If anyone knows the depths to which fear can carry us, it would be author Angie Smith. 
Before picking up her new book What Women Fear, I knew very little about her. I had heard her discussion thoughts on another book I went through with a group recently. And, I knew she and her husband had dealt with the reality of being told during her fourth pregnancy that their baby would not survive. But in What Women Fear, I met a woman who began battling deep and debilitating fears as a young child. Yet even in the battle, she has learned the incredible joy of growing in Christ and clinging to Him from the depths.
Each chapter of What Women Fear begins with the retelling of a story from Scripture. Smith is a gifted storyteller, taking the familiar passages and bringing them close to home. The reader can almost find herself in the middle of each story, feeling what the heroes of old felt.
Smith then takes a break in the Biblical story and moves into more contemporary examples of fear. Typically they are portions of her own story, bravely told in a reminder to us that we are not alone in our fears. The chapter is concluded with a return to the original Scriptural example, bringing conclusion with God’s wisdom and commands related to our fears.
Some of the chapters I identified with more closely than others. One chapter in particular left me wanting to put down the book and not ever pick it up again as I discovered how close to home it was hitting! But, I was also riveted. I was ready to move through my conviction and find success even through my fears.
The most beautiful aspect of What Women Fear is that Angie Smith never once pretends to have all of the answers. Even with an MA in Developmental Psychology, Smith knows that the only escape from our fears is a perfect relationship with Christ. So, instead of seeking to offer black and white steps to a supposed total healing from fear, Smith shows us how God relates to our fear. He desires that we be free from fear, and that perfect intimate relationship with Him is the ultimate goal. But, as we are still far from that point, He uses each moment of our fear to draw us closer to Himself.
What Women Fear is not a self-help book. Instead, it is a tool to point women to God’s Word and the healing and growth that it holds. For those who struggle continually with fear, it is a source of encouragement. For those who think they don’t struggle with fear, it is a challenge to dig deeper, finding those unknown areas where fear lurks almost unnoticed. Either way, it is a book I recommend.
This book was sent to me by BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review.
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