Shaping the Heart

What better start to the year than to take stock of your faith and tend to any weeds that may have crept in over the last 12 months?

“Shaping the Heart” is a fantastic new book from author Pamela Evans to help you do just that.

An experienced counsellor, Evans cuts through culture, confusion and unhelpful mindsets to what it means to have fruitful faith - and how we might all get there in the midst of this thing called life.

“It’s vital to keep in mind at every stage that the aim of spiritual transformation is not the production of well-formed exhibits for God’s showcase,” she writes.

“He seeks our cooperation as he forms us into women and men who show the family likeness, so that we may fulfil our appointed role and bear fruit for his Kingdom.”

Evans has helpfully summed up the areas of focus for fruitful faith. These include laying strong foundations by learning to love God and others; learning to trust in the goodness of God; embracing adversity; transforming ourselves through prayer and worship; and demonstrating obedience.

Evans’ years as a doctor have set in her in good stead not only for identifying the problems Christians can encounter in their spiritual formation, but also in suggesting the remedies of tried and tested verses, practical exercises, and helpful insights from other Christians who have walked the path.

In a time of social and financial instability, she hands out page after page of good advice for dealing with the uncertainty of life and growing closer to God in the process.

“Primarily, it’s our response to life’s challenges, rather than the challenges themselves, that determines whether or not we grow through them,” she says.

Evans is only too aware of the influence that today’s shallow, materialistic and self-serving culture can have on believers.

Probing questions are asked throughout the book to help us pinpoint the areas we need to work on, such as in the areas of worship and prayer.

“Devoted attachment to inanimate objects is not only part of our culture but is also heavily promoted by the media. Ask yourself: what am I currently being assured I cannot live without?”

Simply put, her desire is to see Christians becoming more like Christ and bearing fruit not only for themselves but for all those around them.

And to Evans, that’s not impossible. With God’s promise and the Spirit’s help, that’s very, very possible!

She writes: “It couldn’t really be that good, especially in your case, could it? ‘Did God really say …?’ Yes, he did!”

“Shaping the Heart” by Pamela Evans is out now from BRF priced £7.99