“Soul Repair” Rebuilding Your Spiritual Life

Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

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[Janet Easson Martin]

… Our intention here is to provide a beginning—a portal into active faith for people who are beginning to rebuild a damaged spiritual life. We hope to help reclaim each of these tools from the distortions of destructive spirituality, explain the spirit and function of each tool, and suggest a first step toward putting each tool to practical use. We pray for God’s blessing on you as you begin to apply one or more of these tools to the work of rebuilding your spiritual life.

The first tools we describe can be helpful in coming to the end of our self-reliance and finding practical ways to rely instead on the love and grace of God. The necessary starting point for learning how to use these tools is the recognition that we are not capable of rebuilding our spiritual lives by our own power alone. We can’t be good enough, dedicated enough, sincere enough or anything enough to restore our spiritual lives to a healthy state. We need help. Surrendering and listening to God are two tools that help us let go of our own efforts and open our hearts to receive God’s help and blessing. …


(All emphasis mine)

The above excerpt about rebuilding a damaged spiritual life in “Soul Repair” by Jeff VanVonderen and
Dale & Juanita Ryan published by InterVarsity Press has some good help worth gleaning from. Available on Kindle.

[Janet Easson Martin]

More from “Soul Repair: Rebuilding Your Spiritual Life” by Jeff VanVonderen and Dale & Juanita Ryan:


From the chapter, ‘Relying on God’

Under the influence of destructive spirituality surrender can become distorted into one of two forms: resignation or compliance. …

Resignation in our relationship with God could suggest that we experience God as a bully who has finally beaten us down. The other distortion, compliance, is an act of self-will. Compliance feels something like this: I don’t really have any other choice, so I will force myself to adhere to the rules. …

Surrender is not like resignation because surrender means ceasing to resist the advances of a God who loves us and pursues us with grace. …

When we surrender, we give up our own efforts to make ourselves acceptable. We give up on the whole exhausting “try, try harder, try our hardest” pathway to spiritual growth. …

Our anxiety, anger and resentments are often reminders to us to call on God’s grace and guidance. They are reminders to surrender. …


From my kindle copy

https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Repair-Rebuilding-Your-Spiritual/dp/145963618X