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You Are Free: Be Who You Already Are
You don't have to keep striving for freedom--instead, you can live in the freedom you already have in Christ. In these pages, Rebekah Lyons walks you through her journey of releasing stress, anxiety, and worry to uncover the peace that comes from Jesus Christ.
Have you bought into the lie? So many of us do. We measure our worth by what others think of us. We compare and strive, living our lives for the approval of others. Pressure rises, fear and anxiety creep in, and we hustle to keep up.
But Jesus tells us that he gave his life to set us free, giving us purpose and calling us to live in that God-given freedom and purpose. Yet we're still afraid to live in this truth because we can't even believe it. Rebekah reminds us that Christ doesn't say we can be or may be or will be free. He says we are free. Do you dare to believe it?
In You Are Free, Rebekah invites you
Overcome the exhaustion of trying to meet others' expectations and rest in the joy that God's freedom brings
Find permission to grieve past experiences, confess your areas of brokenness, and receive strength in your journey toward healing
Throw off self-condemnation and step boldly into what our good God has for you
Discover the courage to begin again and use your newfound freedom to set others free
Freedom is for everyone who wants it--the lost, the wounded, and those weary from all of the striving. It's for those of us who gave up trying years ago and for those of us who are angry and hurt, burnt out by the Christian song and dance. You are the church, the people of God. You were meant to be free.
Join Rebekah as she helps you discover the freedom that comes when we learn that God is enough.
Have you bought into the lie? So many of us do. We measure our worth by what others think of us. We compare and strive, living our lives for the approval of others. Pressure rises, fear and anxiety creep in, and we hustle to keep up.
But Jesus tells us that he gave his life to set us free, giving us purpose and calling us to live in that God-given freedom and purpose. Yet we're still afraid to live in this truth because we can't even believe it. Rebekah reminds us that Christ doesn't say we can be or may be or will be free. He says we are free. Do you dare to believe it?
In You Are Free, Rebekah invites you
Overcome the exhaustion of trying to meet others' expectations and rest in the joy that God's freedom brings
Find permission to grieve past experiences, confess your areas of brokenness, and receive strength in your journey toward healing
Throw off self-condemnation and step boldly into what our good God has for you
Discover the courage to begin again and use your newfound freedom to set others free
Freedom is for everyone who wants it--the lost, the wounded, and those weary from all of the striving. It's for those of us who gave up trying years ago and for those of us who are angry and hurt, burnt out by the Christian song and dance. You are the church, the people of God. You were meant to be free.
Join Rebekah as she helps you discover the freedom that comes when we learn that God is enough.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2017
576 people are currently reading
3892 people want to read
About the author
Rebekah Lyons
22 books390 followersRebekah Lyons is a designer, strategist, wife, and mom. She serves alongside her husband, Gabe, as executive director of Q, a learning community that mobilizes Christians to advance the common good in society. In her role at Q, Rebekah gives leadership and strategic direction to where the movement is headed and manages day-to-day operations. Any given week includes volunteering at the Midtown Pregnancy Support Center in Manhattan or at Geneva School, writing her daily musings, and rallying her three children and two toy poodles around New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
February 9, 2017
It’s with a bit of a heavy heart that I sit down to write this review. Zondervan is a quality publisher, and I usually enjoy books from them. And, I have to admit, the premise behind Rebekah Lyons’ You Are Free is quite promising. Basically, it’s a book about freeing yourself from whatever binds you — fear, anxiety, a raft of other negative emotions — and becoming one with God. I can get down with that, but the book still left me, unfortunately, cold. There are a few reasons for that. For one, it seems as though You Are Free can’t quite make up its mind as to what it wants to be. It’s a memoir, but it somehow doesn’t feel candid enough. It’s a devotional that encourages you to journal as you end chapters, but it’s not literally a devotional meant to be read in 60 or 90-day bursts. It’s a how-to book, too. Even though there’s not much in the way of how-to’s.
