The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World

by David Zahl

We could all use a little--or a lot--of relief from the pressures of life. And there is no bigger relief than the grace of God.

Think of grace as one-way love. A gift with no strings attached. Favor when you least expect or deserve it. Knowing that you don't have to do anything to earn God's approval.

In The Big Relief, popular author David Zahl spotlights grace as the most important, urgent, and radical contribution Christianity has to offer the world. Zahl helps readers understand the beauty and depth of grace, outlining how it provides relief from the guilt, status anxiety, and accelerating demand that characterize so much of modern life. Drawing on the witness of Scripture and a panoply of contemporary examples, he unpacks the theology of grace in fresh and exciting terms, exploring its many fruits such as freedom, play, surrender, humility, rest, surprise, and joy.

Zahl invites us to embrace Christianity as a refuge rather than as a project, a beacon of hope instead of a vehicle of shame, and a harbor of refreshment in a worn-out world. Ultimately, he welcomes everyone to receive the gift of relief we so desperately need.

Genres: Christian Living, Christian, Theology, Nonfiction, Faith, Religion, Spirituality

176 pages, Hardcover

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

David Zahl is the director of Mockingbird Ministries and editor-in-chief of the Mockingbird blog. He and his wife currently reside in Charlottesville, VA, with their two sons where David also serves on the staff of Christ Episcopal Church.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will have a more extensive review coming soon, but for now know that this book is a must-read. It’s Zahl at his finest, exegeting culture to reveal our deepest needs and delivering the goods of the Gospel to us in creative and faithful ways.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep breath of fresh air in this latest grace-filled book from David Zahl. Zahl writes with humility, humor, and heart-warming insight for a weary culture. Highly recommended!

[Rachel Briscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Such an accessible and tangible explanation of grace that was so refreshing and, as the title states, relieving. It was a great conversation starter and would be a valuable and faith-encouraging read for everyone from a new baby believer (even teenagers) to someone who has been walking with the Lord for many moons. I think I will keep this book in my back pocket as an idea to gift someone who is exploring the Christian faith.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single one of these chapters would make an excellent sermon and so much better than most I’ve heard. I’m pretty sure they would have made my top ten favorite sermons of the year. I feel like I should now get credit for 9 Sundays I’ve missed! And sadly, I feel that I got more out of reading each chapter than I would have from listening to the sermons I’ve missed. I really shouldn’t even go there—this book isn’t about that.

But perhaps I’ve heard too many sermons that are too close to guilt-inducing lectures exhorting us to do better, be better, try harder. This book goes in the other direction. Toward grace.

Zahl reminds us what is so important and mind-blowing about grace—that we don’t don’t deserve it. He explores several different aspects of grace which can be gleaned here from the table of contents:

1. Grace: The Relief from Deserving
2. Forgiveness: The Relief from Regret
3. Favor: The Relief from Rejection
4. Surrender: The Relief from Control
5. Atonement: The Relief from Guilt
6. Imputation: The Relief from Status Anxiety
7. Rest: The Relief from Keeping Up
8. Play: The Relief from Productivity
9. Rescue: The Relief from Captivity (and Death)

Here are some quotes I appreciated:

“The God of grace is not out to oppress you. The message of the gospel, in fact, is that God would rather surrender himself than allow his children to be swallowed by the paralyzing forces of sin and death. You could say he's a bit of a control freak that way.”
[p 76]


“…our captivity runs so deep that somehow our liberation needed the death of Jesus. We are captive to the behaviors and addictions mentioned earlier only because in a more universal sense, you and I are captive to sin and—dare I say it— the powers of darkness.
“Sin is a tricky word. It has to less to do with individual misdeeds and more to do with disordered desire. It names the way we love the wrong things too much and the right things too little, such that our best plans go askew and we frequently hurt the ones we love. It's almost as though we live with an internal distortion field that is constantly twisting our affections in a self-seeking direction. Sin is the inherited condition of fallen humanity—the internal dimension of our captivity— and not something we can escape through exertion or conceptualization.”
[p 145]


I’m going to stop cutting and pasting now because there are just too many yellow-highlighted passages in this book.

This is the third David Zahl book I’ve read and I’ve loved them all. Something about his thinking and his writing just resonates with me. His ideas are interesting and his illustrations connect.
Keep ‘em coming Dave!

[James Rickenbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Why do some of us experience Christianity as a burden and others as a refuge? The answer, I am convinced, has to do with grace. Grace is the Big Relief at the heart of Christianity. When grace is downplayed or qualified, faith turns into a project and then a burden. Project religion—the ancient human enterprise of proving ourselves morally and spiritually worthy of God’s love—is everywhere. You can recognize it by the refugees it drives out” (p. 5).

