Book Highlight: “How People Grow” by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend.
People talk all the time about a personal desire to “grow spiritually.” Some even find themselves being tasked with helping others in their spiritual growth. But what exactly is required for spiritual growth? How does one go about increasing strength and intimacy in their spiritual walk, their marriage and family life, their friendships, and in their own personal development? How can you assist others in doing this as well? Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend (the popular authors of Boundaries ), in their book, How People Grow , use their very practical and passionate theology, the backbone of their counseling philosophy, to tear apart popular misconceptions about how God operates and how growth occurs.
This book is two-fold in its approach. It addresses the responsibility that is essential for one’s own personal growth as well the responsibilities of pastors, counselors, mentors, and any others who are helping others in growing. The authors discuss the necessary processes that cause growth (psychology) and how those processes go hand in hand with a biblical understanding of spiritual growth (theology). It is revealed how spiritual growth and the real-life issues we face every day are one and the same. All issues are spiritual issues! The whole book is sprinkled with scripture and real-life examples!
How People Grow is broken down into four major parts. The section, “Paradise Lost,” first addresses the failures of popular “Christian” ways of thinking about personal growth (the sin model, truth model, experiential model, and the supernatural model), and how a more accumulative model is necessary (one that focuses on God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, sin, salvation, the Church, among other topics). It shows us that true growth is harder than we originally thought and that it is impossible to alone. The authors point out that mankind is in a “fallen state” because of sin and that we are all in process of redemption (the process of restoration to the way God designed things to be). We are powerless in redeeming ourselves. We need God and others.
The second part, “The Master Gardener: The God of Growth,” discusses the three parts of God (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit) and how each plays a very different but necessary role in the growth process. The first points to God being a God of grace and how that grace is essential for redemption. It then talks about Jesus being the example for living, as He walked in our shoes, experienced all our trials, temptations, and suffering, and still lived perfectly! And finally, they discuss the role of the Holy Spirit and how He finishes the task in us by pointing us to grace, Jesus, and acting as personal guide in our redemptive journey.
Section three, “Finding the Best Climate,” focuses on our need for people. We can’t grow alone, and God didn’t even intend for us to do it with just Him. He uses people. The authors talk about the roles of the Body of Christ (the church) and our need for acceptance, forgiveness, and warmth from others in order to set the climate for growth.
The fourth and final part of the book, “The Path of Growth,” discusses the many different tools and topics that are important to the growth process and how we need them and how we need to help others understand them. These topics include the Bible, grief and suffering, righteousness, discipline, spiritual poverty, obedience, sin and temptation, truth and reality, the importance of activity, and time.
Coming from a man who hungers and thirsts for spiritual growth personally, and as a therapist who greatly desires to help others in their redemptive journey, How People Grow is easily one of my most recommended books! With an emphasis on the great doctrines and themes of Christianity, How People Grow reveals how all growth is spiritual growth, and how people can grow in ways they never imagined!
Book Review By: Michael Cross, MA, LPC, is a clinical member at Transforming Life Counseling Center.
