Enemies of the Heart: Breaking Free from the Four Emotions That Control You

Self Evaluation, Not Self Help

Enemies of the heart is one of those books that made me evaluate my attitudes and thoughts about various events and people in my life. It really opened my eyes to unhealthy emotions hidden in my own heart.

With that said I want to make it clear that Enemies of the heart is not a self-help, 4 steps , How to make all your problems go away kind of a book.

This book, written in a conversational style, leads you to think about your hearts attitude toward circumstances.
Andy Stanley Describes in perfect detail the reasons We often feel anger, jealousy, and Greed. He describes how harmful these emotions become when they go unchecked.

He not only exposes the dangers of these emotions, but he gives us the tools to begin the journey towards conquering those enemies of your heart. And yes we all have them.
This book is very well written and kept my interest all the way to the end. I even went back and re-read and underlined things I needed to stick in my own heart.
I recommend this book to anyone who is hurting, or has been hurt in the past, knows someone that is hurting, or will be hurt in the near future. Enemies of the heart is a very well written book perfect for those moments in the waiting room, bus,train ride, and can even be used as a devotional or a study group guide. (The study guide is in the back of the book)
Get this book. You will be changed by it.
Forgive.Celebrate.Move forward.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

HELP Translating your actions and attitudes with the heart!

This book helped me see the condition of my own heart like never before! I always struggled with understanding how to identify the emotions I have with its root cause. This book guides you through 4enemies that if left unchecked can plague your heart and allow you to be vulnerable to more than you would care to imagine, including sexual sin. The case was made clear biblically with multiple references to scripture that we are to guard our hearts for out of it flows the wellspring of life. Written in conversation style it is as if Andy is a good friend. He balances his writing with relatable stories and reveals some of his own personal struggles along with signature humor. This book packs a punch that will give you a very clear plan, not just identifies the problem. But gives you the anecdote to apply for healing and restoration with God. There are discussion questions to do this in a small group setting. This book has personally set me on a new direction and goal: to keep my heart guarded, cleaned by God's forgiveness, and pass on these 4 steps to my children so they may be connected with their own hearts as a discipline to help them grow healthy hearts of their own. Highly recommended! I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for this review. Tpekurny

Enemies of the Heart - Confronting What's Within

Andy Stanley writes about how our actions come from within and how our inner condition is determined by the condition of our heart. It is because of our damaged or wounded hearts that we react in certain ways. He describes four enemies of the heart, which greatly impacts the condition of the heart: guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy. He attributes habits (one habit per enemy of the heart) that can be practiced to help confront and turn away from our guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy.

I appreciated what Stanley had to say concerning the heart condition and how to approach each enemy. I found myself naturally thinking about what he was saying and analyzing what condition my heart is in. He does a great job at making the material understandable and relevant to the life of the reader (at least for me he did). I was challenged to not simply read and be educated, but to actual confront the enemies of my heart with the help of God. I believe this book is a good resource to revisit our heart and reflect on what we need to go to God with and allow Him to transform. I see this book being a good introduction to growing in self-awareness.


I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

Uncomfortable at best - but worth it

Andy Stanley does a marvelous job at one thing in "Enemies of the Heart:" uncovering a few uncomfortable truths within all of us. The primary issue uncovered is that the things in life that fester negatively within us are actually tied to our heart.

The book is basically laid out into four parts. In Part One, Stanley covers the deceptive nature of our sin, and how our sin is indeed a heart issue. Drawing on Scripture from Jeremiah, we are left with a striking need to correct our sin issue.

Part Two lays out four specific "enemies." These are guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy. Using real-world examples, Stanley gives practical knowledge on these circumstances.

Part Three offers ways to counteract each of these enemies using happiness, forgiveness, and philanthropy.

Part Four introduces a topic on which Andy preaches often - the legacy we leave for our children and for those to whom we are accountable. Using vivid imagery, Andy closes out the book leaving the reader filled with a longing for action.

This book is written in a very down-to-earth fashion, making it appropriate for anyone. However, I think that the Christian will benefit most from it's teachings, as it is laden with Scripture throughout.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Very useful, I recommend it to any body that want changes in his life but don't know what to do or where to go, people that are dealing with divorce, rape, abortion, death, and all other life deceptions. I learned that what comes in is what comes out, if we need to be better we need to start from the inside. this book help me see my true self and understand other's shortcoming.

