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Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone

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Our women's group embarked on the "Idols of the Heart" study about a year ago. We found within the pages the words of a woman who struggled with the same things we all did. One who was transparent, and who told us there was no reason for us to dwell in the temple of self any longer.

I encourage anyone who picks up this book to throw themselves wholeheartedly into the study, and not merely read the chapters and plug in answers to the questions.(which would be difficult to do the way Mrs. Fitzpatrick designed the study)

Where the author refers to the people mentioned in the Bible, find out all you can about their lives, what their idolatry was about, and how it relates to your own life. One thing we all learned was that we can never "lay our weapons down" we must always be on guard because as John Calvin said our hearts are perpetual idol factories.

Mrs. Fitzpatrick shows us the two prong attack the enemy of our souls uses to prod us along the path of idolatry, and gives us the tools we need to bend those prongs back so that when the prong is jabbed towards us it has no sharp edges.

Self-examination is crucial, we must be willing to look at our lives honestly and to lay aside all those things that come before God. There is victory, peace and hope when we do. While our hearts will continually try (notice I said TRY) to resurrect those shatterd idols from the broken shards, or create new idols to replace those that were destroyed; WE MUST bind ourselves to the throne of grace in humility and cling ever tighter to the mercies of God recognizing His unchanging nature, and finally acknowledging our own inability to do or be anything without Him.

This book shows you why answering that question will reveal the true object of your trust, your hope, your worship. If the answer is anything but the God of the Bible, then you have named the idol of your heart (more likely idolS, if you're honest). The lie of the enemy is that we need something other than God for our happiness. Overcoming this lie with the Truth that ALL of our happiness rests in the Lord of Life is the essence of sanctification. Elyse Fitzpatrick does a great job of explaining these truths. I found her thoughtful questions at the end of each chapter very helpful in applying this crucial material. Why crucial? Because learning to love and enjoy Jesus Christ above all else is training for heaven, the place where we will spend eternity perfectly happy. The reason we will be perfectly happy is because we will finally know that our happiness is in Jesus alone. Heaven is not joy apart from Christ, but perfect joy in Christ, "I say the joys of heaven are not the joys of heaven without Christ; he is the very heaven of heaven." (Richard Sibbes) The quicker we crush the idols of our hearts, the quicker we will experience a measure of the Joy of heaven.

Elyse Fitzpatrick has written one of the most helpful books in recent years on practical sanctification. In the tradition of the Puritans, "Idols of the Heart" exposes the true nature of the battle for our desires.

Often a book like this can come across as either heavy (too deep to be practical) or hard (so attacking that people are turned off). Fitzpatrick skillfully avoids both extremes. Her writing is relevent and her focus is positive, even when discussing the negatives of sins of the heart.

Her explanation of desires, idols, and heart sins is thoroughly biblical. She also provides the biblical counseling process for helping oneself or others to put off sin and to put on righteousness. Highly recommended!

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors."

The country in which I live takes great pride in one little phrase, "freedom of religion." America's founding documents protect her citizens from compulsory worship. The government does not dictate to its citizens what worship is appropriate or inappropriate, when worship occurs, or who (or what) is worthy of our worship. Citizens are free to not attend worship of any kind, if they so choose. Some people even choose to deny the existence of deity at all, and do so without fear of repercussion. We wonder in disbelief as citizens of foreign lands prostrate themselves before golden statues or make offerings to strange-looking goddesses. 'Can't they see it's just a statue?' we wonder. What few understand, however, is that, while we may not bow to a statue, our hearts are taken with insidious idols of all kinds.

It was during a 12-day trip to the Orient that Elyse Fitzpatrick witnessed blatant idolatry. That experience became the impetus for her book, Idols of the Heart, Learning to Long for God Alone. She teaches that idolatry is not so much an outward act, but the root of all sin springing from our hearts. God has commanded that we have no other gods before Him. Our enjoyment of God hinges on how we go about identifying our sins and grinding out our root idols. Fitzpatrick writes, "This book is written for those of you who desire to live a godly life and yet find yourself in a recurrently disappointing struggle against habitual sin. This book is written for you who find yourself constantly tripping over the same bad habit, the same embarrassing weakness, the same sinful slavery that you hoped to be free of years ago. In this book you'll learn that idolatry lies at the heart of every besetting sin that we struggle with."

