When Strivings Cease: Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement with the Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace
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- Create Date：2021-10-15 06:50:59
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Ruth Chou Simons
- ISBN：1400229987
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Summary
This is not a call to get busy; it’s a call to get discerning。
In this hustling， image-forward age of opportunity， women are more anxious than ever。 Despite all the affirming memes and self-reflections that dominate social media feeds， approval and worth often seem assigned to what we do rather than who we are。 And we end up constantly feeling behind， lacking， and like we're failing--at home， at work， with friends， with God。
Ruth Chou Simons knows something of feeling measured by achievement， performance， and the approval of others。 As a Taiwanese immigrant growing up between two cultures， Ruth was always on a mission to prove her worth。 Until she came to truly understand the one thing that changes everything: the extravagant， undeserved gift of grace from a merciful God。 In When Strivings Cease， Ruth guides us all on a journey to find freedom from the never-ending quest for self-improvement。 She shows us how to examine the ways we look to superficial means of acceptance and belonging， and find relief in realizing we can't be so amazing that we won't need grace; stop seeing God as someone we perform for and start finding delight in responding to God's welcome; and find relief from running the hamster wheel of relying on our own strength， our own abilities， and our own savvy--and always coming up short--by truly understanding the freedom Jesus purchased。
With personal story， biblical insights， practical applications， and original artwork by Ruth， this book helps us see the truth that God's favor is the only currency we need， because in Christ we are enough。
In this hustling， image-forward age of opportunity， women are more anxious than ever。 Despite all the affirming memes and self-reflections that dominate social media feeds， approval and worth often seem assigned to what we do rather than who we are。 And we end up constantly feeling behind， lacking， and like we're failing--at home， at work， with friends， with God。
Ruth Chou Simons knows something of feeling measured by achievement， performance， and the approval of others。 As a Taiwanese immigrant growing up between two cultures， Ruth was always on a mission to prove her worth。 Until she came to truly understand the one thing that changes everything: the extravagant， undeserved gift of grace from a merciful God。 In When Strivings Cease， Ruth guides us all on a journey to find freedom from the never-ending quest for self-improvement。 She shows us how to examine the ways we look to superficial means of acceptance and belonging， and find relief in realizing we can't be so amazing that we won't need grace; stop seeing God as someone we perform for and start finding delight in responding to God's welcome; and find relief from running the hamster wheel of relying on our own strength， our own abilities， and our own savvy--and always coming up short--by truly understanding the freedom Jesus purchased。
With personal story， biblical insights， practical applications， and original artwork by Ruth， this book helps us see the truth that God's favor is the only currency we need， because in Christ we are enough。
Reviews
Ruby Showalter
，
Ruth has written a beautiful and heartfelt book of her journey to cease striving and rest in the grace of God。 It connects with my heart on so many levels， because it’s my struggle too！ As she does so well with all of her books， she continually points us back to the endless grace that is only found in Jesus - the only freedom from striving。 This line sums up the book for me: “The grace of God - the mighty and powerfully transforming grace of God - restores what is broken， brings us home， grafts Ruth has written a beautiful and heartfelt book of her journey to cease striving and rest in the grace of God。 It connects with my heart on so many levels， because it’s my struggle too！ As she does so well with all of her books， she continually points us back to the endless grace that is only found in Jesus - the only freedom from striving。 This line sums up the book for me: “The grace of God - the mighty and powerfully transforming grace of God - restores what is broken， brings us home， grafts us in， and makes us fit to abide with Christ and He with us。 It was His plan all along， and amazing grace makes us able to want His story most of all。” If you - like me - struggle to embrace the truth of how loved and accepted you are by the Father， this book is for you！ 。。。more
Michelle Rowley
，
