When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man

It helps to really explain how the Fear of God helps you to put your need to please others into perspective.

The book came within the timeframe that it was suppose to and was in excellent shape.

Welch has written a gem on the need for us to realize how great God really is and how we need to stop fearing other people so much!The focus of Welch's book is to have a greater healthy fear of God to the point that other people have less power and control over our lives.The points Welch describes in his book include:1. The fear of God is the best treatment for the fear of man.2. Jesus was not a people-pleaser.3. Having more fear of man than God is idolatry.4. When we fear God we think of ourselves less.5. When we spend more time with God, opinions of ourselves and what others think of us matter less.6. We should love people more and need them less (only God can truly provide for our needs).7. We love others because God first loved us.8. When God is reduced to our feelings, He becomes less awesome to us while people become larger.The "fear of God" may be defined as having a healthy reverence for God - He loves us and does not want us to be so afraid of Him that we are scared of having a personal relationship with Him.Read the book and be encouraged to be more concerned about what God thinks and less concerned about what other people think!

I read a lot of books but this book is one of the few that i would re-read again and make notes so that i can really get a good grasp of its wonderful and convicting teaching. It is also one of the few books that i can say really challenges my thinking and living.This book also got me more interested in counselling and "Christian" psychology. Some of the views written challenges many common Christian Psychology/counselling teachings - he challenges some of Larry Crabb's views.But besides these "differences" (which i need to look more into), i think this book is an excellent read - especially for Christians who are in leadership positions. There is always a tendency to be controlled by the opinions of man, and thus in Welch's terms, succumb to a fear of man, rather than to be controlled by what God teaches, therefore be a God fearing Christian.This book calls us to deny ourselves, to crucify our ungodly desires for popularity, fame and good opinions of man. It calls us to see God as bigger than man and once we do that, we will start to fear God and not man. Wonderful thought-provoking, life- and attitude-challenging stuff.

Welch writes clearly, insightfully, and biblically. The content is of utmost relevance to our age. Not only does he make his point clear, but he leads the reader to life-changing application of truth. Every Christian counselor, paricularly every God-fearing pastor who attempts to meet the "self-esteem" needs of his flock, should read this book. He would do well to have an extra copy available to hand to counselees. As a counselor and one who has struggled personally with self-worth, I have found nothing as helpful or biblical as this book.