So what is it? Beats me. And that’s the shame. I found myself glossing over passages of this book and not really getting personally invested in it. It was a chore to finish. It just didn’t really resonate. I don’t know if that says more about my faith journey than the author’s lack, but there it is. Oh, the theology — overlooking the slight evangelical overtones — isn’t bad. Plus, the writing isn’t horrible. The elements for a successful book are there, but they just don’t congeal. Maybe I should have taken the questions at the end of each chapter more seriously, and I may have gotten more out of the book. (To wit, there’s a DVD and a companion study guide for more serious contemplation.)
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
So what is it? Beats me. And that’s the shame. I found myself glossing over passages of this book and not really getting personally invested in it. It was a chore to finish. It just didn’t really resonate. I don’t know if that says more about my faith journey than the author’s lack, but there it is. Oh, the theology — overlooking the slight evangelical overtones — isn’t bad. Plus, the writing isn’t horrible. The elements for a successful book are there, but they just don’t congeal. Maybe I should have taken the questions at the end of each chapter more seriously, and I may have gotten more out of the book. (To wit, there’s a DVD and a companion study guide for more serious contemplation.)
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
June 6, 2017
I love books. I love the smell of books. I love the design of books. I love reading, period. As a result, I believe in the sanctity of books, and I would not dare write in, highlight, or dog ear a book. Not even if my worst enemy lent me their favorite book and my worst passive-aggressive tendencies showed themselves would I dare crack the spine of a book.
But I wrote in this book. I highlighted the ink right off the pages of this book. I read and reread and read again the words in this book.
Maybe it's the fact that I have been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks for the past few months. Maybe it's the fact that this book came to me at the right time in my life. Maybe the fact that I've learned to be kinder to myself makes me able to be kinder to others and to appreciate their endeavors and their work more than I have in the past. Or maybe, this was just an amazing book for people struggling to let go of their anxiety, their fear, their inability to believe they are loved and accepted.
This is not a cheesy memoir for people who like to keep score. This is not a book that makes me feel left out of a special club, as though my lack of goodness or perfection or inability to understand every part of the Bible make me unable to be accepted.
This is just a book written by a woman who has had the same fears, the same struggles, the same longings that I've had. And knowing that other people have walked through my darkness has set me free.
Now, I didn't start blasting Sly & The Family Stone's "Dance to the Music" on my stereo when I finished reading this book. (If you don't recognize that song, think Shrek and the dance party featuring Donkey at the mic that comes at the end.) I did not hang off the side of my porch shouting "I'm the king of the world" at the top of my lungs when I finished reading this book. Instead, I slowly turned the last page. I delicately closed the book. I contemplated. I confessed. I asked for forgiveness and love and healing. And I whispered to myself, "I can be free." And that alone is reason enough for me to want to recommend it to every single person I've known or met that is struggling silently or violently with anxiety, depression, any mental health disorder, and anyone who just needs a reminder that, thanks to His sacrifice, we are free to be free.
But I wrote in this book. I highlighted the ink right off the pages of this book. I read and reread and read again the words in this book.
Maybe it's the fact that I have been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks for the past few months. Maybe it's the fact that this book came to me at the right time in my life. Maybe the fact that I've learned to be kinder to myself makes me able to be kinder to others and to appreciate their endeavors and their work more than I have in the past. Or maybe, this was just an amazing book for people struggling to let go of their anxiety, their fear, their inability to believe they are loved and accepted.
This is not a cheesy memoir for people who like to keep score. This is not a book that makes me feel left out of a special club, as though my lack of goodness or perfection or inability to understand every part of the Bible make me unable to be accepted.
This is just a book written by a woman who has had the same fears, the same struggles, the same longings that I've had. And knowing that other people have walked through my darkness has set me free.
