Spiritual Sobriety Quotes

“We were taught to share at the expense of our own well-being. We came to associate self-care and self-love with selfishness.”
― Elizabeth Esther, Spiritual Sobriety: Stumbling Back to Faith When Good Religion Goes Bad

“The greatest danger to a church’s spiritual health is a pastor-centric church model.”
― Elizabeth Esther, Spiritual Sobriety: Stumbling Back to Faith When Good Religion Goes Bad

“Shame Brain happens when we see our mistakes as our identity. It’s the difference between “I made an error” and “I am an error.” Shame Brain can also take root when we allow others to blame us for things that are not our responsibility—”
― Elizabeth Esther, Spiritual Sobriety: Stumbling Back to Faith When Good Religion Goes Bad

“So much of our anger, frustration, and difficulty could be avoided if we simply went to bed when we were tired, ate when we were hungry, and called a friend when we were angry or lonely. Frankly, addicts expend a lot of energy on not feeling their needs. RAs feel guilty for being human. We believe others are worthy of having their needs met but we aren’t. Once we start accepting that our needs aren’t bad—indeed, God created us with them!—we stop feeling guilty for practicing self-care. In the words of a daily devotional, “Maybe Someone gave me the need because Someone planned to fulfill it. Maybe I had to feel the need, so I would notice and accept the gift.”* 14”
― Elizabeth Esther, Spiritual Sobriety: Stumbling Back to Faith When Good Religion Goes Bad