Free to Thrive: How Your Hurt, Struggles, and Deepest Longings Can Lead to a Fulfilling Life

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars | 104 ratings

Price: 18.18

Last update: 05-25-2024


About this item

Overcome your struggles. Fulfill your deepest longings. Your whole life awaits you.

Many people today are struggling with unprecedented levels of anxiety, hurt, doubt, guilt, and shame. Medical and mental health professionals confirm that much of the dysfunction and disconnectedness we experience in life stems from unresolved relational and emotional hurts. These hurts leave us with unfulfilled God-given longings that we seek to fulfill through unhealthy behaviors and relationships. Yet, our struggles aren't random; they're signals that when answered can pave our way toward a thriving life.

In Free to Thrive, Josh McDowell and Ben Bennett invite you on a journey of healing and will teach you how to overcome unwanted behaviors by engaging your unmet longings. With a blend of hard-won wisdom and youthful energy, they present:

  • Biblical teaching
  • Recent neuroscientific research
  • Time-tested principles
  • Personal stories of deliverance
  • Practical tools
  • Opportunities for reflection

No matter what you are struggling with, it is possible to experience the spiritual, emotional, and relational wholeness that God wants you to have - and live the thriving life you were made for.

Accompanying figures, tables, appendices, and resources are available in the audiobook companion PDF download.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.


Top reviews from the United States

Tara Rounds
5.0 out of 5 stars From struggling to thriving in life
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2021
We all have longings in life. A longing to be loved, accepted, valued, safe, and more. These longings can go unmet in our lives causing us pain, leading to frustration and anger, and behaviors such as addictions, self harm or loathing, lashing out at others and more. But God doesn't want us to live a life of being stuck in unending cycles of behaving in a way that pleases Him, then a situation triggers past unmet longings leading to frustration or hurt and  causing us to return back to our addictions or behaviors that are not pleasing to God. God wants us to thrive in life, living an abundant life.  Free to Thrive discusses why we continue in this cycle of unwanted behaviors. This book identifies the seven longings in life that when they are unmet can lead to dissatisfaction, frustration, and later addictions and unwanted behaviors. The authors, Josh McDowell and Ben Bennett are open and honest about their struggles and past experiences. They use personal stories along with other examples to show how we can examine our lives and identify the longing (s) that are unmet in our lives and then work at changing how we react to situations triggering these unmet longings leading us to return to our unwanted behaviors. They discuss how these longings are fulfilled  by God and how we can take steps to renewing our mind and changing our thought patterns. This book includes self examination questions, diagrams, tables, and further resources for help in identifying, renewing our minds, and changing our behaviors. I found this book extremely helpful and useful to me in learning the seven longings people have, identifying what longing (s) are unmet in my life causing hurt, frustration, anger, depression, anxiety and more in my life and a life that is stuck in a cycle of self destruction. At the end of each chapter there are self reflection questions. I haven't gone through all of them but plan on rereading this book, doing self examination, journaling, working on renewing my mind, and working towards changing my thought patterns and responses to situations leading to the thriving life which God has promised and wants us to live. I did have to go back and reread parts of the book to understand them.  Free to Thrive is not a quick read, it is a book to be read slower, thought about, worked through and reread again to fully grasp the contents and change your thinking. This book will be added to my tool box of resources for dealing with and overcoming my struggles with depression, anxiety, self esteem and insecurities. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling in life with addictions, mental health struggles, feeling stuck in life or wondering why things seem to never get better. Free to Thrive is a useful tool to evaluating your thoughts, reactions or responses to situations and relationships in your lives. Pick up a copy today and take a step toward living a life that thrives. I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
John D. Foubert
5.0 out of 5 stars Particularly Outstanding, Impactful Book
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2021
Free to Thrive is the latest book by prolific author Josh McDowell and newcomer Ben Bennett. In it, they both invite the reader into their past pain and present triumph through Christ. If this book ministers to you half as much as it did to me, you’ll find it to be life changing. They show their deep and profound wisdom of the things that ensnare our spirit, and demonstrate equal wisdom regarding how to break free to into a flourishing life. Instead of focusing on how to change behavior, McDowell and Bennett focus on the advantages of a changed heart. They give practical tips to the reader to figure out our unmet longings, and how those get in the way of a thriving life. Each chapter includes reflection questions that help the reader digest the information presented. They would make great questions for a small group reading the book together as well. I urge you: read this book and prepare for changes in your life that you can’t even imagine.
Shannan Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars Really helps with past hurts!
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2023
Excellent book!
Matt Ross
4.0 out of 5 stars Do the work and you will be free to thrive!
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2021
It’s high time we face the underlying factors driving our unwanted behaviors and struggles and begin a journey to healing through biblical, well-researched, and time-tested principles. You are not made to flounder and flail; you are made for more. You are made to thrive. Jesus offers you healing, health, wholeness, and true satisfaction. Through timeless biblical principles, backed by research, you’ll find solutions in this book that God will use to set you free. We invite you into your journey of healing from hurts and overcoming your unwanted behaviors by engaging your unmet longings. Your thriving life awaits.

We must live out of a position of wholeness, the completeness of who we are as new creations in Christ. We must find the deepest fulfillment of our longings in Christ rather than always looking to others to satisfy our every need.

The authors really want you to dive in head first into a thriving life. If you take the time to get real with where you are then this book will be a stepping stone for you to achieve the life you want to live.
Cherri's Jubilee
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2023
This book is so good! I recommend it to everyone.
purple
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2023
Came right on time, well-packaged and in excellent condition
PA Bob
5.0 out of 5 stars Moving from Unwanted Behaviors into Wholeness
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2021
The premise of the book is that every person has seven God-given longings which we all want and need to have met if we are to live in wholeness. These include acceptance, appreciation, affection, access, attention, affirmation of feelings, and assurance of safety. When these longings are unmet, they can result in unwanted behaviors on our part. Only by recognizing these unmet longings and how they drive our unwanted behaviors can we move forward. Key to this is seeing yourself as God sees us which is not generally how we see ourselves, and understanding how to correct this incorrect perception. The book includes interesting, personal stories that illustrate the topics in the chapters, and relevant scriptural references. There are questions for reflection as well as tools for self-assessment. It is fairly easy to read but contains profound truth. The book discusses universal issues so helpful to all but I suspect Christians will be more open to the presentation than non-Christians. I recommend this book to anybody dealing with unwanted behaviors (which is everybody if we are honest) and seeking direction. It may not solve all your problems but it does point the right direction to take to move forward. I read an electronic version of the text as part of the book’s launch team and bought a hardcopy which arrived today. I received no compensation for my comments.

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