Now, I didn't start blasting Sly & The Family Stone's "Dance to the Music" on my stereo when I finished reading this book. (If you don't recognize that song, think Shrek and the dance party featuring Donkey at the mic that comes at the end.) I did not hang off the side of my porch shouting "I'm the king of the world" at the top of my lungs when I finished reading this book. Instead, I slowly turned the last page. I delicately closed the book. I contemplated. I confessed. I asked for forgiveness and love and healing. And I whispered to myself, "I can be free." And that alone is reason enough for me to want to recommend it to every single person I've known or met that is struggling silently or violently with anxiety, depression, any mental health disorder, and anyone who just needs a reminder that, thanks to His sacrifice, we are free to be free.
December 27, 2019
Not quite a successful mix of an inspirational tome and a memoir, but certainly not a bad book. While the scripture study and references were often first-rate the author's repeat mentions about some parts of her life (living with her family in a Manhattan high-rise apartment, seemingly constant national or international jet-setting travel, etc.) made things less relatable on occasion.
January 25, 2017
This is the kind of book you want to read slowly and let the words pour into your heart. I can't wait to read it again. I love that you don't necessarily have to read this from front to back. You can pick a chapter that meets you where you are and start there. Great book!
May 9, 2018
I read this book as part of a Bible study group at work this year, and I was extremely disappointed in it. While Lyons' message (freedom from earthly sin and self-doubt) is a much-needed one for myself and many, her execution of that message is severely disjointed and limited. The book lacks a strong Biblical foundation, and it is often more stream-of-consciousness than clear, logical writing. Furthermore, I found it difficult to connect with Lyons, who leads a much different lifestyle than my own. She's either glamorizing her time in New York City or flying on yet another airplane to yet another fun locale (Ireland, a dude ranch in Colorado) for much of the book. Those are definitely NOT things that happen in my own working mother life.
I would not recommend this book to anyone I know.
I would not recommend this book to anyone I know.
April 9, 2022
Honest, inspiring, and relatable! You Are Free intertwines Rebekah's personal testimony about her journey into freedom with biblical truth and Scripture - and it really resonated with me. It was both reflective and encouraging. Overall, I loved it and thought it was an excellent read!
February 5, 2019
Rebekah Lyons is so courageous and honest. I am so thankful she wrote about mental health struggles. This book was a beautiful one for anyone who struggles to stop performing for God. Perfect timing in my life and I loved it.
February 21, 2017
This book was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. If you are worn out from the striving, if life just feels like too much, if you are frustrated and spinning your wheels... take a step into true freedom. God's already given it to us but we choose lesser things. Rebekah uses stories from her own freedom journey to gently speak truth to her readers. This book is not a light read but one of those books you need to take your time with, processing and doing some very important heart work. I will read this book again and again. It's that good. It's message is that important.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
February 1, 2017
I thought this was a decent collection of personal stories illustrating the way that God can work through you to bring freedom. Biggest takeaway: confess your shortcomings and failings and he will heal them and replace them with his grace. Rebekah's stories are approachable and human (not high-and-mighty or flawless). She is genuine in her writing. It just didn't grab me in a change-your-life kind of way. But that cover!
November 9, 2018
Rebekah put into words how I often feel dealing with Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD. She gave examples that I could relate to. She even literally helped me slay some of my biggest giants yet or at least the ones that my Anxiety & Fear created!!
April 15, 2017
Scripture says we Christians are free but our everyday lives may seem anything but free. That was the case for Lyons who fought anxiety and had panic attacks. She takes us through her own journey to freedom. This is a personal account of her being healed from anxiety, finding her calling, believing and declaring she was free, thirsting for God's presence, asking God for anything, realizing God is her true home, resting, abiding, writing, grieving, being weak, celebrating, journaling, and sharing her freedom with others.
This is not a Bible study but rather a very personal account. Lyons has included thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter. The idea is that readers would read about Lyons' experience and then work though the questions with, perhaps, a similar journey to freedom. Lyons journaled and she recommends readers do the same and the questions would help stimulate thought for writing.
I found it interesting that Lyons mentions The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. Cameron recommends writing Morning Pages, three hand written pages every morning. Lyons found the discipline to be very rewarding and recommends it. I've gone through Cameron's book and also found the discipline to be very beneficial.