Helpful book

Book Review: Enemies of the Heart
By Andy Stanley

Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley is an informal text about four main emotions that may grip one's heart, robbing them of a full life. The book discusses where emotions come from, the four emotions (guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy), how to deal with each of the emotions, and how to go on with life. The book is full of personal experiences shared by the author. The emotions are demonstrated clearly through the detail of real experiences rather than being at the philosophical level. It may be difficult to relate at times, if your experience is different than that of the authors. Overall the book provides a good frame work for addressing the heart issues: "confess, forgive, give, celebrate".


¿I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review¿.

Great illustrations of real life

This is an awesome book! Andy does a great job of taking the challenges in our life and putting them into logical perspective. He really unravels the confusion around guilt, anger, and entitlement that just really makes life tough. I wish I would have read this years ago. Highly recommend it.

For Difficult Emotions

Andy Stanley helps us understand what the Bible tells us all about human nature and the source of sin. He expertly guides us to the problem, ie the sin problem like guilt, anger, greed, jealousy, etc. Then he shows us through scripture the answer to these sins. Forgiveness is the answer to anger as generosity is the answer to greed, and so on. This is a very helpful book.

This book will make you examine your heart! Fantastic!

I have to admit, the title of this book and the cover grabbed my attention. I have never heard of Andy Stanley. Andy talks about the 4 main enemies of the heart. Guilt, anger, greed and jealousy can eat away at your heart until you are a bitter person. Ever since I got the news that my little brother is fighting cancer, I have been angry. I have given in and have been allowing anger to rule a lot of areas in my life. This book has given me hope that I can overcome anger with God's help. I would highly recommend this book. I found myself struggling in a few areas, not only anger.

Book Review: Enemies Within

Emotions are a part of life. Everyone deals with them at some level. But what if our lives become controlled by emotion? What if the issues we are dealing with today are the result of our inability to control our emotional heart? In his personal and humorous style, Andy Standy unpacks four destructive emotions that when taken root will damage relationships. These emotions are guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy. Seriously, who hasn't struggle with one or each of these emotions? Stanley offers powerful and practical advice grounded in the Bible to help win the battle in our hearts with these emotions and restore relationships that have been broken as a result. This is an excellent read for any follower of Christ who wants to grow in their ability to "love one another." I give Enemies of the Heart 4.5 out of 5 stars. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers book review bloggers 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.

Transformative

Andy Stanley blows my mind with the most obvious stuff. Really, it's not that he's not wise or creative. He is. It's just that the best things I've ever heard him say are so plain.

His book Enemies of the Heart, based on a series he preached called "It Came from Within," is yet another example of profound simplicity.

In this book, Stanley suggests that most all of our bad behavior springs from one of four heart conditions (guilt, anger, greed or jealousy) and that while we may be tempted to modify our behavior, real transformation won't occur until we root around in our hearts.

At one point in the book Stanley asks if you've ever said something like " I don't know where that came from" in response to something inappropriate, mean, spiteful (etc.) you may have said. His response to this haunts me. He says, "You want to know where that came from? It came from your sick heart."

The first time I heard him say that was four years ago. I say it to myself now every time I catch myself inching into guilt, anger, jealousy or greed, and when you start thinking about it, almost every misstep we make grows out of one of those four conditions.

If you haven't read the book, you should. Or listen to the sermon series (which you can probably buy on Northpoint Community Church's website). This is truly transformative truth, the kind of stuff that messes with your status quo.

Best Prescription for Your Heart

The author does a superb job on describing what he calls the primarily four emotions that can give us heart diseases. Those emotions can cause damage to us and to our relationship with others. Those four emotions are:
- Guilt - this is the feeling that I owe those I have offended (I owe you). Suggested treatment is to confess.
- Anger - this is the feeling that everyone owes me (You owe me). Suggested treatment is to forgive.
- Greed - this means that I always want more and more (I owe me). According to the author, it is not a feeling, but a refusal to act. Suggested treatment is to give.
- Jealousy - this is the feeling that I deserve more than what I get (God owes me). Suggested treatment is to celebrate others triumph.

The author uses plenty of examples and advices to prove his point, but it is always easier to say than to execute.
Anyway, it is an excellent book and I recommend to be in the permanent library of any reader that wants to improve his/her self-control and get closer to God.

This book was written by Andy Stanley and was first published in February of 2006 with the Title "It Came from Within" by WaterBrook Multnomah Books and it is now republished in June 2011 by the same publisher but with a different name, "Enemies of the Heart". The publishers were kind enough to provide me a copy for reviewing through their Blogging for Books Program. Thanks, Mr. Stanley, for this wonderful book.