Wow！ So much good stuff in this book。 Not quite sure where to start。 I started not knowing in what areas I might be striving。 The message of this book coincided with the message preached at church that same week。 This quote is what reached me: "That nagging feeling we've had all along - that feeling of imperfection， ineptitude， or insufficiency？The world offers endless wasy to stuff it down， cover it up， numb it out， compensate， and overcome our inadequacy， but Jesus offered - and still offers - Wow！ So much good stuff in this book。 Not quite sure where to start。 I started not knowing in what areas I might be striving。 The message of this book coincided with the message preached at church that same week。 This quote is what reached me: "That nagging feeling we've had all along - that feeling of imperfection， ineptitude， or insufficiency？The world offers endless wasy to stuff it down， cover it up， numb it out， compensate， and overcome our inadequacy， but Jesus offered - and still offers - the only true， eternal solution that wasn't temporary but eternal。" The book of James， chapter 4 talks about being patient in sufferent。 Pastor talked about how we need to sit in the suffereng and be patient as God works things out。 It is all to easy to numb it or avoid it。 This is so， so true。 Learning to lean into Jesus and his grace is what we need。 。。。more
Emily
，
I love Ruth Chou Simon‘s beautiful artwork and encouraging social media posts， and I was so excited to read this book。 She discusses aspects of her personal testimony and the struggles she faced living in God’s grace as she grew up in a Chinese family with cultural and personal pressures to achieve and strive for certain goals。 Although I am not Asian， I have a similar personality and always feel the need to do more and have very high expectations for myself。 Some of the quotes that resonated wi I love Ruth Chou Simon‘s beautiful artwork and encouraging social media posts， and I was so excited to read this book。 She discusses aspects of her personal testimony and the struggles she faced living in God’s grace as she grew up in a Chinese family with cultural and personal pressures to achieve and strive for certain goals。 Although I am not Asian， I have a similar personality and always feel the need to do more and have very high expectations for myself。 Some of the quotes that resonated with me most are:- “When we are in Christ， we are simply aware of who we belong to first and foremost。 And， friend， that’s when we can let go of all the world tells us to do in order to belong。”- “The sad part is the way we’ve come to determine someone’s worthiness based on our different definitions of acceptability。 We e somehow replaced identity with identification。 We’ve bought into the paradigm that our “faces”—or Facebook pages， rather—are the summation of who we are。”- “If unchecked against the true character of God and our true identity in Christ， our self-reliance and pride will cause us to resort to shaming and manipulation。 And， similarly， if unchecked against the true character of God and our true identity in Christ， our self-condemning shame and feelings of inadequacy will keep us from drawing near—and coming home—to the Lord。”- “Grace is not the reward in itself; knowing Christ is。 Grace simply makes it possible for you to stop striving for yourself and strive out of love for God instead。 Grace isn’t an excuse to be lazy or apathetic about the marks if a Christian life。 Rather， it is the catalyst by which we can partake in it。”I appreciated reading the aspects of Ruth’s personal struggles and growth， and this was the strongest portion of the book to me。 I wish she had gone into more detail and allowed us to understand her testimony and see God’s grace in her life more fully。 But overall， When Strivings Cease contains a wonderful， truth-filled， much-needed message， and it was a good read。 。。。more
Emily Miller
，
I bought When Strivings Cease because I’ve found Ruth’s other writings to speak to the exact issues that I need to deal with over and over。 This new book met all my expectations。 Ruth writes profound truths in such a simple way that I find myself wishing I could read certain pages of this book every day to keep the concepts fresh in my mind。 Ruth shares her experiences growing up in a mixture of Asian and North American cultures and the struggle of finding her way through the pressures and expec I bought When Strivings Cease because I’ve found Ruth’s other writings to speak to the exact issues that I need to deal with over and over。 This new book met all my expectations。 Ruth writes profound truths in such a simple way that I find myself wishing I could read certain pages of this book every day to keep the concepts fresh in my mind。 Ruth shares her experiences growing up in a mixture of Asian and North American cultures and the struggle of finding her way through the pressures and expectations put on her。 Her story， though different from my own， felt easy to relate to。 It seems we all long to be more than we are and easily wear ourselves out trying to achieve something we weren’t created to do in the first place。When Strivings Cease is for the woman who works hard to be what she should be but never feels like enough。 It’s for the woman who sometimes doubts God’s love for her。 And it’s for the woman who might know about grace but has a difficult time accepting it and extending it to others。 。。。more
Doris Johnson
，
