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Review Summary: If it Were Only That Easy |
Date: 2006-10-24 |
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Details: My husband picked up a copy of The Father Heart of God for me over the summer. He was involved in the same missionary that the author, Floyd McClung, directed at the time he wrote this work.
"You must read this book," my husband proclaimed. "It will change your life!"
I plunged into reading the book... and found I couldn't go very far. It's virtually impossible to dive into a wading pool, at least not without the risk of breaking your neck. Ultimately I found it to be very disappointing.
McClung's purpose in writing The Father Heart of God was to teach that God is a loving and compassionate Father who cares for your needs, doing so with Biblical passages and anecdotes of his own life and others he encountered in his missionary work. He also includes some workshop type questions in the back of the book where one can write on their own insights and discoveries.
He does accomplish his purpose... but on a rather simplistic and shallow level. Many mainstream Christians learn about the concept of a loving Father before they've graduated from Sunday School. It's a message that is usually reinforced in healthy families who make Christian living and prayer the center of their lives. As a Catholic convert, I was able to learn much of this both in adult catechism and in asking many questions of priests who were patient, wise and happy to walk part of my spiritual journey with me. I've since found there are various Christian pamphlets that cover the same thing in far fewer pages.
In essence, while his examples are good and this may help some who may need a reminder of the role God plays in our lives, I question just how large of a target that can be. It is too simplistic to truly help an adult Christian pursue growth and progress. I get the feeling many who read this book for the purpose of finding deeper spiritual meaning will find its contents lacking.
The part I found most problematic about this book, however, was McClung's approach to forgiveness. He definitely was a product of the school of thought in his day and age at the time he wrote The Father Heart of God. He insists that healing will not occur without forgiving someone who has deeply wronged us, and that forgiving is as simple as a matter of practicing it.
His technique: Simply say to yourself "I forgive (Name)" every day, as often as needed... and voila, the pain will go away one day if you do it often and long enough! I also found it rather contradictory that while McClung believes we should forgive others no matter what, we should beware of our own sins, repent and make restitution to those we harm.
This is an extremely flawed and even dangerous train of thought from both a spiritual and psychological perspective. As I wrote in my review of The Wounded Heart, Dan Allender spares no expense explaining how treating wounds left behind by abuse are many times worsened through suggestions such as McClung's, that smack of the "forgive and forget" and the "you must forgive to be a good Christian" frames of mind.
Ken Graber, M.A. states that it takes an average of three to five years for an incest survivor to recover, and that in most cases that process involves both intensive therapy and participation in a support group. In light of this, simply saying "I forgive my father who beat and molested me" several times a day, if considered in light of Graber's statement, just isn't going to cut it.
Christian counselors Les Carter and Frank Minirth also state that even after forgiveness, there will still be pain and anger. Forgiving does not stop us from feeling, especially when it's in regard to something that invokes righteous anger.
Many experts are agreeing that healing must occur first, and in many cases, forgiveness of a perpetrator is not even necessary, for true recovery. Others, like Matthew, Dennis and Sheila Linn, compare forgiveness to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' dying process: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. In this case, once again, many stages, some of them rather long, must occur before forgiveness can even be considered.
Furthermore, McClung's concept is Biblically unsound. Luke 17:3 states we are to forgive IF an offender repents. Forgiveness is conditional. Other passages in Scripture make it clear that we are to hold each other accountable, and if someone does not repent of their sins despite being confronted by witnesses, their church and even the law, then they must be shunned, sometimes for the sake of our own self-preservation. Nowhere in those same passages does it say we must also forgive.
The Bible also makes it clear that we are all responsible for taking specific steps to be accountable for our wrongdoings before we can even consider being forgiven, as well as what we face if we do not. This is made abundantly clear in both Old and New Testaments.
Scripture does not therefore support forgiving everyone around us no matter how badly they have offended us, and even if they don't repent. We aren't asked to perform something even God will not do. We are called to forgive as God forgives, and by withholding it when someone refuses to be accountable, we are doing just that. It is also my opinion that in some cases, forgiveness, rather than trying to impose our own will in trying to achieve it by reciting words over and over, must sometimes be turned over for God to help us do instead... that is, when it is truly appropriate.
Finally, from a literary standpoint, I found McClung's writing style to be clumsy, awkward and difficult to get through. Something that in a way is surprising given the overly simplistic nature of his messages.
