Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God
We suffer from the disease of melancholy, the sickness of self-hatred,  the darkness of doubt. Yet, author Brennan Manning sees the place of our worst  despair as a tangible starting point for the remedy: a ruthless trust in God. In  his sequel toThe Ragamuffin Gospel, Manning pries us loose from our  shame, our mistakes, and our doubts and encourages us to let go and trust God--ruthlessly.It's been 40 years since author Brennan Manning was "ambushed by God" and on the  far side of despair himself. As a gutter-alcoholic who was completely broken, he  found an unshakable trust in the love of Christ for him as he was then, not as  he could be or is now.Authenticity with God is critical in developing this trust relationship. In his  own inimitable voice, Manning tells us, "Raw honesty with Jesus about our doubts  and anxieties, our lust and laziness, our shabby prayer life and stale  religiosity, our mixed motives and divided hearts, is the risk we take in the  certainty of being acceptable and accepted. It is the full and mature expression  of invincible trust." Over the years, this trust ripens into confidence and  bears certain fruit, such as gratitude to God. But it's not always easy, he  admits. "Ruthless trust is hanging tough in the dark nights, when we are plunged  into desolation but know that absence of God is only apparent."For author Brennan Manning--and for us, if we choose--ruthless trust is not just  a concept, it's a way of life. As Manning observes, "Ill winds may blow, more  character defects may surface, sickness may visit, and friends will surely die,  but a stubborn irrefutable certainty persists that God is with us and loves us  in our struggle to be faithful." Now, that's ruthless trust. You won't fail to  be moved.--Cindy Crosby