Great book with easy to understand concepts!

Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley turned out to be a great read. I say "turned out" because it took me a while to get into it. :-)

Andy Stanley discusses the four root causes of sin in our hearts, those being anger, greed, guilt and jealousy. His descriptions of each of the four emotions and the ways that they manifest themselves in our interactions with others were interesting, revealing that they don't always looks like we'd expect them to look.

He organizes the discussion of each root sin around the concept of debt...anger is a feeling of "you owe me," greed is a feeling of "I owe me," guilt is a feeling of "I owe you," and jealousy is a feeling of "God owes me." I think that theme definitely works as a way to understand the sinful emotions, but it may vary slightly from situation to situation. Then again, they are really so intertwined that it was nice to see it organized so succinctly.

To sum up his method for confronting these heart emotions, he gives a list of habits that we should develop. As we do, we'll find that they replace anger, greed, guilt and jealousy in our hearts. For anger, cultivate the habit of forgiveness. For greed, cultivate the habit of generosity. For guilt, cultivate the habit of confession to those you've wronged. And for jealousy, cultivate the habit of celebration of what God has given to others.

I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it.

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program through WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Go here to learn more info about the program.

A Heart Opening Journey

I was given an opportunity to review Andy Stanley's book, Enemies of the Heart. This book identifies four emotions that have the power to control us if we allow them to do so. This book is well written; however, may be difficult to digest, especially if one or more of these four emotions has lodged itself in your heart. Stanley identifies the four enemies of the heart as guilt, anger, greed and jealousy. Stanley uses multiple scriptures and personal illustrations to help the reader understand each enemy. Throughout reading this book I began to find it easier to identify emotions in myself and those around me. The good news is that not only does Stanley identify these four enemies he also provides ways for us to overcome them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn to take control over his or her emotions. One chapter I especially enjoyed described how learning to model this control over our emotions can greatly benefit our children. By learning how to model confession, forgiveness, generosity and celebration we can teach our children how to manage the emotions that rage within them and provide them with a valuable resource that will serve them well for a lifetime. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

How to Find Health for Your Emotional Heart

Heart Problems
The author shows parallels between illnesses of the physical heart and of the emotional heart. Various exercises are required to fix what's wrong with one's heart. Reading this, I feel him figuratively knock me upside the head about both my hearts. So, what are the emotions that damage the heart? What are the debts associated with them?
Guilt: I owe you.
I feel as though I owe someone for some transgression.
It's not enough to confess this before God though He does forgive. Debts must be paid off or canceled - even relational ones.
Solution: Confession. Go to God, to the person to whom an apology is owed and confess your guilt. Offer to make restitution if that is possible. The person may not remember the transgression or consider it important and cancel the debt. Or he or she may hold a grudge, which is that person's problem. Once confessed and restitution made - if required, the debt is paid.
Anger: You owe me.
Someone didn't give me what I believe I deserve.and I can show why I'm angry. The problem is even justifiable anger hurts others. I should not let what happened to me affect how I treat others. Why give that power to the one who hurt me?
Solution: Forgiveness. Whether the person asks or not, do not hold him or her accountable. Jesus paid the debt each of us owed God. He calls us to cancel the debt others owe us.
Problem: The author doesn't deal with incest or other abuses. The damage to one's life from being so abused is tremendous and the guilty should be stopped from continuing such abuse. The author's focus, however, is on the heart of the abused.
Greed: I owe me.
Stuff is held dearer than people. "People with greed lodged in their heart fear that God.won't take care of them in the fashion or style in which they want to be cared for." They become anxious and strive to always have more.
Solution: Generosity. "Generosity allows us to partner with God as he shows himself in tangible ways to the world around us." This requires faith that "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
Jealousy: God owes me.
It's God's fault that I'm not as good-looking as my brother, not as smart as my sister, don't have as good a job as my neighbor. I even rejoice when one of them has a loss.
Solution: Celebration. Celebrate what the other has or accomplished. Genuinely compliment the one who seems better off than one's self. "Celebration makes us a vehicle through which God communicates his pleasure."
What about lust?
The author then writes, ".lust is different from guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy in one very important way: God created it. He even declared it good." He wrote, ".before sin, there was lust.
"Lust isn't a problem you solve; it's an appetite you manage. Thus the need for self-control." However, excessive, uncontrolled lust is a symptom of lack of intimacy with one's father. Anger, especially, gives a foothold for Satan to play with the heart and reduce resistance to lust.
Solution: First, deal with the other heart problems. Then lust must be contained - focused on the right person. Self-control must be exercised.
I recommend this book to anyone with problems in his or her relationships. Exposure of the problems to the light will be painful. Performing the exercises recommended will be tough. The results will be better relationships, more joy in trusting God, and healthier hearts.