I recommend this book to those who respond well to personal accounts of transformation rather than a Bible study on the subject. The questions included are good ones and will yield much material for thought and writing.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
This is not a Bible study but rather a very personal account. Lyons has included thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter. The idea is that readers would read about Lyons' experience and then work though the questions with, perhaps, a similar journey to freedom. Lyons journaled and she recommends readers do the same and the questions would help stimulate thought for writing.
I found it interesting that Lyons mentions The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. Cameron recommends writing Morning Pages, three hand written pages every morning. Lyons found the discipline to be very rewarding and recommends it. I've gone through Cameron's book and also found the discipline to be very beneficial.
I recommend this book to those who respond well to personal accounts of transformation rather than a Bible study on the subject. The questions included are good ones and will yield much material for thought and writing.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
November 29, 2018
I have no theological issues with the overall premise (the idea that we are free in Christ and should live in that freedom and grace, not in slavery to the law, which Jesus fulfilled perfectly for us), but I think people who need that message would be far better served by studying Ephesians to see who they are in Christ and Galatians to understand their freedom in Christ.
I am very disturbed by the chapter about a message the author received in a dream that "sounded biblical." She spends the rest of the chapter forcefitting Scripture to make sense of the message. God revealed His Word to us through Scripture and Jesus, the living Word. He does not send us extra, new messages in dreams. This makes her whole book highly questionable to me. Jesus is not the "thirsty bread," as she claims. I am further disturbed that so few reviewers (that I could find) were disturbed by this; the book received so many five and four star ratings--did other readers just swallow this as gospel?
I am disappointed in Zondervan, a trusted Christian publisher, for publishing this book.
In addition, while the author tried to stick to the overall theme of freedom in Christ, I thought she covered too many subtopics (the twelve chapters that were all the different freedoms she discovered), to the point where I felt like the theme of freedom in Christ was kind of lost among all of the many things she needed freedom from. Overall I thought it was too much personal memoir and very little focus or Christ, Scripture, or even practical application to actually help people find freedom.
I am very disturbed by the chapter about a message the author received in a dream that "sounded biblical." She spends the rest of the chapter forcefitting Scripture to make sense of the message. God revealed His Word to us through Scripture and Jesus, the living Word. He does not send us extra, new messages in dreams. This makes her whole book highly questionable to me. Jesus is not the "thirsty bread," as she claims. I am further disturbed that so few reviewers (that I could find) were disturbed by this; the book received so many five and four star ratings--did other readers just swallow this as gospel?
I am disappointed in Zondervan, a trusted Christian publisher, for publishing this book.
In addition, while the author tried to stick to the overall theme of freedom in Christ, I thought she covered too many subtopics (the twelve chapters that were all the different freedoms she discovered), to the point where I felt like the theme of freedom in Christ was kind of lost among all of the many things she needed freedom from. Overall I thought it was too much personal memoir and very little focus or Christ, Scripture, or even practical application to actually help people find freedom.
November 16, 2017
I really wanted to like this... the blurb read like it was perfect from following on the previous book my study group had read. I was hoping for more biblical insight from scripture on having freedom to be who I am because of what I believe. Instead it felt like it was a memoir of an author which documented her struggle with anxiety, and how she was healed from it. Maybe because I haven't struggled with anxiety, I didn't really connect at all with her story. If nothing else, our study group had some rousing discussions from it and it was a vehicle for us to discuss some of our struggles and how we overcame them...
February 5, 2020
Everyone I know was looking forward to this book coming out. Everyone I know who read it loved it, and raved about it. I wanted to love it and rave about it too.
I didn't think there was anything exceptional in the book. Her experiences are shared here with vulnerability and I will always applaud that. I wasn't 100% sold on some of the theology, but I can generally take what I like and leave the rest, however there was just something about this book that left me feeling disappointed, Maybe my expectations were too high from all the hype about it.
