Overcoming Father Wounds: Exchanging Your Pain for God’s Perfect Love

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

Overcoming Father Wounds: Exchanging Your Pain for God’s Perfect Love

Author:

Kia Stephens

Publisher:

Revell (a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Publication Date:

March 2023

Format:

Paperback

Length:

208 pages

OVERVIEW

Fathers impact each of their children’s lives—even if they’re not present, that absence creates father wounds that children have to grapple with. The wounds are particularly brutal for women, affecting how they see men, how they interact with their husbands, and how they treat their own children. Speaker and blogger Kia Stephens continues to hear heartbreaking stories from women who struggle to forgive their fathers. The ongoing journey of hearing other women’s stories, alongside studying what the Bible says about fathers, has helped her find healing from her own father wounds.

Stephens looks at fathers in the Bible who wounded their children (like Laban using his daughters to trick Jacob), her own journey with her father, and insights from other women she’s spoken to about their rocky father relationships. She provides clear insights on learning to understand past trauma, the difference between forgiving and pardoning someone, and finding peace in God regardless of how poor our earthly fathers were.

Stephens’ writing style comes across as a bit dry, which keeps anecdotes about her life from achieving full dramatic impact. However, even when the writing feels sluggish, her insights are excellent. She makes no promises that readers will find all the solutions they crave (that they can make their fathers admit their mistakes, or are guaranteed reconciliation in this life). Instead, she directs them to the larger point: when earthly fathers fail, our heavenly father is always there. She successfully combines Bible study, storytelling, and motivational speaking to give her audience honest advice.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

4 stars

Suggested Audience:

Christian women seeking to understand their relationships with their fathers better.

Christian Impact:

Stephens uses biblical insights about a father’s role to show what a good father should be, and insights on God the father’s love, to show how women can unpack their trauma and find their ultimate peace in God.

NOTE: ECLA readers who enjoy this work may also enjoy the following:

https://eclalibraries.org/2023/03/03/carved-in-ebony-lessons-from-the-black-women-who-shape-us/

https://eclalibraries.org/2022/02/07/finding-my-father-how-the-gospel-heals-the-pain-of-fatherlessness/

https://eclalibraries.org/2021/07/18/permission-to-be-black-my-journey-with-jay-z-and-jesus/

https://www.christianbook.com/

https://www.amazon.com/