Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear

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I HIGHLY recommend this 5-star book. It is life changing and you are going to want to share it with those who really need to read it.

Jinger made her reality TV debut in 2008 when the show was called 16 Kids and Counting . After multiple additions to the family over the years, the show was eventually renamed 19 Kids and Counting . However, after eldest brother Josh Duggar ’s child molestation and cheating scandals, TLC pulled the plug on the show. In her early twenties, a new family member—a brother-in-law who didn’t grow up in the same tight-knit conservative circle as Jinger—caused her to examine her beliefs,” the description continued. “He was committed to the Bible, but he didn’t believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true. His influence … caused Jinger to see that her life was built on rules, not God’s Word.” We got the call on June 26, 2021 that TLC was canceling Counting On. When the call ended, I wrapped my arms around Jeremy and cried. Hard,” Jinger recalled. “So many emotions poured out of me that day. I felt sad. Filming had been a constant in my life since I was around 10 years old. When the show was on break, and the crews didn’t come around for a few months, I missed the energy and excitement of interacting with all the creative people. The producers worked with my family to come up with ideas for episodes. It was fun to think of creative ways to give audiences a glimpse into our day-to-day lives.” It’s been definitely a challenging process to write this book, but as I’ve said before, it’s the most important thing I’ve ever done,” Duggar exclusively told Us Weekly before the book hit shelves, adding that she hoped her words help “even just one person” find freedom. “I think in this book I’ve been more open and vulnerable than I ever have before.” I, like many, grew up watching the Duggar family on TLC. As a Christian, I can't say I was fascinated in how the family operated because frankly it terrified me. I knew then that there is no way we were interpreting the Bible the same way.Telling her story. Jinger Duggar grew up in the spotlight, but there was still plenty TLC fans didn’t know about her life — until now. A lot about this made me cringe, but the quote that made me cringe the most was, 'A woman's identity is in Jesus'. Which isn't surprising given she failed to quote any verse about any of the amazing women mentioned in the Bible or the fact she belongs to a church where women cannot share the Word as pastors. I have never been so glad to have been raised in a Christian faith that is accepting and told me I was my own person. We wholeheartedly agree with TLC’s decision not to renew Counting On and are excited for the next chapter of our lives,” the message continued. “We look forward to continuing our creative journey in Los Angeles and seeing what the future holds.”

In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger shares how in her early twenties, a new family member—a brother-in-law who didn't grow up in the same tight-knit conservative circle as Jinger—caused her to examine her beliefs. He was committed to the Bible, but he didn't believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true. His influence, along with the help of a pastor named Jeremy Vuolo, caused Jinger to see that her life was built on rules, not God's Word. When Jinger Duggar Vuolo was growing up, she was convinced that obeying the rules was the key to success and God's favor. She zealously promoted the Basic Life Principles of Bill Gothard,• fastidiously obeying the modesty guidelines (no shorts or jeans, only dresses),When Jinger Duggar Vuolo was growing up, she was convinced that obeying the rules was the key to success and God's favor. She zealously promoted the Basic Life Principles of Bill Gothard, When I saw that Jinger was coming out with a book about not being in the IBLP anymore, I cried. Seeing one of the big names from the Christian fundamentalist world speak out made me hope that we’d get more voices speaking against this evil. You can’t rate someone’s life, but this was so helpful. Jinger is brave and honest whilst staying respectful, kind, and full of godly love. Her pain is palpable, but so is her new freedom. I’m incredibly grateful for her willingness to share. She didn’t write a tell-all dissing her family. Instead, she wrote a tell-all of God’s grace. I think that’s beautiful. Jinger committed to studying the Bible - truly understanding it - for the first time. What resulted was an earth-shaking realization: much of what she’d always believed about God, obedience to His Word, and personal holiness wasn’t in-line with what the Bible teaches.

Ahead of the release of her new book, Becoming Free Indeed, the former TLC star claimed she “grew up terrified of the outside world.” But instead we get vague narratives about being focused on others instead of yourself and how that helps social anxiety, or how it's about Christ and not rules. But no specifics on what it means to change your focus or how it's really changed her life. She mentions briefly that she may have struggled with post-partum depression. It would have been so much more interesting to have a whole chapter on her journey with that and how her new way of looking at her faith made a difference. Instead we get a reference to Christ being sufficient and we move on. I'd be remiss to say she also mentioned abortion being a sin which as of March 8, 2023 is a little ironic considering her sister had one a few weeks ago in a red state where she had to go before a board to justify it (don't argue with me, it will be listed as such by insurance.) Jinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, recounts how she began to question the unhealthy ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ.

If you were taught Bill Gothard's principles or absorbed them in a church community like I did, or if you were raised in some kind of Christian subculture that taught something other than the pure gospel of grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone, then you'll find this book helpful to separate fact from fiction. I commend it for that reason. In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger shares how in her early twenties, a new family member - a brother-in-law who didn’t grow up in the same tight-knit conservative circle as Jinger - caused her to examine her beliefs. He was committed to the Bible, but he didn’t believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true. His influence, along with the help of a pastor named Jeremy Vuolo, caused Jinger to see that her life was built on rules, not God’s Word.