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts
I didn't think there was anything exceptional in the book. Her experiences are shared here with vulnerability and I will always applaud that. I wasn't 100% sold on some of the theology, but I can generally take what I like and leave the rest, however there was just something about this book that left me feeling disappointed, Maybe my expectations were too high from all the hype about it.
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts
January 20, 2023
It was ok. I personally thought it read like an Instagram caption which automatically lowers a book down a star😂 For this topic, I liked Wild and Free more. Lyons’ other book Rhythms of Renewal is really good though!
March 9, 2018
I had no idea how much I needed this book.
May 15, 2020
“Freedom is for those who have nothing else to protect:” a prophetic message for quarantine! Rebekah Lyons’ You Are Free is an invitation to untie the mask we’ve put on somewhere on the path to perfection that has stifled us with self-condemnation until we’re suffocating for survival. To throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance--perspiration and panting breath--the race marked out for us! (Hebrews 12:1)
“Blessed are the broken who go to the water, and the rivers dry up for thirsty bread.” This resonated with me deeply in light of COVID-19. Just as Amos 8:11 says, “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” So we behold in quarantine! We are experiencing our own plague of famine--we are a thirsty people, a people who’ve forgotten the living waters only God provides. We’ve forgotten his presence, traded it for self-reliance, achievement, success, and financial profit. On the outside, life was good, but on the inside we were as emaciated and starved for the word of God as the models on our magazine covers. Our pace of life proved unsustainable, and our collective bodies rebelled. COVID struck and there is no cure, but to thirst for the one who first thirsted for us! “The cross was a switcheroo, and we traded up.” On the cross, Jesus said “I am thirsty.” and through His death and resurrection He became the cure, the living water that slakes our spiritual thirst. Quarantine is “living proof that the church...does not call the brick and mortar home. The church finds its home where the fire of the spirit abides in the hearts of God’s people.” My heart is not at rest until it rests in Thee. COVID is an opportunity to experience God as our home; Christ is our chrysalis! We’re quarantined in Jesus!
Isaiah 30:15 and 18 say, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it...the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.” We want none of it. We want to run not rest and what does repentance have to do with any of this? We don’t want social distancing or quarantine, quietness and trust, and for a society always on the go, the mandate to stay in place makes us bristle! Just let us go back to normal! We thrash against the work of God, clamoring to find a cure immediately so we can quit this inconvenience. All we see on the shelves is a toilet paper scarcity, and we panic. “I’m dyyyyyyying.” The Great Physician, already at our side, looks into our eyes and tells us, “If you stop breathing, we can breathe for you.” Not quite the reassurance we were hoping for. We want to lift a middle finger, but He invites us to raise a hallelujah and praise even louder!
Lyons reminds us of David: “the pregnancy of his anointing lasted years...We straddle the precipice of promise, and the posture of waiting requires surrender.” God’s promise is clear: the waiting is a transition to our salvation! Initiate nothing. Remove our running shoes, and watch what He can do!
By the end of her memoir, I felt like Rebekah Lyons was my best friend. Between sips of coffee and bites of blueberry scones, we became tethered to the Vine and shared our journeyings through the Holy Land--the Pool of Bethesda, Jacob’s Well, the Jordan River, Shiloh, the Cave of Adullam, Capernaum, the Holy City, the Garden Tomb--albeit at different times. In You Are Free Rebekah grabs your hand and walks you arm in arm through her journey to confess, to thirst, to ask, to begin again, to step into your calling, to wait, grieve, to be weak, to be brave, to rest, to celebrate. She will inspire you to love with ferocity and walk in the freedom that comes with being who you already are: beloved! You Are Free deserves all the stars!
