Thursday, January 08, 2009

When People are Big and God is Small, Edward T. Welch


Edward Welch is a lecturer and counsellor with the Christian Counselling and Educational Foundation in Glenside, Pennsylvania. In this book the writer deals with overcoming peer pressure, codependency and the fear of man. The book comprises some 239 pages and divides in to two main sections. In section one the writer deals with how and why we fear others. In the second half of the book, the main section, overcoming the fear of others is the focus. Welch deals well with the Biblical theme "the fear of the Lord." He has that uncanny knack of prising the lid off our lives to show the factory of idols that lie within. The main argument that Welch unpacks is that we need people for our own sakes rather than loving them for God's glory. The writer's intent is to bring us to the point where we need people less and love them more. This is a book for every Christian to read. It will bring you to your knees in repentance. It is also a helpful volume for anyone wishing to build up a good resource library for counselling. The conclusion to the book is simply wonderful - fear God and keep His commandments.