I am a pastor. As a pastor, I am charged with proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to my people week after week. For that task, I need to be clear on what the Gospel is. What is the Good News of Jesus Christ? That Jesus Christ died and rose again for you and for your salvation. Because I am the one charged with preaching that week after week, it is exceedingly rare that I have someone preach the Gospel to me. There are very few people I trust to do that and even fewer that I trust to do it well. Far too often, pastors mix together the law and Gospel into an abominable brew. Dave Zahl is one of the few preachers that I trust. He faithfully drenches his readers with the Gospel. He does an excellent job distinguishing law and gospel. And he declares to me (and all his readership) the grace, love, and mercy of Jesus Christ. When I read this book, as a miserable sinner saved by the grace of God, I felt the Big Relief.

All throughout this book, Dave systematically dismantles the framework of the self-justifying, graceless world around us with the Gospel. For those of us who feel like we deserve only the worst things, Dave shares the Good News that grace relieves us from the need to earn our keep. For scrupulous among us, Dave shares the Good News that God has made atonement for our sins, taking them away, expunging them from our record by the saving death of Jesus Christ (not through our activism or self-atoning tendencies). For those who are constantly on the go, Dave proclaims the Good News of rest in Christ. This just scratches the surface.

I was listening to the radio today as I was driving home from an appointment. When I tuned into the local Christian radio station, the song “Again” by Jeremy Camp came on the radio. In that song, he sings, “I'm so ashamed, down on my knees I know there's grace, but is there grace for me? Fall after fall, prayer after prayer Father, will You still be there?” It strikes me that The Big Relief is, in large part, Dave Zahl’s emphatic “Yes!” in response to that question. This book is an oasis of grace in a desolate and desolating world. If you are looking for assurance of God’s love for you, if you are looking for grace in a law-heavy world, I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

[Richard Propes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's easy to get wrapped up in the pressures of life. It's easy to become performance-oriented. It's easy to become constantly busy. It's easy to become consumed by guilt. It's easy to become preoccupied by status and success and fame and money.

For David Zahl, we could all use a lot of relief from all of these pressures. Also for Zahl, there's no bigger relief than the grace of God. Zahl takes a deep dive into these gift without an agenda and throws a spotlight on grace as one of the most vital contributions Christianity has to offer a worn-out world.

Zahl gently yet very intentionally guides readers toward a deeper understanding of the wonder and depth of grace and how it can so directly impact our daily lives. He explores the theology of grace in specific ways - freedom, play, surrender, humility, rest, surprise, and joy - and invites us, in essence, into a Christianity that is more refuge than race, peaceful journey than project.

What I most appreciate about "The Big Relief" is that Zahl writes it in such a way that its narrative rhythms feel just like the lessons he's trying to teach. "The Big Relief" feels more like pastoral care than some race toward understanding or some effort by Zahl to be impressive. It's Zahl sharing his knowledge, wisdom, and insight in a way that feels like a good friend leaning on your shoulder and reminding you that it's okay to rest.

"The Big Relief" is the kind of theological book that becomes a companion. It's the kind of book you look back at again and again when life gets you down or you just plain get worn out to remind yourself that relief is possible and that grace is how God reaches us over and over and over again.

I can't say I was necessarily blown away by "The Big Relief," but by the end of the book I found myself grateful for Zahl's literary journey that feels both incredibly relevant and timely.

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another knockout read by David Zahl! I find myself regularly surrounded by voices (including my own) that emphasize our own contributions to greatness (or need to contribute to greatness). Because of that, a book about the grace of God is sincerely a big relief!

[Dan Garrison Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Buy several copies, give them to your friends, start a book club. Zahl gets it. All Gospel.

[Elizabeth Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here I was thinking Zahl’s other book (Low Anthropology) was the biggest breath of fresh air I would read this year. I was wrong! Zahl humbly delivered another one. It is absolutely worth the read.

[Katherine Pershey]

Review forthcoming in the Christian Century!

[Kris Ferrario · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed to read this book right now. As someone caught in the endless cycle of productivity, achievement, and self-improvement, David Zahl's The Big Relief arrived in my life like a cool breeze on a sweltering day. In our culture of burnout and anxiety, Zahl's exploration of grace feels not just timely but urgently necessary—a lifeline for the exhausted.

Zahl structures the book around different dimensions of the "Big Relief" that grace offers: relief from deserving, regret, rejection, control, guilt, status anxiety, keeping up, productivity, and ultimately captivity and death. Each chapter explores how these pressures manifest in our daily lives and how the Christian understanding of grace provides a genuine alternative.