I've loved following Ruth's Instagram & blog over the years， and her beautiful artwork hangs in my home！ This book is Ruth's call for women to stop striving and to start *remembering* who we already are in Christ。 One quote that summed it up is this:"。。。if you're in Christ， you are already pleasing to [God] because of Jesus。 Your number-one job as a believer is to return again and again to the good news of the gospel-- the foundational truth of redeeming grace-- and let it draw you near him once I've loved following Ruth's Instagram & blog over the years， and her beautiful artwork hangs in my home！ This book is Ruth's call for women to stop striving and to start *remembering* who we already are in Christ。 One quote that summed it up is this:"。。。if you're in Christ， you are already pleasing to [God] because of Jesus。 Your number-one job as a believer is to return again and again to the good news of the gospel-- the foundational truth of redeeming grace-- and let it draw you near him once again。"I'm thankful for Ruth's desire to see women understand this central part of our faith！ 。。。more
Katie McAfee
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I want to thank Ruth Chou Simons for writing this beautiful book on the transforming power of God's grace。 His great grace。 We spend alot of time and energy trying to earn our place with people and ourselves really， Ruth leads us to the feet of Jesus。 One of my favorite quotes " We can't know true freedom if we expect grace to make us merely better， rather than completely new。" This book is worth reading again and again， allowing the words to lead us to a place where God does the transforming an I want to thank Ruth Chou Simons for writing this beautiful book on the transforming power of God's grace。 His great grace。 We spend alot of time and energy trying to earn our place with people and ourselves really， Ruth leads us to the feet of Jesus。 One of my favorite quotes " We can't know true freedom if we expect grace to make us merely better， rather than completely new。" This book is worth reading again and again， allowing the words to lead us to a place where God does the transforming and we just follow His lead。 。。。more
Anna
，
Reading this book is like sitting down to a cup of coffee with a wide friend。 Ruth’s vulnerability and stories woven in seamlessly with rich scripture truth is just what my striving soul needed to captivate my attention。 The content is rich， cover （with or without dust jacket！） is BEAUTIFUL， and calling to God’s perfect grace is so needed in today’s culture of self improvement。“If there is a gospel of self-improvement， it’s a damning one。 It is a gospel that is not good news at all; it will wall Reading this book is like sitting down to a cup of coffee with a wide friend。 Ruth’s vulnerability and stories woven in seamlessly with rich scripture truth is just what my striving soul needed to captivate my attention。 The content is rich， cover （with or without dust jacket！） is BEAUTIFUL， and calling to God’s perfect grace is so needed in today’s culture of self improvement。“If there is a gospel of self-improvement， it’s a damning one。 It is a gospel that is not good news at all; it will wall you off， shrivel you up and destroy your sensitivity to God’s pursuit。 This is why it must be utterly destroyed and replaced with the true gospel of life-transforming grace。 Only the grace of God is enough to bring us home， make us worthy， and keep us in the love of God。” 。。。more
Stacy Droddy
，
My book shelves are lined with "self improvement" books。 I honestly expected this book to be about striving for continued improvement。 This book has changed my life。 It made me realize that I truly am enough。 I believe that God's grace is sufficient， but I haven't been living like His grace is sufficient。 There is so much freedom in surrender。 Letting go and letting God 。 。 。 My book shelves are lined with "self improvement" books。 I honestly expected this book to be about striving for continued improvement。 This book has changed my life。 It made me realize that I truly am enough。 I believe that God's grace is sufficient， but I haven't been living like His grace is sufficient。 There is so much freedom in surrender。 Letting go and letting God 。 。 。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
“When Strivings Cease” feels like an authentic real-life conversation with Ruth， who shares her testimony of God’s unending grace and faithfulness throughout her life。 It’s an encouraging and refreshing example of how we need nothing other than Christ to find perfect peace and contentment in this life， while we rest in His grace until His kingdom comes。 The way Ruth is able to present the gospel in such a genuine way， feels like she is speaking straight to you-which she is。 So many truths rooted “When Strivings Cease” feels like an authentic real-life conversation with Ruth， who shares her testimony of God’s unending grace and faithfulness throughout her life。 It’s an encouraging and refreshing example of how we need nothing other than Christ to find perfect peace and contentment in this life， while we rest in His grace until His kingdom comes。 The way Ruth is able to present the gospel in such a genuine way， feels like she is speaking straight to you-which she is。 So many truths rooted in scripture！ A must read！ 。。。more
Carmen Snyder
，
