In a world that applauds self-improvement, post-pandemic anxiety levels are at an all-time high. Already twice as likely as men to suffer from anxiety disorders, during the pandemic, many women found themselves under even more pressure than normal—pressure to lead, pressure to be productive, pressure to seize the day, pressure to parent well around the clock. Bestselling author, popular speaker and the talented artist behind GraceLaced Co., Ruth Chou Simons found herself squarely situated in that same camp, knowing there had to be a better way of living than the world’s ever-changing, never-enough standard.

In her new book, When Strivings Cease: Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement with the Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace , Simons guides readers on a journey to find freedom from the never-ending quest of self-improvement and helps them understand the truth that changes everything: God’s extravagant, undeserved grace is enough.

“If we believe that Jesus is truly enough, why do we spend all these hours trying to be enough?” writes Simons. “What actually changed everything for me in this unending search for adequacy and enoughness, was truly understanding God’s grace— reclaiming it from its trite usage and looking at it from a biblical point of view—and I almost missed it. It almost seemed too simple, but this is what I’ve learned takes us from a place of striving to living fully into our spiritual potential.”

In When Strivings Cease, Simons shares her own experiences with striving to belong, from growing up a Taiwanese immigrant in a new country to current-day struggles with inadequacy and comparison. Using personal stories, biblical insights, practical applications, and featuring her original artwork, she helps readers see the beautiful truth that God’s favor is the only currency they need, because in Christ, they are enough. 

“What we’ve been busy doing isn’t working. We’ve gotten out of sync with the foundations of what we believe and why our beliefs about God matter in our everyday lives. My goal is to help you realign with what it really means to trust in the grace of God.”

Ruth Chou Simons is a Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning author of several books, including GraceLaced, Beholding and Becoming, and Foundations. Her first Bible study curriculum, TruthFilled, released in 2020. She is an artist, entrepreneur, and speaker, using each of these platforms to spiritually sow the Word of God into people’s hearts. Through her online shoppe at GraceLaced.com and her social media community, Simons shares her journey of God’s grace intersecting daily life with word and art. Ruth and her husband, Troy, are grateful parents to six boys—their greatest adventure.