Book Review: Wholeness by Christy Wimber

Dear Friends,

I was interested in reading this book partly because of who the author is but mainly because the theme of the book is of interest to me.

Christy Wimber shares openly in this book about her own struggles and also how God has changed her thinking on the subject of healing and wholeness. I admire anyone who allows God to change the way they have thought about a topic, especially when they have thought this way for some years as this is not easy. As I read I felt challenged to be more open to God changing the way I think.

The theme of the book is not an easy one to write about as it can be an emotive one. However, as someone who has lived with chronic ill health and depression for many years, I found the book was written very sensitively.  

In her introduction, Christy writes, "My prayer is that I can encourage the church to reopen and reexamine some of its beliefs and practices surrounding healing. But I don't only want to challenge the church; I also hope to also encourage us, as individuals, to provide a refuge where deeper healing and wholeness can take place. At the same time, I am really hoping to encourage those who feel overlooked and unheard, and those who feel they have no voice."

Christy writes about how our scars show the pain we have gone through in our life, but that they also show we have survived. She writes that it's important not to hide our scars from people because when we reveal our scars it gives others hope that they too can survive whatever pain they are going through.

Included in this book are chapters on addiction and shame, how they can keep us from wholeness and how we can receive freedom and healing from them. In another chapter Christy explores the importance of trust and how choosing trust despite what we face, is vital for us on our journey towards wholeness.

Christy looks at the question, if God heals, why am I still sick? And in a chapter which I found particularly helpful, she looks at the meaning, purpose and goal of healing. In this chapter, she stresses how important it is for the church to be a place where others come and encounter love and acceptance which she says is healing in itself. How the church should be a place where people can receive help.

One chapter has been written by Katherine Welby-Roberts who suffers from anxiety, depression and chronic fatigue. She gives practical suggestions as to how we, as the church, can respond to those with mental ill health. It's a very helpful chapter which provides the reader with insightful information. 

I do just have a couple of points to make which explains why I have given this book four stars rather than five. First, I did find it was a bit repetitive at times. Even within the same chapter, there was repetition which I felt was unnecessary - the repetition took from the clarity of the writing rather than adding to it by strengthening the point made. In my opinion, it would have benefitted from some additional editing. Secondly, the book seemed to end quite abruptly. I felt it would have been good to have a conclusion at the end to tie all the main points together. I do want to stress that these two points are just my personal opinion as a reader, and you may not feel the same when you read the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding the Biblical concept of wholeness, either from a personal viewpoint or because they want to be able to better support and encourage others in their own journey of wholeness, or because they want to be able to minister more effectively to others in their church and community. 

Vicki