on the cross, He said, “Father forgive them.” How could you not forgive those who wounded you?
Sometimes the deepest wounds are by those who also call themselves God’s children.
If anyone could understand, it is our Savior. He was despised and rejected by those He came to save.
When they hurled their insults at Him, he did not retaliate. He did not respond to the threats. He charged it to His Father.
If anyone had a right to respond, retaliate and react, it was Jesus.
Don’t let anyone rob you of the greatest treasure, which is a personal and passionate relationship with Jesus.
Don’t reject the God of those that are rejecting you.
Hagar was wounded by the family (Abraham and Sarah) by which came the heritage of our Jesus.
Sarah was wounded because she could not have a child, and was probably looked down upon as a result. But now this wounded woman became a wounder to Hagar.
Sarah, an exemplary woman in the Bible, wounded another person.
After being wounded, if we think on it and live in it, we can easily slip into becoming a wounder.
Hannah was mocked because she couldn’t have a child, but she chose to pray and talk to God instead of retaliate.
Although a wounded person might not get over their hurt easily, you still should still ask forgiveness.
Wounds can be contagious. Families and countries have taken sides and began wars and fights over past hates.
Hagar did what seems to be the easiest when hurt, she ran. Though running may be the easiest answer, it doesn’t solve the problem.
Instead of having imaginary conversations with your wounders, you must forgive or you will not heal.
Place your eyes on the Healer rather than the scars of your wounders.
Wounds have a way of festering if you don’t let them heal.
As did Hagar, there must be a time to stop crying and start crying out.
God told Hagar to go lift up her son Ishmael after she ran away. It doesn’t seem to make sense that lifting a person during your own turmoil can relieve your pain. Yet God seems to use that method. Who can you lift up? Who is your Ishmael, one that needs your hand?
Allow God to use this valley to open your eyes. Don’t let the pain or hurt blind you from what God wants you to see.
God opened Hagar’s eyes to see water. Had the water been there the whole time?
The hurt can broaden your heart, deepen your compassion, refocus your purpose and draw you nigh to God.
God can give you a vision in your valley.
You can not move forward by looking backwards.
Look up and look ahead. You cannot move forward by looking backwards.
When Jesus was on the cross, He said, “Father forgive them.” How could you not forgive those who wounded you?
September 10, 2020
I love the church. I’ve spent my life in church. Most of my friendships have come from church. My family is what it is because of the church. My husband and I even work at a church! So the idea of picking up this book almost felt like a betrayal, and I put it off for a long time. But lately I’ve seen a lot of talk from people I know about the wounds they’ve experienced from Christians, people in the church. I knew it was time to finally pick it up and dive in, and I’m so glad I did.
The author (the daughter of Billy Graham) opens up about several situations where her and her family were wounded deeply by other Christians. She does a beautiful job of weaving the story of Hagar through each chapter, to show just how badly God’s people can wound, but also just how big God is and how much He can bring healing if you let Him.
Through each chapter she tells not only how Abraham and Sarah wounded Hagar, but how Hagar turned around and became a wounder as well. And then goes on to explain how in the middle of pain, wounds, damage you can’t ever see a way to clean up, God can come in and make something beautiful out of it if you let Him.
I’ve been hurt deeply by Christians before, and I have also hurt others deeply. The mistake we make is when we walk away from a perfect and loving God because of what His imperfect kids have done. I wish pain never happened in church, but it does. The reason is because imperfect human beings make up the church! They always have and always will.
The key is, we have to learn to allow God to come into the pain and begin to heal it. No matter what kind of pain you may have experienced, my prayer is that you never walk away from God because of it. He loves you, and more than anything He wants to bring healing into your heart and life.
The author (the daughter of Billy Graham) opens up about several situations where her and her family were wounded deeply by other Christians. She does a beautiful job of weaving the story of Hagar through each chapter, to show just how badly God’s people can wound, but also just how big God is and how much He can bring healing if you let Him.
Through each chapter she tells not only how Abraham and Sarah wounded Hagar, but how Hagar turned around and became a wounder as well. And then goes on to explain how in the middle of pain, wounds, damage you can’t ever see a way to clean up, God can come in and make something beautiful out of it if you let Him.