This book was received free in ebook format from Blogging For Books just s

Prescription for a Healthy Spiritual Life

This year, Andy Stanly decided to re-release a repackaged version of It Came from Within. The result is this little volume subtitled Breaking Free from the Four Emotions That Control You. The original had always been tempting to me because it had much cooler if exceedingly less relevant cover art. In this book, Stanley deals with issues of the heart; those things which keep us from doing what we know is right. He addresses those things that make us say, "Where did that come from?" "That's not like me," and similar exclamations when we say something or act in some way that seems totally out of character.

The simple answer to the question of where that (comment/action) came from is "It came from within." Those out-of-character, less-than-stellar reactions that we encounter from time to time are an outward expression of something that is going on deeper down, in our heart (using the term metaphorically to represent our spiritual self). Stanley carries the example through well in the book relating our spiritual condition with the physical condition that relates to our heart-and what causes heart disease. Physically, we understand it is poor habits-whether at the gym or at the table. The author asserts that we can practice daily exercises in our spiritual lives that will strengthen our spiritual heart in the same way.

Stanley identifies four culprits that rob us of our spiritual heart health: guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy. He includes the analogy of debt to represent each of these. Guilt says I owe you; anger says you owe me; greed, I owe myself; and jealousy, God owes me. He builds a pretty good case for each of these dynamic debts including Scriptures that address each one. He doesn't simply point out the problem, though. Stanley is sure to offer a solution to overcoming each of these behaviors. Simply put, he suggests developing habits that defeat these enemies-confession, forgiveness, generosity, and celebration. He closes the book with a chapter on passing these good habits to the next generation living in your house, and a short chapter on lust which he claims is an appetite to be managed rather than an enemy to be overcome.

The book is a great means to address the underlying issues that result in the ugliness that is sin in our lives. The only drawback that I see in the book is that it leans toward the misconception that we are able to develop any of the overcoming habits outside of faith in Christ. Not that this is the intent of the author, just an observation about the book. In any case, I would recommend this manual on moving beyond the destructors of our relationships to any believer in Christ, and give it four and one-half reading glasses.

-Benjamin Potter, September 1, 2011

[Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.]

A life-changing must read!

Divorce. Job loss. Estrangement from family members. Broken friendships.

The difficult circumstances you are dealing with today are likely being fed by one of four emotional forces that compels you to act in undesirable ways, sometimes even against your will.

Andy Stanley explores each of these destructive forces - guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy - and how they infiltrate your life and damage your relationships. He says that, left unchallenged, they have the power to destroy your home, your career, and your friendships.

In Enemies of the Heart, Andy offers practical, biblical direction to help you fight back, to take charge of those feelings that mysteriously control you, and to restore your broken relationships. Also included with this book is a six-week discussion guide to help in a small group study.

My Review:

In light of the circumstances surrounding us today from job loss, divorce, and maintaining our relationships with family and friends, it's hard sometimes not to let greed, anger, guilt or jealousy ruled our thoughts and our hearts. While at times we often think we are the ones that deserve a break and it seems like the ones that deserve a little consequence for some poor actions are the ones that are constantly moving ahead. We on the other hand seem to be fighting that upward battle and never seem to gain any ground.

We work hard at the jobs we do, show up early, stay late, take on extra projects, while a co-worker will never be reliable, is gone more days than they are at work, leave early, take more breaks than most and then when a promotion is up for grabs, its offered to them and not us. Sound like a jealous head begins to rear up? So how do we as Christians respond to that situation? Andy Stanley gives some great advice on working on what we feel on the inside, so that we don't respond in a negative way on the outside.

We as Christians, need to start spending some time evaluating our heart, our spiritual heart on a regular basis. We neglect it far too much and then wonder where our negative thoughts manifest from.

We get jealous when we try on several pairs of jeans, meanwhile our friend puts on the same pairs and they look amazing on her. Do we compliment her or do we simmer on the inside wondering why we can find a pair of jeans to look great on us?