Do you find yourself trying to be good enough？ Do enough？ Try enough？ I never felt quite enough。 I could never quite measure up！ This book is such a great reminder that because of His grace， I don't have to keep trying harder to be good enough。 Through the Grace of Christ， and His sacrifice I am made enough！ He makes me enough。 It is all because of HIS GRACE and not my striving！ This book is so much better than any "self-help" book because I cannot help myself only Christ can help me！ I will rea Do you find yourself trying to be good enough？ Do enough？ Try enough？ I never felt quite enough。 I could never quite measure up！ This book is such a great reminder that because of His grace， I don't have to keep trying harder to be good enough。 Through the Grace of Christ， and His sacrifice I am made enough！ He makes me enough。 It is all because of HIS GRACE and not my striving！ This book is so much better than any "self-help" book because I cannot help myself only Christ can help me！ I will read this book again and again as Ruth Chou Simons points me to scripture and ultimately to Jesus Christ as the answer！ 。。。more
Sarah
，
"So， you can rest friend。 You really can。 Not a forgetful， complacent rest but a deep and unhindered surrender。"Striving， running to prove I am enough。 Good enough， happy enough， strong enough。 Ruth sends you running to the only One Who can make you enough。 Rest in God's grace and move out of love towards the One who Created you！ "So， you can rest friend。 You really can。 Not a forgetful， complacent rest but a deep and unhindered surrender。"Striving， running to prove I am enough。 Good enough， happy enough， strong enough。 Ruth sends you running to the only One Who can make you enough。 Rest in God's grace and move out of love towards the One who Created you！ 。。。more
Margaret Kirkland
，
If you ever felt like trying to improve on yourself and everything you do and try to be， well then， this is t the book for you！ Ruth Chou Simons has masterfully used her craft in exposing some of the events in her life to show the love and God's favor is all we need。 We don't need to self-improve， but to rest in all Jesus did for us。It's all about grace。 The grace of God is all we need to know to bring about that rest。 I love the pages witb one-liners， statements that stand out， each one on a se If you ever felt like trying to improve on yourself and everything you do and try to be， well then， this is t the book for you！ Ruth Chou Simons has masterfully used her craft in exposing some of the events in her life to show the love and God's favor is all we need。 We don't need to self-improve， but to rest in all Jesus did for us。It's all about grace。 The grace of God is all we need to know to bring about that rest。 I love the pages witb one-liners， statements that stand out， each one on a separate page。One part that resonated with me was the relationship with her father， when Ruth was in school demanding his attention and being told to "Do the dishes"。 She then reveals that we don't need to demand God's attention， He is always ready to hear us and listen to us。 If you're someone who is frantically busy and always trying to self-improve this would be a good book for you。 It would be like sitting at Jesus's feet and learning of Him [Matthew 11:28 paraphrased]。 。。。more
Liza Tabita
，
This book is…waw。 It hits right in your pride and hope to be more， do more， leave a legacy， let them remember you kind of thing。 For me this book was eye opening， I did not realize how easy it is to shift your focus from grace to do something to deserve your salvation。 I thought that my struggle was a sign of being a good mom， a good christian， but all my good intentions lost their focus （ sometimes）。Turning back to the book， Ruth presents the beauty of grace and the trap that the enemy tries to This book is…waw。 It hits right in your pride and hope to be more， do more， leave a legacy， let them remember you kind of thing。 For me this book was eye opening， I did not realize how easy it is to shift your focus from grace to do something to deserve your salvation。 I thought that my struggle was a sign of being a good mom， a good christian， but all my good intentions lost their focus （ sometimes）。Turning back to the book， Ruth presents the beauty of grace and the trap that the enemy tries to set in front of us by making us strive for less that God’s presence。 I think this book is the most personal book from Ruth and it strikes right in the heart。 。。。more
Jessica
，
When Striving Cease has given me a breath of grace filled air that I desperately needed。 After months of a pandemic， bring a homeschooling mom and wife， separated from my families by miles and miles， I was striving until I was run down， discouraged， and broken。 I really wanted to hold it all together。 Ruths words in her book show me over and over the Hope I have in the Lord， the strength that is found in the Lord and the restoration to be found in the Lord。 Get this book and read it！
Courtney | Lasting Joy Reads
，