“Blessed are the broken who go to the water, and the rivers dry up for thirsty bread.” This resonated with me deeply in light of COVID-19. Just as Amos 8:11 says, “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” So we behold in quarantine! We are experiencing our own plague of famine--we are a thirsty people, a people who’ve forgotten the living waters only God provides. We’ve forgotten his presence, traded it for self-reliance, achievement, success, and financial profit. On the outside, life was good, but on the inside we were as emaciated and starved for the word of God as the models on our magazine covers. Our pace of life proved unsustainable, and our collective bodies rebelled. COVID struck and there is no cure, but to thirst for the one who first thirsted for us! “The cross was a switcheroo, and we traded up.” On the cross, Jesus said “I am thirsty.” and through His death and resurrection He became the cure, the living water that slakes our spiritual thirst. Quarantine is “living proof that the church...does not call the brick and mortar home. The church finds its home where the fire of the spirit abides in the hearts of God’s people.” My heart is not at rest until it rests in Thee. COVID is an opportunity to experience God as our home; Christ is our chrysalis! We’re quarantined in Jesus!
Isaiah 30:15 and 18 say, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it...the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.” We want none of it. We want to run not rest and what does repentance have to do with any of this? We don’t want social distancing or quarantine, quietness and trust, and for a society always on the go, the mandate to stay in place makes us bristle! Just let us go back to normal! We thrash against the work of God, clamoring to find a cure immediately so we can quit this inconvenience. All we see on the shelves is a toilet paper scarcity, and we panic. “I’m dyyyyyyying.” The Great Physician, already at our side, looks into our eyes and tells us, “If you stop breathing, we can breathe for you.” Not quite the reassurance we were hoping for. We want to lift a middle finger, but He invites us to raise a hallelujah and praise even louder!
Lyons reminds us of David: “the pregnancy of his anointing lasted years...We straddle the precipice of promise, and the posture of waiting requires surrender.” God’s promise is clear: the waiting is a transition to our salvation! Initiate nothing. Remove our running shoes, and watch what He can do!
By the end of her memoir, I felt like Rebekah Lyons was my best friend. Between sips of coffee and bites of blueberry scones, we became tethered to the Vine and shared our journeyings through the Holy Land--the Pool of Bethesda, Jacob’s Well, the Jordan River, Shiloh, the Cave of Adullam, Capernaum, the Holy City, the Garden Tomb--albeit at different times. In You Are Free Rebekah grabs your hand and walks you arm in arm through her journey to confess, to thirst, to ask, to begin again, to step into your calling, to wait, grieve, to be weak, to be brave, to rest, to celebrate. She will inspire you to love with ferocity and walk in the freedom that comes with being who you already are: beloved! You Are Free deserves all the stars!
July 27, 2017
I feel like Rebekah Lyons is my kindred spirit. Her life experiences are so similar to mine it's uncanny. I read her last book just finishing up counseling for anxiety and depression. I read this book while being in the craziest transition of a move from Los Angeles to Boise. Her move from New York City to TN and her words speak to so much of my current feelings. It has been such a hard move on so many levels. LA is more home than any place I've lived. I loved the home we are selling it's all been hard. On top of that the move hasn't been easy. I packed mostly alone (had two friends that came at the end). We lost our planned housing and were scrambling to find places to live for 2-3 months for our five kids and two dogs while the floors were finished and the house staged and shown. God provided and now we are about to go into escrow. I still have fears moving but her words on Home....Home is where God is and God is ever with me....those have spoken to my souls as I wander from house to house and wonder what my next home will be like. Her words in the chapter on waiting I read with tears streaming down my cheeks!
-"The waiting will bring us to a place of readiness."
"Straddling promise and doubt."
"Until I was ready to let go of the past God was content to let me wait."
"Sometimes it takes being stripped of what is familiar, giving everything up, to be reminded of who we truly are."
"You cannot see the unknown until you release the known."
I feel ready now to let go of the past here. To say goodbye to the home we restored and brought babies home to. To truly jump into this next place even though there are so many questions and fears and what if's. I'm ready to jump with two feet.
I'm so grateful for her sweet encouraging words that spoke to right where I am right at this moment. I needed this book and I needed it right now. I'm beginning to walk in freedom and I'm ready to set others free.
-"The waiting will bring us to a place of readiness."
"Straddling promise and doubt."
"Until I was ready to let go of the past God was content to let me wait."
