Blogging for Books: Enemies of the Heart

I received a complimentary copy of Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley from its publisher in exchange for providing a review through their Blogging for Books program. I was not paid for the review, and I am free to share whatever I thought of it.

That being said, I really enjoyed this book. It's an easy read written in a conversational style. Andy Stanley addresses anger, guilt, greed, and jealousy as the four enemies of the heart. He writes about how they grip us and affect relationships with others. Then he provides practical antidotes for each one.

The style of the book is very approachable and Stanley never takes a holier-than-thou tone. He lumps himself right in with the rest of the human race in struggling with these emotions in some fashion and needing to be vigilant to uproot them when they begin to take hold.

I remember my mom encouraging me from an early age not to let a root of bitterness take hold in my heart.  To uproot things that would choke and squeeze the life from my heart.  The advice in this book reminded me of my mom's encouragement...

Instead of being angry, forgive.  Really forgive.  Don't gloss over offenses, but acknowledge what they are so they can truly be forgiven.  And when The Enemy sneaks back in to stir up your anger, run back to God standing firm that you.have.forgiven (and remember, you have been forgiven !).

Instead of guilt, confess.  When you wrong someone, confess it!  Don't let it stay hidden.  The Enemy loves darkness, but Jesus is LIGHT.  Don't remain a prisoner to guilt when you can confess and move forward.

Instead of greed, GIVE and give generously.  When we sold our home in Florida in the midst of the plunging real estate market and saw money drain from our savings account in order to sell a home we would no longer own, I learned just how much I relied on the numbers in our savings account to make me feel secure.  I gave lip service to God being my provider, but I was really counting on the money we had stashed away.  "Our money"... when it was really HIS money.  It was money HE provided, and so abundantly that we COULD afford to sell our home for such a loss.  He was so merciful!  I have learned that times I want to hold tightly to financial resources are times I need to give and give more than I want to.  It really does turn me into a cheerful giver to be freed from trying to control and grasp for those $$ straws.

Lastly, instead of jealousy choose celebration.  I find this also applies to when someone has hurt me.  When I have been wounded, thanks to the guidance and nurturing of my heart by my parents, my "fight or flight" often walks itself out as "celebrate or flight."  Sometimes I do just want to shrink away when I am hurt (flight).  But I have also learned that praying for the good of those who hurt us, praying for their blessing (thanks to my parents' example and encouragement), celebrating their joys and mourning their losses, keeps my heart in the right place.  We are ALL created in God's image, and He has forgiven so much in me that surely I can (and need!) to forgive others.  I recently saw on Pinterest a quote which read, "We can forgive the unforgivable in others because God has forgiven the unforgivable in us."  Ouch... and so true.  Something that helps me do that is *actively* seeking their good.  *Doing* something tangible to be a blessing to them.  It keeps my heart in check.

I thought the advice presented in the book was very clear and sensible.  Sometimes your heart is not in the right place, but by choosing the right actions your heart will follow suit in time.  It has happened to me over and over.

I would recommend this book and think taking its overall message to heart will really do your heart some good. ;)