This book was good。 Really good。 I love how personal and relatable Ruth is。 Reading this book was like sitting down with an old friend。 Ruth shares her childhood experiences as an immigrant family and striving to fit in。 Ruth constantly pointed to the gospel truth throughout this book。 It was wonderful to read。 Culture will tell you that ‘you are enough’， but it’s a wonderful reminder that only God is enough。 We need to rest in him and let go of our strivings。 We need to be shaped by Gods word a This book was good。 Really good。 I love how personal and relatable Ruth is。 Reading this book was like sitting down with an old friend。 Ruth shares her childhood experiences as an immigrant family and striving to fit in。 Ruth constantly pointed to the gospel truth throughout this book。 It was wonderful to read。 Culture will tell you that ‘you are enough’， but it’s a wonderful reminder that only God is enough。 We need to rest in him and let go of our strivings。 We need to be shaped by Gods word and accept Gods grace。 Ruth reminds us that God desires us to know him and enjoy him forever。 Because of Christ’s finished work on the cross， Gods grace brings freedom and change。 I also loved that the title of this book is in one of my favourite songs “In Christ Alone”。I hope that you are able to read this book。 I can’t recommend it enough！ Thank you @ruthchousimons @gracelaced ， Netgalley， and the Unmutable Team for letting me be a part of this launch team！ 。。。more
Heidi Petlikau Guenther
，
What a great book - it’s beautiful inside and out and with a message that many of us need to hear， especially this year。 This book wasn’t one that I wanted to devour but rather to savour and process。 I really enjoyed Ruth’s style of writing。 It felt like I was sitting with a cup of hot coffee and she pulled up a chair to my table and just started talking as if I was an old friend。 Her conversational style was wonderful and refreshing。 Her message - incredibly timely。 I think that many people wil What a great book - it’s beautiful inside and out and with a message that many of us need to hear， especially this year。 This book wasn’t one that I wanted to devour but rather to savour and process。 I really enjoyed Ruth’s style of writing。 It felt like I was sitting with a cup of hot coffee and she pulled up a chair to my table and just started talking as if I was an old friend。 Her conversational style was wonderful and refreshing。 Her message - incredibly timely。 I think that many people will really enjoy this book， readers or not， being drawn in and say， “This message is for me too！” 。。。more
Amanda
，
When Strivings Cease shares Ruth Chou Simons' heart behind her previously-released art books， and just like her paintings， it is simply beautiful。“We say we trust that Jesus is enough， but we spend our lives trying to prove that we are， instead。”Ruth’s gentle telling of her own story shed light on many of the ways I， too， strive to be pleasing to others， and the cost to my relationships with God and others。 I was never meant to be enough。 I was meant to be His and my worth is born of my rest in When Strivings Cease shares Ruth Chou Simons' heart behind her previously-released art books， and just like her paintings， it is simply beautiful。“We say we trust that Jesus is enough， but we spend our lives trying to prove that we are， instead。”Ruth’s gentle telling of her own story shed light on many of the ways I， too， strive to be pleasing to others， and the cost to my relationships with God and others。 I was never meant to be enough。 I was meant to be His and my worth is born of my rest in Him。As in her other books， she speaks truth simply and powerfully。 My quest to cease striving will be an ongoing battle， but worth it。“…we must be intentional about replacing our faulty ideas of God with what is actually true about who he is and what he desires from us。 Otherwise， we will operate out of self-pity， self-condemnation， our sense of guilt， and the cultural cues that define our worthiness。”Ruth’s message is critical to those navigating intense pressures to impress， succeed， and please。 。。。more
Pamela K。
，
I have loved all of Ruth's books， and this was no exception。 While others have been more devotional， centered on a theme， this was different。 Ruth examined the issue of striving versus resting and dwelling in Christ。 The first several chapters looked at the ways we strive， and some of the whys。 She wrote this from her own experiences with the struggle and was transparent and honest。 I appreciated that she helped readers understand the issue and didn't rush to quick fixes。 As I've heard her say， I have loved all of Ruth's books， and this was no exception。 While others have been more devotional， centered on a theme， this was different。 Ruth examined the issue of striving versus resting and dwelling in Christ。 The first several chapters looked at the ways we strive， and some of the whys。 She wrote this from her own experiences with the struggle and was transparent and honest。 I appreciated that she helped readers understand the issue and didn't rush to quick fixes。 As I've heard her say， this isn't a self help book but one to move us to resting in Grace and our true belonging in Christ。 The last several chapters look at how grace transforms us and can move us away from unhealthy striving。 In one chapter she reminded me that we need to be grounded in pillars of grace including， our great need for grace， God's sovereign rescue， Jesus substitution and the Holy Spirit's sustaining。 I appreciated that at the end she admits that she is a work in progress as we all are。 I read this as a review copy， and took tons of notes along the way。 I'm looking forward to having a hard copy in my hands to underline。 I'd recommend this to any Christian woman， wanting to assess her striving and replace it with God's grace。 。。。more