I’ve been hurt deeply by Christians before, and I have also hurt others deeply. The mistake we make is when we walk away from a perfect and loving God because of what His imperfect kids have done. I wish pain never happened in church, but it does. The reason is because imperfect human beings make up the church! They always have and always will.
The key is, we have to learn to allow God to come into the pain and begin to heal it. No matter what kind of pain you may have experienced, my prayer is that you never walk away from God because of it. He loves you, and more than anything He wants to bring healing into your heart and life.
May 4, 2018
This was a beautiful and uplifting read. Lotz uses the story of Hagar to illustrate the journey of the wounded, especially those whose wounds were inflicted by people of God. I value her candidness, since she is acknowledging an issue that some Christians might want to cover up - the church (as individuals or as a body) is capable of wounding, and these wounds penetrate deeply. Her own personal stories illustrate that no one is necessarily exempt from this. That being said, her writing style is soothing and affirming rather than critical, and she shows ways that we can grow beyond our woundedness towards both forgiveness and healing. I especially appreciate one of the last chapters where she makes a distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation and describes what is necessary for each of these to happen.
I gave her book 4 out of 5 stars only because I think she sometimes reads more into the Biblical account of Hagar than what is there. However, I would still recommend this book.
I gave her book 4 out of 5 stars only because I think she sometimes reads more into the Biblical account of Hagar than what is there. However, I would still recommend this book.
August 13, 2019
A Book I Have Needed for a Long Time
We have all experienced pain in our lives brought on by fellow believers. Some pain is so harsh and hurtful we may withdraw and contemplate walking away from God, Jesus and anything to do with Christianity. But we need to take inventory of some sort and look at the big picture. We are all sinners every single one of us. Yes we have been hurt. Too many times to count, but honestly how many times have we been the ones that wounded others?
We first need to ask ourselves these questions before doing anything rash. Was it God that wounded us? The answer is! "No!"
Did He allow it to happen? Yes, yes He did! Why would He allow that? For the same reason He allowed His perfect and Holy Son to be wounded for us by sinful man! The wounds we endure gives us insight as to what Christ Jesus did for us and allows us to show the love He put on display as He bore our shame.
Thank you Anne for writing this book and baring yourself for all to see which helped me and hopefully others to move forward!
We have all experienced pain in our lives brought on by fellow believers. Some pain is so harsh and hurtful we may withdraw and contemplate walking away from God, Jesus and anything to do with Christianity. But we need to take inventory of some sort and look at the big picture. We are all sinners every single one of us. Yes we have been hurt. Too many times to count, but honestly how many times have we been the ones that wounded others?
We first need to ask ourselves these questions before doing anything rash. Was it God that wounded us? The answer is! "No!"
Did He allow it to happen? Yes, yes He did! Why would He allow that? For the same reason He allowed His perfect and Holy Son to be wounded for us by sinful man! The wounds we endure gives us insight as to what Christ Jesus did for us and allows us to show the love He put on display as He bore our shame.
Thank you Anne for writing this book and baring yourself for all to see which helped me and hopefully others to move forward!
October 30, 2019
Anne has such a gentle way of pointing out the way we, the wounded, might be in need of repentance, not just the wounder. She encourages us to forgive and not to become bitter. It deals more with our response to the wounding than focusing on the wounders in our lives.
The only issue I had was that in going through Hagar's story, Anne sometimes suggested Hagar and Ishmael were thinking or feeling something that wasn't there in the text. For example, we don't really know that Hagar did anything wrong initially. Sarah said Hagar despised her but did she? We don't know. That could just be Sarah's perception. Furthermore, the text doesn't say later on that God was specifically telling Hagar to turn back and repent. Since the teaching that follows is based on something that wasn't in there, it's a bit irritating. Of course, that teaching itself is sound enough, but it's important to make the distinction that the Bible wasn't instructing us that way.
As a whole, it was very helpful and comforting and I would recommend it to others.
