Kiss the Fire: 7 Ways to Get Back Up When You Want to Give Up

by Shawn Johnson

If you are struggling and just want to give up, author and pastor Shawn Johnson will show you how to find the strength to hold on, face the flames, and keep fighting to find the purpose in your pain.

When life turns up the heat and everything inside of you wants to give up, will you face the flames? Will you keep the faith? Will you believe that there is still good to be found? Will you keep fighting until God does the miraculous? Pastor Shawn Johnson found himself asking these questions after he received a devastating diagnosis that rocked him to his core and stole his hopes for the future. He was ready to end it all until his friend and fighting coach told Shawn that he would walk with him every step of the way and knew he was going to be okay because “you’re going to kiss the fire and walk away whistling.” Those words stuck with Shawn and came to symbolize his approach to fighting against the waves of anxiety, hopelessness, and fear that felt overwhelming.

 As he continued to fight, Shawn discovered that it’s possible to live life to the fullest, even when it really hurts, and in Kiss the Fire he’ll share

the three reasons why you need to keep fighting instead of giving up,the seven strategies you need to have to kiss the fire and walk away whistling, andwhy recognizing that God has a plan—even if you don’t immediately know what it is—changes everything. 

Shawn shows us how to cultivate a fighting spirit and face the spiritual, physical, and emotional battles of our lives with determination and tenacity. It will get better. You can get through this. Nothing is impossible with God. So don’t give up now.

Genres: Self Help, Religion, Christian

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2025

Reviews

[Lovemybooks2020 Cindy Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb! Perfect for any believer struggling to find their strength! I have been living with debilitating chronic pain for almost 5 years now, and when one of the worst pain flares surge a few weeks ago, I was starting to lose hope. This book realigned me with the truth of God‘s love and the purpose that each of us has on this earth. I highly recommend this for everyone.

[Jordan Halbleib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss the Fire is a powerful, Christ-centered reminder that even in our darkest, most painful moments, God is not finished with us. Shawn Johnson writes with raw honesty and deep faith, showing how setbacks can become setups for God’s greater purpose.

Grounded in Scripture and real-life experience, this book encourages readers to face the fire—not with fear, but with faith—knowing that Jesus walks with us through every trial. If you’ve been knocked down and wonder how to get back up, this book is a lifeline. Hope-filled, healing, and deeply rooted in the love of Christ.

[Kelli]

In Kiss the Fire, pastor and author Shawn Johnson delivers a raw and uplifting message to anyone standing on the edge of hopelessness. Blending personal vulnerability with spiritual conviction, Johnson opens his life to readers recounting his battle with devastating illness, anxiety, and despair and the divine resilience he discovered in the process. The result is a book that reads as both testimony and roadmap for endurance.

What makes Kiss the Fire so striking is its honesty. Johnson doesn’t offer abstract platitudes about faith and perseverance; instead, he anchors every insight in his lived experience. When life’s heat feels unbearable, he invites readers to “kiss the fire” to face pain head-on and trust that even in the flames, transformation is taking place. Each of the seven strategies he shares builds toward that central idea: that courage is not the absence of fear, but faith in motion.

Johnson also weaves in the powerful metaphor of “walking away whistling” a vivid picture of triumph through surrender and strength through suffering. Readers of faith will find comfort in his conviction that God’s plan remains present, even in silence, while those outside religious circles will still recognize the universal lessons about resilience, hope, and perseverance.

Kiss the Fire is not merely a Christian inspiration book it’s a survival manual for anyone fighting to find purpose in pain. Through its warmth, wisdom, and unwavering honesty, it reminds readers that what feels like the end might just be the beginning of something miraculous.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss the Fire: 7 Ways to Get Back Up When You Want to Give Up is an honest, no holding back call to be courageous. Shawn Johnson documents how the circumstances in our life may be painful or unexpected but even in these moments it’s not time to give up, it’s time to keep fighting. He does a great job giving examples with his own story and an unexpected situation in his life that left him feeling hopeless and depressed. He does a great job giving reminding us resilience is a choice, faith is a weapon, and the hardest moments in our lives have the ability to produce the strongest witness.

If I were to recommend anything, I would have liked to more real- world examples or personal stories.

Overall, this is an excellent read.. I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley on behalf of Thomas Nelson, but wasn't obligated to post a review. All opinions are my honest opinions.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This came out when I really needed it

I have been facing difficulties in my life since 2019, I’m still facing issues connected with that fire, where I want to give up & stay in bed& hang out by myself. This book has helpful advice I’m going to attempt (thanks Shawn). I don’t hang out with people a lot but I feel if I start journaling I have something to look back on & see what God did for me in each situation. I recommend this reading to all even if you don’t have a fire now, you will one day the Bible says & God will be waiting.

[ELIZABETH DURALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m gonna kiss the fire and walk away whistling…goosebumps. Pastor Shawn Johnson’s testimony is inspiring even as he’s currently walking through one of life’s most scary things. The amount of courage it takes to write a book about a storm you’re currently in, that God hasn’t taken you out of yet is incredible. I’ve been in seasons without hope and without wanting to take another step forward and I know there are people living through those feelings right now who need to read this book. This is the power of testimony that others need to read about and be transformed by.

[Amanda Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this. As someone with a chronic illness in the brain I could relate to the struggles of the diagnosis and how lost we can feel upon hearing the term “incurable”. It’s hard to wrap our minds around. It’s hard to not feel the feelings that were felt in this book. I really enjoyed hearing what can help get through those rough times with family and with the Bible.

[Wes Jakacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book for those who feel knocked down by their life circumstances and need some encouragement to get back up.

[Ginny Yurich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring about how to move through hardships - even through the hardest of the hard

[Dave Severyns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss the Fire

Thank you for this book, I have been struggling with some things and this book reminds me that I can get through anything as long as I rely on my Lord and Savior

[Susan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about handling a diagnosis of a Parkinson’s related disease.