Kimber
，
Ruth takes us on a journey to understanding grace is the answer we seek。 No matter what your cultural background you will identify with her story and it helps you understand your own need for approval and people pleasing in your own life。 We all strive for so many things in life that we can’t control， but God’s grace is the only way we will find peace。 Ruth walks us through that journey to reminding us that grace is only way we can stop striving and trying so hard。 Yes we still have to work in l Ruth takes us on a journey to understanding grace is the answer we seek。 No matter what your cultural background you will identify with her story and it helps you understand your own need for approval and people pleasing in your own life。 We all strive for so many things in life that we can’t control， but God’s grace is the only way we will find peace。 Ruth walks us through that journey to reminding us that grace is only way we can stop striving and trying so hard。 Yes we still have to work in life but we can’t control the outcome， only God can do that。I love how Ruth used so much scripture in her book to back up what she was teaching us。 And how she even dove deeper into the story of the prodigal son， that was really insightful for me。I would reccomend this book to anyone。 This book is also beautiful and makes a wonderful gift with artwork inside and out！ 。。。more
Jean Sink
，
Do you feel like you have to do better， be better， and are tired of the striving？ Pick up this book！I've been reading the sneak peek chapters and look forward to continuing when my pre-order lands on my porch today。 Here's one section that hit hard for me - "We are living the now and not yet。 And in this in between， we can mistake not yet for not enough if we’re not grounded in what the Bible actually says about God’s favor and how we receive it。"Grace is life-giving。 This book snapped me into t Do you feel like you have to do better， be better， and are tired of the striving？ Pick up this book！I've been reading the sneak peek chapters and look forward to continuing when my pre-order lands on my porch today。 Here's one section that hit hard for me - "We are living the now and not yet。 And in this in between， we can mistake not yet for not enough if we’re not grounded in what the Bible actually says about God’s favor and how we receive it。"Grace is life-giving。 This book snapped me into the reality that I can't work my way into being enough。 That's the point of grace - a simple， beautiful gift。 We can still seek to achieve and excel， so long as we keep our eyes focused on the Lord instead of looking to ourselves to be perfect and manage all the pressures of the world on our own。I've been a fan of Ruth Chou Simons and her beautiful artwork and books。 This book continues to reflect her being a vessel of the Lord and the message of grace。 。。。more
Sheree Patrick
，
Loved， loved， loved this book。 So very relevant in these times of trying and striving to do it all and be all the things to all the people and to-dos in our lives。 We strive to be enough， and Ruth so eloquently brings us to the truth - we don't have to be enough because CHRIST is enough。 His grace in our lives gives us peace and rest。 "We're looking for belonging in all the wrong places - and paying too high a price with the wrong currency。" This book is full of life-giving biblical truth AND ab Loved， loved， loved this book。 So very relevant in these times of trying and striving to do it all and be all the things to all the people and to-dos in our lives。 We strive to be enough， and Ruth so eloquently brings us to the truth - we don't have to be enough because CHRIST is enough。 His grace in our lives gives us peace and rest。 "We're looking for belonging in all the wrong places - and paying too high a price with the wrong currency。" This book is full of life-giving biblical truth AND absolutely beautiful artwork。 If you are worn out， exhausted from striving， this book is for you。 。。。more
Kellie
，
The tapestry that Ruth weaves through her words of life experiences， scripture， challenge， and encouragement in this book is as beautiful as her paintings。 Maybe more so。 She shows us where her issues with shame and striving stem from and then how she combats them and shows how we can too。 But this is not just another self help or self improvement book。 Her answers on how to deal with striving are hard hitting and challenging but so encouraging and life giving at the same time。 This book is not The tapestry that Ruth weaves through her words of life experiences， scripture， challenge， and encouragement in this book is as beautiful as her paintings。 Maybe more so。 She shows us where her issues with shame and striving stem from and then how she combats them and shows how we can too。 But this is not just another self help or self improvement book。 Her answers on how to deal with striving are hard hitting and challenging but so encouraging and life giving at the same time。 This book is not filled with tips and tricks or quick fixes to make us better at life。 When Strivings Cease is a book about it not being about us at all。 10 out of 10， I highly recommend。 。。。more
Joanne
，
I really really recommend reading the book slowly and with trusted friends。 There’s a lot to process and unpack。 As a Taiwanese American， I deeply felt her personal stories。 And for one of the first times， I am reading my own struggles represented in published print， and it makes me cry。 It’s not meant to be feel-good or self-help-ish。 The words written are meant to encourage readers to also think about and bring to light how our life experiences shape how we see and understand God’s grace and o I really really recommend reading the book slowly and with trusted friends。 There’s a lot to process and unpack。 As a Taiwanese American， I deeply felt her personal stories。 And for one of the first times， I am reading my own struggles represented in published print， and it makes me cry。 It’s not meant to be feel-good or self-help-ish。 The words written are meant to encourage readers to also think about and bring to light how our life experiences shape how we see and understand God’s grace and our relationship with the all-loving triune God。 And invites readers to shift our mind and life patterns to start with believing we are truly recipients of God’s grace， and from there … to cease striving and live as beloved of God… And it’s a EVERYDAY struggle。 Ruth shares how she also wrestled with remembering that this is a daily renewing of the mind 。。 if not hourly， minutely 。。 as it should be for all humankind。 If you are hoping to read this book to learn how to make life easier， this is not the book。 But if you’re looking for a book that shares how it’s an everyday struggle to believe that God’s grace is sufficient， then this is the book for you。 I think it’s Ruth’s most personal book。 It’s like memoir meets devotional meets Bible study。 I hope you will be blessed by this book as I was blessed by it。 。。。more
Stacie Stuart
，
As a mom who always feels like there is more to be done or to improved this book was a good challenge。 Ruth is honest and vulnerable about her journey as she has let God transform her striving to a mind fixed on his grace。 I was encouraged and blessed as I read the pages。 I could relate to her heart as she shared about how her view of God had to change in order for her beliefs and actions to change。 This book is a spiritually rich and beautifully simple read。 I am sure you will find blessings in As a mom who always feels like there is more to be done or to improved this book was a good challenge。 Ruth is honest and vulnerable about her journey as she has let God transform her striving to a mind fixed on his grace。 I was encouraged and blessed as I read the pages。 I could relate to her heart as she shared about how her view of God had to change in order for her beliefs and actions to change。 This book is a spiritually rich and beautifully simple read。 I am sure you will find blessings in these pages。 。。。more
Jessica Chavez
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“What we believe about what God’s given and what we think we need determines the choices we make”。 Ruth’s words are filled with wisdom。 Even if you’ve heard the gospel many times or you just heard for the first time， you will find that the book has been written by someone who has walked through understanding and believing the grace of God in her own life。 This book is for everyone who is tired of the self-help books， who is tired of striving and running yourself to the ground。 Ruth will lead the “What we believe about what God’s given and what we think we need determines the choices we make”。 Ruth’s words are filled with wisdom。 Even if you’ve heard the gospel many times or you just heard for the first time， you will find that the book has been written by someone who has walked through understanding and believing the grace of God in her own life。 This book is for everyone who is tired of the self-help books， who is tired of striving and running yourself to the ground。 Ruth will lead the way to help you know what you believe about God， what choices you are making and show you the narrow path to believe truth about God’s grace and how that affects our choices for the better in a long lasting way。 。。。more
Danielle Carr
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“You and I are freed from disappointment in others and disappointment in ourselves， not because we can let it go but because God stops us in the middle of our striving and comes after us。”What a timely message for all of us today… “it’s because of God’s grace。” It’s not about what we can accomplish， or what we expect of others or ourselves， it’s about the gift of God’s grace。 We can’t add anything to what He has done and the gift He has given us in salvation。 Everything we do is by God’s grace。 “You and I are freed from disappointment in others and disappointment in ourselves， not because we can let it go but because God stops us in the middle of our striving and comes after us。”What a timely message for all of us today… “it’s because of God’s grace。” It’s not about what we can accomplish， or what we expect of others or ourselves， it’s about the gift of God’s grace。 We can’t add anything to what He has done and the gift He has given us in salvation。 Everything we do is by God’s grace。 We need to stop striving to try to add to what and who God is… everything we have and accomplish is because of His grace。 Ruth’s personal story is convicting and uplifting at the same time。 I highly recommend “When Strivings Cease。” 。。。more
Katie Frieden
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For a long time all of the posts about self-improvement， creating your own happiness， and being "your best" have bothered me。 This book is about that message and how it does not match up with the message of God's grace。 I follow a lot of Christian women on social media and have always felt connected with Ruth Chou Simons' artwork and artistic message。 I purchased this book because I feel like I'm always "striving" to do the things I THINK I'm supposed to do。 I get anxious， and grumpy， and strugg For a long time all of the posts about self-improvement， creating your own happiness， and being "your best" have bothered me。 This book is about that message and how it does not match up with the message of God's grace。 I follow a lot of Christian women on social media and have always felt connected with Ruth Chou Simons' artwork and artistic message。 I purchased this book because I feel like I'm always "striving" to do the things I THINK I'm supposed to do。 I get anxious， and grumpy， and struggle to be my best at anything at all。 "When Strivings Cease" really hit home for me。 It's a beautiful message of God's grace， and what it means to truly walk in his grace。 What idols do we have in our lives？ Things that we think are from God but are from ourselves？ We worship our idols of self when we focus on our success （of self or by self） on this earth and not the real meaning of Jesus， forgiveness， and grace。 No， this doesn't mean we can't have good things in our lives， but we have to look at the big picture of God's kingdom and how he wants us to be a part of it。 Honestly， I was pretty embarrassed with myself while reading this book because I know that this is how I live my life- comfort， goal-setting， self-improvement- convinced that reaching the next goal or milestone will instantly relieve my stress and cause happiness。Our joy is found in the Lord and we must live in his grace。 That means admitting our faults and going to God。 It also means taking a step back and listening to him。 Ruth says "anything motivated by self-fulfillment or self-improvement is not a worship of God， it's a worship of self。" I hope to take this message forward in my life and live more by God's grace and his kingdom。 。。。more
Laura Wittmaier
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The enemy would love for us to believe the lie that we’re alone， not striving hard enough， and we’re the only ones that feel this way。 Thank you， Ruth Chou Simons， for telling your story， reminding us that we’re not alone and we can rest in his grace。
Tammy Belau
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This book has brought me to freedom that I didn't know was possible。Like a skilled surgeon， the way Ruth Chou Simons weaves grace and truth， utilizing scripture， has the power to pierce bone and marrow。I felt as though she was inside my head and heart and knew each of my deepest struggles for acceptance and belonging， and in a warm and loving way， she brought Jesus into that space， honoring His provision for me。I had multiple pages highlighted， but one of my favorite parts reads: "In Christ， on This book has brought me to freedom that I didn't know was possible。Like a skilled surgeon， the way Ruth Chou Simons weaves grace and truth， utilizing scripture， has the power to pierce bone and marrow。I felt as though she was inside my head and heart and knew each of my deepest struggles for acceptance and belonging， and in a warm and loving way， she brought Jesus into that space， honoring His provision for me。I had multiple pages highlighted， but one of my favorite parts reads: "In Christ， on the other hand， we've been fit and fashioned for the belonging we were always made for。 We're not working tirelessly and endlessly to somehow become a version of ourselves that is more desirable or acceptable to some unachievable standard。 We are not slaves to a cruel master of social approval or popular opinion but gratefully mastered by a loving Father。"I laughed at some parts of the book， and in other parts I wept， finally feeling seen and known。This book touched me on a soul level， and yet， it is not a heavy book。 Ruth walks alongside you， like a dear friend， revealing some of her hardest moments and how Jesus met her there， and it helped me see Him meeting me in my own moments。Not only do I recommend this book， but I plan on ordering the follow-up Bible study to lead a group of women this winter。Every one of us is ready to stop trying to save ourselves， and this book is the tool that opens the door to healing。 。。。more
Becky
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