The only issue I had was that in going through Hagar's story, Anne sometimes suggested Hagar and Ishmael were thinking or feeling something that wasn't there in the text. For example, we don't really know that Hagar did anything wrong initially. Sarah said Hagar despised her but did she? We don't know. That could just be Sarah's perception. Furthermore, the text doesn't say later on that God was specifically telling Hagar to turn back and repent. Since the teaching that follows is based on something that wasn't in there, it's a bit irritating. Of course, that teaching itself is sound enough, but it's important to make the distinction that the Bible wasn't instructing us that way.
As a whole, it was very helpful and comforting and I would recommend it to others.
December 30, 2021
This book was a tough listen/read for me, because it brought up a lot of personal pain. I really loved how open and honest Anne was about her experience in the church.
What astounded me was that EVEN Billy Graham’s daughter was mistreated by people in the church, you would think that she would be treated like Christian loyalty, but even she had some politic issues. That both encourages and disappoints me. I know in my head that every person is sinful & we all need Jesus, but yet somehow I expect different things from God’s people. What encouraged me about this book was all of her examples of stories in the Bible how God was with the mistreated, even/especially those mistreated by the church. The truth is we all need Jesus & I am grateful that God is with us in our pain and we shouldn’t be surprised when people let us down. Even they need Jesus.
What astounded me was that EVEN Billy Graham’s daughter was mistreated by people in the church, you would think that she would be treated like Christian loyalty, but even she had some politic issues. That both encourages and disappoints me. I know in my head that every person is sinful & we all need Jesus, but yet somehow I expect different things from God’s people. What encouraged me about this book was all of her examples of stories in the Bible how God was with the mistreated, even/especially those mistreated by the church. The truth is we all need Jesus & I am grateful that God is with us in our pain and we shouldn’t be surprised when people let us down. Even they need Jesus.
June 13, 2024
*2.5 stars*
This book had some good tidbits but felt a little obtuse at times. There was an example towards the end of the book about a woman who allowed her mother to abuse her emotionally for years and it was described as a good thing because it honored God. This is definitely not true. There are many times in our lives where the best thing to do is not allow certain toxic and harmful people access to us. We can forgive people but continuing to accept horrid behaviors should not be encouraged.
Other than that, there were some insightful moments but the book as a whole felt lacking. Also didn't like that she took a lot of creative liberty with Hagar's story. A lot of assumptions to fit what she was trying to say in each chapter.
Not a bad read for people who've experienced church hurt and are looking for ways to heal from that.
This book had some good tidbits but felt a little obtuse at times. There was an example towards the end of the book about a woman who allowed her mother to abuse her emotionally for years and it was described as a good thing because it honored God. This is definitely not true. There are many times in our lives where the best thing to do is not allow certain toxic and harmful people access to us. We can forgive people but continuing to accept horrid behaviors should not be encouraged.
Other than that, there were some insightful moments but the book as a whole felt lacking. Also didn't like that she took a lot of creative liberty with Hagar's story. A lot of assumptions to fit what she was trying to say in each chapter.
Not a bad read for people who've experienced church hurt and are looking for ways to heal from that.
February 7, 2025
I suspect this book will be on my shelf to reread and share as the years pass. Wounds occur on a regular basis, but the most damaging and most difficult are the wounds inflicted by God’s people who make up the Church.
In my seven decades of life, I have been hurt on many occasions by “trusted” family members in the innocence of childhood, the painful impact of a suicide, betrayal of friendship…..but I can truthfully say that nothing prepared me for the devastation of of hurt induced by churched people. The wounds are deep.
This is my second read of “Wounded by God’s People “. Beautifully written, Ann Graham Lotz uses the Hagar story to help me reflect and refocus on the divine plan of God for me in the next chapter of my life.
Thankful for the continued dedication of writers like Ann Graham Lotz to present Biblical guidance through some very painfully difficult situations.
In my seven decades of life, I have been hurt on many occasions by “trusted” family members in the innocence of childhood, the painful impact of a suicide, betrayal of friendship…..but I can truthfully say that nothing prepared me for the devastation of of hurt induced by churched people. The wounds are deep.
This is my second read of “Wounded by God’s People “. Beautifully written, Ann Graham Lotz uses the Hagar story to help me reflect and refocus on the divine plan of God for me in the next chapter of my life.
Thankful for the continued dedication of writers like Ann Graham Lotz to present Biblical guidance through some very painfully difficult situations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews