I really enjoy the communication style of Andy Stanley. I have read many of his books and listen to his podcasts from Northpoint on a regular basis. I have his ability to communicate complex and difficult themes in a simple and practical way to be refreshing and useful. His new book, “Enemies of the Heart; Breaking Free From the Four Emotions That Control You” is no different. This book is a re-publish of Stanley’s earlier work “It Came From Within”. Stanley deals with what can be referred to as spiritual heart disease. He defines the heart not as the necessary organ that pumps blood to the rest of the body. Instead, he defines the heart as “that mysterious, wonderful, confusing part of you that enables you to love, laugh, fear, and experience life. It’s the sphere in which relationships happen.” Through the analogy of a heart patient going through the process of diagnosis and treatment, Stanley focuses on what are the four main enemies of the heart, of which the bulk of human problem can be traced back to. Stanley asserts that each of these conditions create a debt/debtor relationship in which both parties are negatively affected. The enemies as Stanley describes them are:  Guilt – “I owe you”, Anger – “You Owe Me”, Greed – “I Owe Me”, and Jealousy – “God Owes Me”.

Stanley details each of these conditions by looking at their cause and affect upon the heart of the believer. He then gives ways to practically confront each danger by what he calls “habits of the heart”, which he describes as “habits that exercise the heart and allow it to maintain the rhythm for which it was designed.” Enemies of the Heart is a quick and easy read. This being said, the truths that Stanley reveals will cause you to do some deep introspection. The discussion guide included at the end is beneficial and could be used for future small group study. Great resource. This book is well worth your time. I highly recommend.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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.”