Healing Is a Choice: 10 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life and 10 Lies That Can Prevent You from Making Them

I have had the book, "Healing is a Choice" for years this devotional is really helpful. The book changed my life. I'm using the devotional to go through the book again and I am learning more. I recommend this book to everyone!

As anyone who has read my reviews knows, I have read a lot of books on emotional healing. But I have to say, this is one of the best out there. Steve is incredibly vulnerable about his divorce and the resulting pain. I think people who pass this book by simply because Steve is a divorced are making a mistake. This book plays it straight and hits you right between the eyes. I could identify with so many of the lies that Steve discusses in this book. This book was incredibly hard for me to read, but I made it through. This book contains a lot of practical, solidly biblical advice, if you have the courage to follow it. This book will keep you awake at night. It certainly has me. But I've realized that we can either go through life healed or we can be comfortable. We can't do both. Being healed is many things, but it is not and never will be predictable and comfortable. Another thing I like this book is that Steve makes it clear that healing is different for everyone and that it manifests itself in different ways, in different people. This book has TONS of food for thought. I believe this book will be life-changing for anyone who reads it. It certainly has been for me. I also recommend reading this book through at least twice.

Every person makes choices. Some are major and imposing, while others seem insignificant and inconsequential. Still, each individual --- no matter how discouraged, hopeless, or dejected he or she might feel --- has the opportunity to effect positive, life-enhancing change in his or her life. This principle holds true for those struggling to recover from infidelity, divorce, bankruptcy, illness, job loss, familial estrangement, or abuse. Author/counselor/radio host Stephen Arterburn teaches readers practical methodology for making biblically sound decisions that will change their lives for the good. Arterburn offers no quick fixes in his text, but he compassionately leads those who are seriously interested in investing their time, energy and commitment toward realizing significant life changes through biblically effective methods that will help them to think differently --- Godwardly --- and will enable them to recast a damaged, spiritually stunted history. The author points out that God has provided the properties to heal within every facet of our nature --- bodily, emotionally and spiritually. Writes Arterburn, "It takes courage to seek out, obtain, and utilize whatever resources you need to treat the untreated areas of your life. But not everyone has the courage. Not everyone is willing." His call (plea, actually) is for all Christians to look carefully at who they are, why they do what they do, and how they can move forward to a richer, more spiritually healthy place. To jumpstart this process, Arterburn recommends "inviting quiet" so as to do a "pain inventory and a feelings checkup." He suggests that individuals ask these introspective questions: What am I afraid of? What is missing? Am I empty? What am I filling up on? Why am I refusing to feel? What feelings am I avoiding? Arterburn says that these questions and their respective responses help people gain insight into life patterns of protection. He asks readers to look at areas where they experience fear, then anger, and finally guilt. Once this exercise is completed, studied and carefully considered, healing can begin when honesty and courage meet with trust and faith in God, and in His ability to provide gracious daily strength to change. Specifically, the author discusses the following 10 choices every person makes in regard to healing: Connect one's life with others, or give in to the lie that "all I need to heal is just God and me." Face life (ugly emotions and all), or the lie that "real" Christians experience real peace in all circumstances Thoroughly investigate life in search of truth, or embrace the lie that it does no good to look back. Seek healing for the future, or believe that time heals all wounds. Help one's life, or give in to the lie of self-sufficiency. Embrace life, or pretend there is no problem by denying its existence. Espouse forgiveness, or only bestow the gift on those who deserve it. Allow risk its proper place, or spend every day protecting oneself from an

Healing is a Choice by Steve Arterburn was absolutely the best book that I have read - both of all the books that Steve has written and of the books that I have read on this subject. The biggest reason for this is that, to me, Steve addresses the very core issue of all healing as coming from our will. Whether what has happened to us is something that has come about through our own doing and choices or whether it is come about through what has been "done to us", caused through something outside of ourselves that we had no control over - either by persons or circumstances, it doesn't matter. In either situation, damage can be done that is irreparable to our emotions, our minds, our spirits, our wills, and our bodies. I love the fact that Steve genuinely and so humanly covers both of these areas in his book by sharing circumstances from his own life and the lives of others - circumstances that have happened either from outside of themselves or come about through each one's own choices. Steve helps us see that the activation of our wills is a critical step in the healing process, if not often the first step. Even Jesus focused on the will of individuals when sick people came to him or he approached them. So often we find Jesus saying to the person, "What do you `want'?" or "Are you `willing'?" Steve then takes us one step further in the healing process by enabling us to see that our outlook on our situation is absolutely critical to the activation of our will by pointing out various lies that we can believe that paralyze our wills and keep us stuck in a victim role and mentality. Having been healed personally from several years of multiple sclerosis and from being paralyzed in a car accident, I can attest to the absolute importance of the activation of my will in the healing process. It was so important for me to face and counter the lies that were holding me captive. The activation of my will enabled me to move into more freedom emotionally, spiritually and mentally. I thank God that it also resulted in physical healing for me. It doesn't always and I value and appreciate the fact that Steve addresses this component as well. He concludes this great book by enabling us to see that healing is a journey and wherever we find ourselves in the process - emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and/or physically - we can serve others from that place and find meaning, purpose and value to our lives - living life to its fullest along the way rather than with regrets. An absolutely powerful book - five stars in my estimation! Read it, let it activate your will today and experience life-changing transformation!

Wow! Within the first half hour of reading this book, I was drawn into words of grace and mercy by the author. I felt like I was sitting along side Mr. Arterburn and he was compassionately encourageing me that my life can be different, and that I do have choices in my life. His writing is so personal and warm. (I cannot think of one person who would not benefit greatly from this book.)I found myself laughing a lot (!) and crying a lot. All that Mr. Arterburn has gone through has been turned into good for those of us who will but read his book. He points you in a direction that leads to wholeness, to a place where you find true rest and "well-being". Over and over again you read "healing is a choice. There are choices that each of us must make." It seems nearly impossible to put this book down and not feel empowered because you see you have been given the ability to make choices!! He says in the beginning section that he is "pulling for you, praying for you and asking you to join him on this journey of a lifetime". Throughout the book you sense this to be utterly true. This is not a "solo" journey and somehow, the more you read the greater the sense of that feeling. As you read this book, you absolutley sense he IS pulling for you, he DOES want joy and rest for you ! Thank you Mr. Arterburn for your humility, your incredible openess and wisdom that shine through this book.