What makes Zahl's writing so effective is his ability to blend theological insight with contemporary cultural analysis. He draws from diverse sources—movies like "The Goonies," TV shows like "Better Call Saul," news stories about Thai cave rescues, and personal anecdotes about water polo team captains—to illustrate how grace works in the real world. This approach makes potentially abstract theological concepts feel immediate and relevant.

The book avoids both saccharine sentimentality and heavy-handed moralizing. Zahl is honest about the difficulties of life in a "worn-out world" while maintaining a tone of genuine hope. His prose is accessible without being simplistic, and he addresses complex theological concepts with clarity and depth.

Perhaps most refreshingly, The Big Relief doesn't turn grace into another burden. Zahl acknowledges how even grace can become "a new test of purity" in religious settings—a trap he's careful to avoid. The book doesn't demand that readers achieve some perfect understanding of grace; instead, it invites them to experience relief in a world obsessed with achievement.

While firmly grounded in Christian theology, the book speaks to universal human experiences of pressure, failure, and the longing for acceptance. Readers from any background will recognize themselves in Zahl's descriptions of our collective exhaustion and striving.

The Big Relief ultimately offers what its title promises—not easy answers or quick fixes, but a vision of grace that brings genuine relief to weary souls. In a culture dominated by voices telling us to try harder, do more, and be better, Zahl's message that we are loved not for what we accomplish but simply because we exist is indeed urgently needed. This book is a must-read for anyone feeling worn out by the pressures of modern life and longing for something more sustainable than endless striving.

Disclosure: While the thoughts expressed in this review are entirely my own, I did receive this book in exchange for a written review.

[Lonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Zahl’s The Big Relief is a winsome, clear-eyed proclamation of a message that sounds almost too good to be true: you are already embraced by God, as you are, and you can stop striving so damn hard to earn it.

We inhabit an age in which exhaustion has become the air we breathe. Every sphere of life—professional, relational, even spiritual—demands unrelenting proof of our worth. The economy of our culture is transactional, and the cost is steep: constant self-justification, the performance of perfection, the gnawing fear of failure. Into this climate, Zahl speaks the one word capable of breaking the cycle: grace. Not a syrupy sentiment, but the fierce, costly kind that names what is broken and then bears the full weight of restoring it. Grace, as Zahl presents it, is not an accessory to life in Christ. It is the essential element without which the whole structure collapses.

In these pages, Zahl redeems cumbersome theological terms by grounding them in human need. “Imputation,” for instance, sheds its academic trappings and emerges as the tender, astonishing reality of being clothed in a goodness not your own. As Zahl writes, “God relates to us on the basis of who Jesus is, not on the basis of who we are or who we are trying to be.”

This is a book for all of us who sense, however faintly, that our constant earning, proving, and pretending is hollowing us out, yet find ourselves unable to stop. Zahl insists that grace is not a hazy abstraction but, in his words, “relief…for people who have tried and failed, or tried and succeeded and found the success hollow.” It is the only force capable of meeting us in our deepest need and making us whole.

Teaching The Big Relief to my congregation was a privilege and a delight. I saw eyes brighten and burdens lift as we explored the cross not as a cosmic guilt trip, but as the place where God shoulders the load and reconciliation is accomplished once for all. Zahl tells this story with pastoral warmth, theological depth, and a disarming humor that keeps you turning the page.

The Big Relief is not trendy or disposable. It is stronger, surer, and truer than that. It is a direct antidote to the world’s merciless demands, a word from outside the grind that says, with authority and good humor: “Enough.”

God has already made up for your deficits and deficiencies, and you can breathe a sigh of relief.

[Emily Hunt Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hosted a book club gathering to read The Big Relief, and the tone of the evening mirrored the tone of the book itself—full of warmth, honesty, and unexpected joy. As we moved through David Zahl’s reflections on control, productivity, grief, and play, something super tender happened: it was as if we could look around at one another with even more openness to love, simply because we’d been given permission to love ourselves more fully in light of God’s grace.

One of the greatest strengths of this book is how deeply relatable David is. He doesn’t write from a mountaintop or a pulpit in the clouds—he writes like the dad down the street, the guy standing next to you on the sidelines at your kid’s soccer game. His words land with the kindness of someone who’s in it with you, not above you. You get the sense that he knows how loud the inner critic can be, how exhausting the self-improvement spiral is, and how tender we all are beneath the surface. Also the footnotes are equally thought-provoking and actual laugh-out-loud funny.

The Big Relief doesn’t just explain grace—it offers grace in practice. Not as a vague ideal or abstract theology, but as something you can practically taste (like a South Carolina peach in peak summer season)—in your calendar, your parenting, your grief, your play. I honestly can’t wait to read it again, because I will. I’ll need reminding.

