A review by shoshannah
Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

5.0

***Reread in 2017 - Still relevant, still amazing


"After days of fighting and warring with Satan's temptations, which included the fear of pain or death and the pleasures that just one puff of opium would bring, [Pastor Hsi] said 'Devil, what can you do against me? My life is in the hands of God. And truly I am willing to break off opium and die, but not willing to continue in sin and live'...That's the kind of repentance that you'll need to put on in order to crush your idols...You must be able to say with Hsi 'I might die in this struggle, but I'm not willing to continue in sin and live'" (182).


Fitzpatrick's thoughts on identifying and destroying idols are practical, yet steer clear of the error of "self-help." She uses the scriptures and the words of the puritans to speak to the heart in a way that is easy to identify with, yet not coddling, as her treatment of the topic of sin is very serious. This book is great for anyone who is battling or feels trapped in habitual sins and wants to know more about sin and it's roots in idolatry.