"Sometimes it takes being stripped of what is familiar, giving everything up, to be reminded of who we truly are."
"You cannot see the unknown until you release the known."
I feel ready now to let go of the past here. To say goodbye to the home we restored and brought babies home to. To truly jump into this next place even though there are so many questions and fears and what if's. I'm ready to jump with two feet.
I'm so grateful for her sweet encouraging words that spoke to right where I am right at this moment. I needed this book and I needed it right now. I'm beginning to walk in freedom and I'm ready to set others free.
March 15, 2020
Notes for my own keeping:
“When we become enslaved to anything, we miss out on a life of surrender and peace. A life where we experience the truth that God is enough. A life where God is the Good Shepherd who gives us everything we need. A life where we lack nothing.” Pg. 34
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but by lack of meaning and purpose.” Pg. 49
“Calling isn’t limited to vocation, it’s rooted in God’s creativity and how He’s designed us.” Pg. 50
“... we can know the call of God on our lives and feel anxious to get to it, but God sometimes calls us to wait as He refines us, as He shows Himself to be our redeemer, rescuer, and healer. We must confess that His timing is best, and trust and declare that the waiting will bring us into a place of readiness.” Pg. 127
“God cares more about our presence than our performance.” Pg. 141
“Wouldn’t it make sense that God plants in us a desire for what God already wants to give us? I’m sure of it.” —Richard Rohr pg. 155
“Most of us carry chronic stress for so long we no longer recognize the weight of it. That’s why I call it a grace when our bodies rebel. It is God’s way of saying, No more.” Pg. 165
“When I admit my inadequacy, I invite His power in to strengthen me. This is fertile soil for surrender.” Pg. 170
“Nothing pushes Jesus away. Nothing makes Him cringe. He wants you more than life.” Pg. 217
“Freedom is for those who have nothing else to protect.” Pg. 226
“When we become enslaved to anything, we miss out on a life of surrender and peace. A life where we experience the truth that God is enough. A life where God is the Good Shepherd who gives us everything we need. A life where we lack nothing.” Pg. 34
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but by lack of meaning and purpose.” Pg. 49
“Calling isn’t limited to vocation, it’s rooted in God’s creativity and how He’s designed us.” Pg. 50
“... we can know the call of God on our lives and feel anxious to get to it, but God sometimes calls us to wait as He refines us, as He shows Himself to be our redeemer, rescuer, and healer. We must confess that His timing is best, and trust and declare that the waiting will bring us into a place of readiness.” Pg. 127
“God cares more about our presence than our performance.” Pg. 141
“Wouldn’t it make sense that God plants in us a desire for what God already wants to give us? I’m sure of it.” —Richard Rohr pg. 155
“Most of us carry chronic stress for so long we no longer recognize the weight of it. That’s why I call it a grace when our bodies rebel. It is God’s way of saying, No more.” Pg. 165
“When I admit my inadequacy, I invite His power in to strengthen me. This is fertile soil for surrender.” Pg. 170
“Nothing pushes Jesus away. Nothing makes Him cringe. He wants you more than life.” Pg. 217
“Freedom is for those who have nothing else to protect.” Pg. 226
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2025
2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this because I’ve enjoyed listening to the author speak on marriage and anxiety. While she does reference Scripture, she references her experiences more as the way in which God speaks to her, and it is by her experiences that she interprets what He said. She also speaks about freedom in various areas as if she has it totally conquered. This subject is SO rich as it relates to union with Christ, but You Are Free was more man-centered and less centered on Christ and his benefits. I also found it concerning that she quoted Richard Rohr, MLK, and others who aren’t exactly voices of theological truth.
April 21, 2019
Had really great conversation with a group of multi-generational Christian women about the issues/chapters of this book. Not an amazing read on its own.... but great for a study with others! Rebekah Lyon’s story is incredible and God has done awesome things in her life! A good reminder to be still and know that God’s got it, and he is good.
June 8, 2025
This book starts off like a deep breath, you feel seen, inspired, and ready to reclaim your life. Lyons comes in strong with honesty and heart, and the beginning genuinely pulls you in.
