Review: Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food by Lysa Terkeurst

Synopsis: Made to Crave is the missing link between a woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen. The reality is we were made to crave. Craving isn’t a bad thing. But we must realize God created us to crave more of him. Many of us have misplaced that craving by overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction. If you are struggling with unhealthy eating habits, you can break the “I’ll start again Monday” cycle, and start feeling good about yourself today. Learn to stop beating yourself up over the numbers on the scale. Discover that your weight loss struggle isn’t a curse but rather a blessing in the making, and replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory. You can reach your healthy weight goal – and grow closer to God in the process. This is not a how-to book. This is not the latest and greatest dieting plan. This book is the necessary companion for you to use alongside whatever healthy lifestyle plan you choose. This is a book and Bible study to help you find the "want to" in making healthy lifestyle choices. (from the online description)

Review: This was given to me by a dear friend, who knows how I struggle with food and my weight. I eagerly read it. It seemed to promise more than just a “if you believe enough, Jesus will make you thin” approach.

For the most part, Terkeurst writes good advice about how eating health and exercise isn’t about how we look, but is more of chance to practice self-discipline and self-denial. Both of these character traits are worth pursuing in our walk with Christ. “If we want to truly get close to God, we’ll have to distance ourselves from other things.” (p16). Weaving encouragement and practical tips in with the story of her journey make for an appealing book. She writes in chatty, easy to read language, with warmth and humor. Snippets are highlighted in bold print every few pages, making it easy to pick out the main points. And she said several things that made me stop and think and consider how I approach my struggle with over-eating. For example, “Weakness is hard, but weakness doesn’t have to mean defeat. It is my opportunity to experience God’s power firsthand.” (p103) I think this. She writes about turning moments of temptation into moments of prayer, moments of kindness to others, and understanding what we can and cannot handle. Scripture appears often, and she included an appendix that lists all the scripture she quoted.  I don’t find anything theological wrong with her work.

Yet, for all that, there is something off about the ideas she teaches. I can’t place my finger on it, nor can I explain it. It is frustrating. If someone were to ask about this book, I would not recommend it, but I can’t tell you why. I took to the internet to read about her other books, and found similar reviews. The strongest argument against Terkeurst is her promotion and devotion to Steve Furtick, of Elevation Church fame.  And indeed, Furtick theology is repugnant and heretical.  Sadly, if Terkeurst accepts the teaching of Furtick as truth, then all her own teachings concern me, and make me approach with extreme caution.

To conclude, I plan to use some of the ideas Terkeurst teaches in this book, but I will be careful about what I accept as truth, and I will not be reading any more of her work. 

Bookmarks: 5 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-310-29326-2
Year Published: 2010
Date Finished: 3-29-2016
Pages: 219