A NEW DAY
By Emma Scrivener
IVP. 198 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978 1 783 594 412
The book takes us on a 24-hour journey from darkness to light. It is a picture of the Christian life. Starting in the evening, as darkness falls, it looks at how our struggles are the same as those of Adam and Eve. The issues of hunger, anxiety, control, shame, anger and despair are issues for us all, not just those with a mental health diagnosis.
We have old chains on our hearts and often make bad choices as we seek to overcome them on our own. In the darkness of our struggles a Saviour enters. Emma shows how, instead of feeding our own hungers by overworking, overeating, overexercising or overorganising, the Lord Jesus goes to the Father for his needs and is torn apart like bread for us. In the anxiety of Gethsemane , Jesus lays his fears before the Father and wins us peace. I could go on, it is glorious stuff.
Gospel transformation
As dawn comes and we step into the light of the gospel, Emma shows how Jesus changes our identity and self image. As the gospel transforms our thoughts, emotions and behaviours, she shows how we can stop listening to lies, resist anxiety and despair and deal with regret. The last chapter is a massive challenge to the church, to be a place of hope and healing as we are honest about our struggles and carry one another in the light.
This book is brilliant. It is full of real-life stories that hold nothing back in describing the raw pain and the grip that anxiety, shame, despair, etc., can have on us. But the way Emma uses gospel truth to challenge our thoughts and emotions in a way that can transform the realities of everyday life is remarkable. It is packed with wise thoughts and advice, particularly for those suffering from eating disorders, anxiety, OCD, self harm, aggression or depression. But the truth is that we all have hearts chained to some degree by different struggles. We need this book to show us that there is genuine hope of real change, as we step into a new day with the Lord Jesus.