Do you ever find yourself asking the following questions after we have done or said something we shouldn't have:

"I can't believe I just said that."
"I don't know where that came from."
"I can't believe I just did that."
"That's not like me."

Then perhaps you should pick up a copy of Andy Stanley's book, Enemies of the Heart. I highly recommend it for anyone who is struggling with simply how to be a better person and how not to let these emotions overrun our lives, thoughts and actions. I received this book, compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest review and will be referencing this one from time to time. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars! The writing style is easy to follow and lets the reader feel like a close personal friend, and that is what really works in my opinion.

Enemies of the Heart

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. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.

Break the cycle and free your heart

ENEMIES OF THE HEART Breaking Free From the Four Emotions That Control You By Andy Stanley "Life can be hard on the heart. The world is full of outside influences that have the power to disrupt the power of the heart." But over time we desensitize our hearts and throw our hearts out of their natural sync. Most people do not pay attention to the condition of their heart, but rather their behavior. "Treating the symptoms masks the real culprit" and "delays treatment of the problem." The longer we ignore our "spiritual heart disease" the greater the risk that it will destroy us. Andy Stanley will help us discover our problem areas so we can treat the root cause of our disease. Exceptions to our behavior are reflections of what is actually in our heart. "What's in your heart comes out at home, where you've turned off the 'safety' and let down your defenses. That's when the heart exposes itself in the most negative ways to the people you love the most." Everyone is like a "volcano waiting to erupt." But what can we do to prevent this hurtful volatility of the heart? Everything we experience goes through our heart, but the bad things tend to get trapped and eventually erupt. But because we have to build up we don't know where this behavior comes from. Often our earliest heart damage occurs during childhood, and because no one was around to help us release our hurt right away, we begin erecting walls to prevent future hurts. But when we hold onto our wounds we continually re-injure ourselves and damage our close relationships with others. Because we don't want others to know enough about us to wound us, we tend to keep everyone at a distance on the other side of our protective wall. Some people are so wounded that they have lost their faith in God, but if they can "address their heart issues" many times they rediscover their faith. "There are four. enemies of the heart that can't be measured in a doctor's office." These enemies are susceptible to truth. What are these enemies you wonder, "they are: Guilt, Anger, Greed, and Jealousy" and every wound "can be traced back to one of these four." Guilt says, 'I owe you.' Anger, on the other hand, says, 'You owe me'. The third enemy.greed says 'I owe me'. Jealousy says, 'God owes me'. "Like father, like son isn't just a cliché; our kids . share our propensities towards anger, guilt , greed and jealousy. We have the capacity to pass along. spiritual corruption. so we need to tackle these issues head-on in our lives." These conditions shape our homes and our children's hearts. "Home environments mirror the hearts of those who head the home." A healthy heart helps us fight temptation and allows us "to love as God intends us to love. Anger greed, guilt, and jealousy are the antithesis of love." First Corinthians 13: 4 - 7 should guide our lives because it shows love as God intended it. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

A Must Read

According to Andy Stanley, in his book Enemies of the Heart, they are guilt, anger, greed and jealousy. Each of these comes from an attitude of debt. I owe you. You owe me. I owe me. God owes me. To root out these deep-seated issues, Stanley suggests a practice- confession, forgiveness, generosity, and celebration. What a really like about this book is that it is not a "try harder" book. It's not about being better on the outside without doing something on the inside. The practices, or disciplines, Stanley suggests are ones that, if genuinely and consistently practiced, will change the inside.

I think it's easy for us to try some discipline a few times or for a few weeks and say, "Ah, it didn't work. Let's try something different." (i.e. dieting, exercising, temptation, breaking habits, etc.) I think we forget that change takes time and perseverance. I forget, anyway. I get all excited and psyched up to introduce a change, with hopes that it'll stick and I'll get rid of the bad habit or start a new good one. Normally a week is what I give it, and then I start stumbling, second guessing my desires for it, and look for ways out. Change is hard.

Anyway, Stanley does a good job of revealing the vice, explaining how it shows up in ordinary lives, and then introduces the practice that helps unravel it from our heart. He comes at these vices in a way that is filled with grace, with transparency into his own life, and from a perspective that says- our salvation is still working itself out so of course we're going to have these struggles in our lives. It's just a matter of continuing in that sanctification process to dig them out. He also has a chapter at the end about how we can help our children deal with these things early on- both weeding out what is there and helping to prevent major overgrowth from piling up in their lives.

It's a great read. Especially if you know you're struggling with one of those 4 areas (or know someone who is).