But then… it kinda floats. The middle gets fluffy, repetitive, and starts sounding like a motivational Pinterest board. Lots of “you’re already enough” without much new to chew on.
Thankfully, the ending picks it back up. The chapters on relationships hit different, raw, real, and actually useful. If the whole book had that energy, it would’ve been a banger.
Worth skimming, especially the last part. But brace for a few chapters of spiritual cotton candy in the middle.
But then… it kinda floats. The middle gets fluffy, repetitive, and starts sounding like a motivational Pinterest board. Lots of “you’re already enough” without much new to chew on.
Thankfully, the ending picks it back up. The chapters on relationships hit different, raw, real, and actually useful. If the whole book had that energy, it would’ve been a banger.
Worth skimming, especially the last part. But brace for a few chapters of spiritual cotton candy in the middle.
November 2, 2019
Uplifting, inspiring read. It felt like spending time with a good friend.
June 18, 2017
I am still processing this book. It's a book I wanted to throw and yet agreed with her. It's about brokenness and healing from Jesus. It's good and hard. I think I might have to read it again just to fully understand this message.
March 6, 2018
I read this book for a bible study, and it gave me peace and freedom. This is definitely a book to go back and read. It provided several prompts for journaling and introspection, and Lyons shared her personal story to illustrate concepts. Very inspirational!
March 13, 2019
I will
Go back and read parts of this book again as well as answer the questions. It would be great to read as a group!
Go back and read parts of this book again as well as answer the questions. It would be great to read as a group!
March 9, 2017
Wow. Rebekah speaks words of truth we all need to hear. This book opened my eyes and spoke to my heart at an important time. Such a blessing for anyone who may struggle from anxiety, depression, unworthiness, fear, or hopelessness. She covers it all! Thank you, Rebekah!
January 14, 2018
The chapter titles are illuminating and convicting on their own (all are not listed):
Free to be Rescued
Free to Confess
Free to Thirst
Free to Wait
Free to Rest
Free to Be Weak
Free to Be Brave
All that weakness enumerated, yet "home is wherever God is. And God is ever with me" (106).
The only thing still nagging me is what does this freedom and transparency and genuineness look like when other well-meaning people insist on being armored up against vulnerability and fear and holding up their masks of perfection. How to break free of their expectations? Of their disappointments? Of their striving?
Free to be Rescued
Free to Confess
Free to Thirst
Free to Wait
Free to Rest
Free to Be Weak
Free to Be Brave
All that weakness enumerated, yet "home is wherever God is. And God is ever with me" (106).
The only thing still nagging me is what does this freedom and transparency and genuineness look like when other well-meaning people insist on being armored up against vulnerability and fear and holding up their masks of perfection. How to break free of their expectations? Of their disappointments? Of their striving?
September 3, 2017
I was attracted to this book online by the title and and cover art.
I should have just found a poster.
Overly dramatic and preachy at times, I didn't find anything new here.
Comes off as "Oh, how I suffered, but it was worth it because now I can help you, you poor thing, with all my unique spiritual wisdom and tell you what you need to do to be free like me." Perhaps I am being unkind, but I don't think she sounds all that free. I was not inspired and couldn't wait to get away.
I should have just found a poster.
Overly dramatic and preachy at times, I didn't find anything new here.
Comes off as "Oh, how I suffered, but it was worth it because now I can help you, you poor thing, with all my unique spiritual wisdom and tell you what you need to do to be free like me." Perhaps I am being unkind, but I don't think she sounds all that free. I was not inspired and couldn't wait to get away.
April 18, 2020
I gave up on this book at about page 54. It seemed to use a lot of words to say not much at all. Also, I have a basic theological difference of opinion with the author. Rebekah Lyons seems to frame the Biblical promises of freedom using the pop culture ideal of living your best life. However, I feel quite certain that when Scripture speaks of Jesus setting people free, it refers to our salvation and eternal life.
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