Enemies of the Heart

Enemies of the Heart

by Andy Stanley

I have heard Andy Stanley speak in person 3 times. All of those times I found him to be a very engaging speaker. Until reading this one, I had never read any of his books. I was very happy to discover that his writing style is just as engaging. 

In Enemies of the Heart, previously published under the title It Came From Within, Andy Stanley talks about the four emotions that control us: Guilt, Anger, Greed, and Jealousy. He says that for every evil deed that is done, the motive stems from one of these. As I thought about it, I had to agree. He explains that guilt is the belief that "I owe you"; anger is the belief that "you owe me"; greed is the belief that "I owe me"; and jealousy is the belief that "God owes me." For each of these, Stanley offers solutions for ridding ourselves of the negative emotions. Before the skeptics step in and say that it can never be that easy to rid ourselves of negative behaviors, Stanley talks about how our humanity wants to dredge up the emotions long after incidents are over, but God can free us. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the emotions that control our hearts. I would actually recommend that everyone read this book, for the reason that Andy Stanley has a way of making God's Word relevant and applicable to life. When I first picked up the book, I wasn't sure what God was going to teach me. But I found myself searching my heart to see if any of the negative emotions controlled me. It is not easy to find the darkness that lurks in the heart, but it is always encouraging to know that God is a forgiving God, and if we allow Him to change us, He will. 

Please click here to rank my review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."