As much as I try to find something good to be able to at least partially recommend what I read so it isn't a complete waste, I found very little redeemable in The Father Heart of God. I think the spiritual concepts are too trite, and it promotes outdated, unhealthy messages in respect to finding healing, strength and hope in a loving, Fatherly God. For Christian resources that are more validating about recovering from past hurts, and seeking deeper relationship with God, I believe one can do much better elsewhere. |
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Review Summary: The Perfect Father |
Date: 2005-04-09 |
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Details: When many hear the world 'God', they feel uneasy. It's a word that may evoke pictures of an old man in the sky, angry at us for everything we've done, a distant, overwhelming authority figure. This isn't how God is portrayed in the Bible, not at all. Floyd McClung's "The Father Heart of God" goes about setting things straight, using scriptural evidence along with his experience as a counsellor and missionary.
God is like the perfect father, loving, patient and always there for us, but this is a truth that many find hard to accept. Hearing the word 'father' often can evoke visions of one's own father, McClung says. If one's father was abusive and violent, they will see God as abusive and violent. If one's father was strict and unforgiving, they will see God as strict and unforgiving, even though the Bible tells us this is clearly not the case. In his work, McClung has met so many scarred both emotionally and spiritually by a poor father.
When I heard about McClung's idea, I must admit I was a little skeptical. Past hurts makes it harder to come to God, yes, but surely people wouldn't mistake God for the behavior of their biological father, would they? As I read the book, I realized it applied to me too. My dad, though a great guy, worked very hard when I was growing up, and wasn't at home for very often. Even though his work was just up the road, he felt so far away. I believe in God, love him, and am doing my best to follow him, but sometimes I have felt that even though he is really close in my life, that he is distant from me for some reason. Where did I get this idea from? The example of my father! Though only a minor example compared to some in the book, I was rather shaken and humbled by the realisation.
So if God is like a father, but not like my father, you may ask, what kind of father is he? What does he want from me? What does he think? What does he feel? Where has he been all my life? McClung provides the answers in a series of well written, flowing chapters, along with strategies for getting rid of all the hurt of the past. Strategies (hand in hand with prayer) that work. I got a lot out of the chapter on "the Saul Syndrome", an analysis of the dysfunction of King Saul, the first Israeli king, applied to modern life.
It's a thin book, doesn't take long to read, but is filled to the brim with life changing material. I'd recommend it to Christians seeking to strengthen their relationship with God and to fathers looking to improve upon their loving environment in which they surround their children (there's a whole chapter devoted to fathers).
Those who are searching for truth or are new to the idea of God will get a lot out of this book too. McClung does interchange the word Jesus with God, with little explanation to the newcomer as to why, which could get a bit confusing, not a good feeling when you're all searching and vulnerable. Isn't Jesus a son and not a father, the newcomer might ask? I suppose you've just got to remember that Jesus came to show us what God is like. "Like father, like son" as the old saying goes.
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Review Summary: Very Insightful |
Date: 2004-01-15 |
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Details: This book is a very good and fast read. I recommend this book to everyone. I think that everyone should read this book. |
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Review Summary: Revolutionary Thinking in the Age of Victimization |
Date: 2001-02-14 |
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Details: In God's design of the family, the father serves the role of priest, prophet and king. He provides the leadership and vision while setting the spirit of the home. He meets the physical and emotional needs of those in his charge. And he loves his family with a selfless and undying love, focusing on their best interests. The selfish nature of humanity, however, tears down this design with alarming regularity. Men (and women) create pain and suffering in families and other social situations through their self-centered pursuits. The fallout is generations of individuals who equate the actions of people with the heart of God. In this book, Floyd McClung leaves no stone unturned in the process of turning people towards the heart of God. Mixing the truth of the Bible with a love that comes from his own personal experiences, the author shows the reader how God truly views His creation. With sensitivity to the pain associated with rejection and abuse, McClung lays out the facts about the character of God in contrast to the sinful nature of man. The stark contrast will leave the reader with only one conclusion: God loves me unconditionally. This book is an excellent resource for counselling professionals, victims of abuse and for Christians who want to know God in a deeper way. |
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Review Summary: Thoroughly challenging and helpful book |
Date: 2000-08-03 |
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Details: I found "The Father Heart of God" to be deeply challenging and I would whole heartedly suggest it to anyone who has a desire to improve their relationship with God. Floyd is a fascinating author that punctuates the theological material with emotive real-world examples making the book a gripping read. Though he challenges many of the wrong impressions of God, this is far from being a negative book, as the overal aim is to build an accurate, biblical picture of God and His relationship with us. |
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out of 6 Reviews