[Grace Leuenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Big Relief’ is Zahl at his best: weaving memorable anecdotes and pop culture references, scripture, and personal perspective into a book that feels like a permission slip to allow yourself to lower your shoulders, let out a comic exhale, and finally trust God. This book actually gets at why the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so compelling, and how a message of grace can actually change everything. A quote in the final chapter summarizes the heart of the book:

“But it would be callous to fault God for speaking the language of the heart. I for one would be far more suspicious of a God who didn't. We are, after all, affective creatures at bottom. If the gospel addresses us where we actually live, then its emotional traction is not secondary. A faith that provides no tangible relief would be thin gruel indeed, more of an intellectual exercise than something to give your whole life to. […] The same way we crave food because our bodies need it, we crave grace because it answers our real, objective spiritual predicaments: guilt, lack of love, death, separation from God.”

A deeply encouraging book that will make you think.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, hopeful book on the topic of the grace of God in the lives of Christian believers. It’s the third book in a trilogy covering people’s sad attempts at salvation (Seculosity), the brokenness of human beings (Low Anthropology), and now, the answer in grace (The Big Relief).

Zahl does a great job laying out the burden of Law—imposed legalism that promises some form of salvation but cannot deliver it—and how offering Gospel grace provides relief to people who cannot bear that oppressive burden. This is literally the Good News.

Where the book loses a star is that Zahl focuses primarily on relief for people burdened by their own striving but does not have as much to say about people who need relief from burdens imposed on them by oppressive systems, third parties, and the vicissitudes of life.

But overall, the book is strong at providing hope for people desperate for it. Definitely worth a read.

[Heidi Austel · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all need The Big Relief!!

David Zahl, posits, Grace (Jesus) IS the author of, the finisher of, and the embodiment of The Big Relief! My life is testimony to this fact in that my brokenness had a way of attaching itself to guilt, shame, not-enoughness, regret, frustration to the way life was turning out, etc. During the years I suffered incapacitating depression, healing wasn’t even a blip on the horizon. After almost 12 years, I assumed that God would never heal me. But God used those years to teach me deeper things about Himself. And do you know what I called it after God healed me? Relief! Learning about everything Christ had accomplished FOR me gave me one big relief after another. No longer was the elephant allowed to sit on my chest! Jesus graced me with relief! God’s Grace gave me huge feelings of relief! The last chapter, especially, was a powerhouse! Mr. Zahl, your book resonated deeply with me and my husband! Thank you!

[Misael Galdámez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read plenty of books about grace that left me feeling dry. Not this one. This is "grace-in-your-bones" type of book. Each chapter thought very pragmatically about how the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus gives us rest and relief in our everyday life. The surrender and forgiveness chapters particularly hit home for me.

On a related note, I appreciate Dave Zahl's writing and perspective. Between this book and Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others, he is a constant voice for setting our expectations lower and emptying ourselves that we might experience truer rest and relief.

Filed under "Books I probably wouldn't have read without Wilson."

[Kyle Tomlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s some simple advice: Read anything David Zahl writes. David has been blessed with an ability to look at our world and our culture and to see the ways in which we are both sinners and sufferers. More than this (Peter Gabriel, ;)), David has a way of speaking the Gospel that cuts to the heart and hits home with all the fullness of God’s grace. This book is a prime example of that. After an honest look at where we are suffering under the Law/law in each chapter, David gives us the wonderful news of God’s grace - the Big Relief - in Jesus Christ, and he always does it with a good measure of humor, pop culture references, and moving stories (see the one about Jim Nestingen in particular). I can’t recommend this book enough!

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely on par with Seculosity, and a fantastic read overall. I really enjoy listening to Dave Zahl talk about grace. I love the many facets of grace he animates from chapter to chapter.

My continued critique and wonder is where the law fits in. He writes in the chapter on captivity that some find themselves in "cross emblazoned shackles" and how that misses the mark, but also we could find worse shackles to be in - if only because the cross always has its day. It's close to something I fully love. What's missing from his work (in general, obviously this book is about grace) is the idea of how, as the old hymn puts it, the Law of God is Good and Wise.

I hope he keeps writing because I'll definitely keep reading.

[Kevin Parkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Christian books I have ever read. The overall concept is wonderful, as are all of the individual chapters (grace relief from deserving, forgiveness relief from regret, relief from rejection, etc.). It first of all makes me want to give relief to others (for example: I want to offer forgiveness to those in my life). But mainly: It makes me grateful to receive relief from God (even when I fail to offer forgiveness to others, I know I am receiving forgiveness from God). I also think it's interesting to consider that relief is the one thing Christian churches can offer that isn't available from anywhere else (book clubs, bars, etc.). One potential way to reverse church decline is for churches to lean into relief.