Fitzpatrick begins each chapter by providing helpful character studies of various people in the Bible, people who either were or were not bound by idolatry: Rachel, Martha, Abraham, Eli, Lot's wife, Eve, Josiah, and Jesus, to name a few. Through these character sketches, she explains what idolatry is, what it isn't, how to recognize it, and what to do about it. No two people will create the same idol for the same reason, so how does one know when she is worshiping an idol? Fitzpatrick offers a helpful principle: "If you're willing to sin to obtain your goal or if you sin when you don't get what you want, then your desire has taken God's place and you're functioning as an idolater." In addition to a few guiding principles, Fitzpatrick assists her readers toward an understanding of the roles our minds, hearts, wills, and emotions play when it comes to sin and its defeat.

While we do have work to do in the tearing down of our idols, Fitzpatrick is faithful to what Scripture teaches regarding the sovereign rule of God over our hearts. Indeed, we would have no hope were it not for the work He has already performed for us. And a knowledge of what He has already done makes us certain that He will be faithful to finish His work in us. Though she doesn't always use the terms, Fitzpatrick gently guides her readers to understand several key doctrines: salvation, repentance, substitutionary atonement, double imputation, and sanctification. The absence of these truths is what is missing in the most popular books for women regarding freedom from sin.

Each chapter ends with questions for further thinking and self-evaluation. The questions are designed to help the reader identify her idols and apply God's word. Each one moves the reader along to practicing the process of sanctification, putting off sinful thoughts, desires, etc., submitting our hearts to God's holy word, and putting on righteousness (following through with a righteous act in opposition to the sinful one). One thing I learned is that my repentance is not complete until I have followed through with a specific "put on" action.

There are many things about this book that I appreciate. It includes three helpful appendices ("Discovering Sinful Patterns and False Gods," "What It Means to be Legalistic," and "How Can You Know If You Are a Christian"), extensive notes, and a scripture index. Obviously, Elyse Fitzpatrick is a woman. She writes like a woman who cares for women. She understands our fears and insecurities, why we hold on to the things we do, how we can be overly emotional about life and children, and what lengths we'll go to achieve happiness. As a woman of God, she understands our even deeper need to find our greatest joy and satisfaction in God alone. She writes, "Learning to take great delight and joy in God is the strongest deterrent to idolatry." I heartily recommend this book to any woman who desires to make God her never-ending joy and great delight!

You will learn more about human psychology in this one volume than you will ever learn in years of studying Freud, Skinner, Rogers, or anyone else for that matter. Grounded in scriptural teachings like Ezek. 14:3-5, James 4:1-3 and Jonah 2:8 (among many others), this exposition of the idolatry that is rampant in the hearts of humans of every stripe (including Christians, sadly) will provide invaluable insights into what's REALLY going on inside the head and heart of your counselee.

The doctrines laid out in this book have such broad application in so many areas of life, and to such a wide range of counseling issues, that it has become integrated into the standard counseling curriculum for many nouthetic counselors regardless of the counselee's specific presentation problems. If you want to become an effective Christian counselor, you really need to have a grasp on these issues and incorporate them into your counseling practice. Even if you're not a counselor, these teachings are insightful for understanding your own life, thoughts, actions, family, etc. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

The subtitle of this book is a very accurate description of the book's focus: "Learning to Long for God Alone." I had paid more attention to the main title and was expecting a good portion of the book to focus on some of the common idols of the heart, but there is almost no mention of specific idols. The author instead shows us the importance of loving God first and foremost, signs that we have idols of the heart, the danger of these idols, how to determine what those idols are, how to cast them aside, and what to replace them with.

Her case is well made with Scripture, and illustrated with examples, mostly her own. While aimed at revealing to you your own heart idolatry, the tone of this book does manage to be very encouraging. One point that I liked was that it does not just focus on casting aside definite sins, but also lawful things/situations/etc that we have elevated above God or that tempt us to sin. I came out of this book recognizing at least one idol of my own heart, and I trust that the same will be true for you. I'd recommend this book to any Christian woman.

What an eye opener for truth seekers. Be ready to be sanctified by the teachings of God's word and love. I loved it.

I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LOVE GOD MOST. THIS REVEALS HOW TO REMOVE AND DELETE THE IDOLS IN YOUR LIFE THROUGH THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST. I AM ONLY HALF THROUGH IT AND HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT GOD'S WILL AND HOW SHORT I FALL. READ THIS, YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY.

This is an excellent study!!! You need to be wearing steel-toed shoes while reading it, though! It is very convicting and the author tells it 'like it is'
I recommend this book highly if you want a closer walk with God!!

This book is an eye opener to Christians who think the first commandment is no sweat and they have it down packed. I highly recommend this book.