[Robert Sapunarich · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Big Relief, David Zahl distills the message of the Christian faith in an intelligible and accessible way, and does so by maintaining a relentless focus on its most hopeful and essential aspect — the unshakeable grace of God for sinners and sufferers. He connects this good news to everyday life in a way that cuts to the heart of the human predicament and simultaneously delivers the very balm that can heal it. Zahl neither moralizes about nor affirms our pathologies — instead, he proclaims nothing but "love and mercy". If you read only one contemporary religious book in 2025, make it this one.

[Zeke · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are plenty of rich theology books that have helped me peer more deeply into the mysteries of faith, but the ones that really resonate the deepest are the ones that take the most basic truths and reframe them in plain language in a way that reminds me of how strange and amazing the Gospel is - say, for example, positioning the grace of Jesus as “The Big Relief.” Zahl is a joy to read and always seems to be right on my wavelength; this book made me cry, laugh out loud numerous times, and underline excessively. I’m so grateful it came along at a time where I needed, well… relief. Enthusiastically recommend, no caveats needed. Thank you again, Dave, for writing this book.

[Jonas Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

He did it again

Dave’s tireless passion for the core of the Gospel - the Big Relief - runs like a golden thread through all of his work (from his books, articles, countless podcasts, and beyond) and all culminate in this one. What a simple and enjoyable - yet profoundly impactful - read. Bravo, Dave Zahl. As a pastor, I need constant reminders of just what I’m doing in this weird but beautiful vocation. And after reading this book, it’s aptly apparent: I help run a grace dispensary. Thanks to Christ, the One who gives it to me and all grace-parched sinners in abundance. I’m grateful to Dave for yet another reminder of the one thing that truly matters.

[Brenden Wentworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good stuff, from a counseling perspective if someone wrestles with legalism. Easy to read and helpful to hand to someone not super familiar with Christianity that wants to know what Christianity offers. Felt like a helpful “meeting your deepest needs” apologetic for Christianity

My critiques would be in the area of him giving uncritical endorsement of mainline theologians. Is confusing and unhelpful. Additionally, though it’s David Zahl’s par-for-the-course style, there were way too many stories and anecdotes. They made up 85% of each chapters length tbh. Would’ve been more helpful to give more theological explanation.

[Jeffrey Shanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a relief to pick up a book which uses grace in the title (at least the subtitle) and doesn't end up morphing grace into a new way to boost one's performance, empties it of a Christ-centered focus, or make it saccharine or sentimental. David Zahl steers clear of any of these and instead delivers the relief of mercy, grace and love for broken people like you and me. He weaves together these themes to demonstrate our need for relief from so many angles and in doing so, demonstrates the power of grace in our every need.

[tckrb]

A beautiful exposition on good old fashioned grace. Zahl sketches a short and sweet theology of grace in the opening chapters (that includes a lot of Reformation and John Barclay in a digestible package) and then spends the rest of the book on some really useful contemporary applications of the doctrine. Other than the content — which is lovely — I also really appreciated Zahl’s valiant effort to advocate for historic reformational (and often controversial) understandings of grace, justification, imputation, substitution, etc. with confidence and charm.

Highly recommended.

[Clayton Hornback · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like standing under falls of the most life-giving water: the grace of God. For whoever reads this - new Christian, old Christian, atheist, agnostic - the message of the radical, generous, one-way grace of God that David Zahl writes about is compelling and beautiful. His gift is the ability to weave the fundamental truth of the Christian message into the experienced, felt realities of our daily lives. I can't recommend enough.

[Brad Bevers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brothers Zahl has become one of my favorite podcasts, and this new book from David Zahl offers great, concise, and practical thoughts on everyday grace and how it plays out in our world. Really enjoyable, if you like the Zahl brothers' style. Reminds me of some of my favorite authors, including Robert Capon, Frederick Buechner, and Annie Dillard. Recommended.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot and listen to a lot of podcasts - but I have no memory of where I heard of Zahl or this book; I just know that it was in my library as a result of a recent purchase. What I DO know is that it is warm and comforting and wonderful and it blessed me beyond measure. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!

[Chris Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big Relief is exactly what I needed at this moment of anxiety and acceleration. Zahl is a talented writer who excels at capturing cultural sentiments in a way that is accessible and relevant. He tells stories that resonate by pulling in the reader with humor and humility. Highly recommended for anyone seeking the relief that we all crave.