Synopsis
So many people today have an unhealthy need for affirmation and are unable to feel good about themselves without it. These "approval addicts" spend their time in a constant struggle with low self-esteem and emotional turmoil - which leads to major problems in their relationships with others. In her latest book, Joyce Meyer provides a path to release from the overwhelming need for acceptance from the outside world-an acceptance that is unfulfilling and leads only to disappointment. Through an analysis of what makes an "approval addict" and the ways to find release from specific character traits that foster addiction, Joyce provides a supportive voice and a personal understanding of the effect of insecurity in one's life. Her abiding message is that God provides all the affirmation anyone needs and through Him they can attain freedom.
Publishers Weekly
Meyer, author of the million-copy bestseller Battlefield of the Mind plus more than 60 other books, addresses the constant need some people have for approval. This need stems from insecurity, which, in Meyer's own case and in the case of many others, arises from abuse-physical, verbal or emotional-sometime in the past. After years of struggle, study and attempts to live out biblical teachings, Meyer happily reports that she now lives for God's approval alone. For readers beginning the journey to recovery, she offers biblical exposition and sound-if unoriginal-self-help advice. The first step, she says, is accepting who we are and where we stand in God's eyes. "We must learn to think about and believe in our righteousness," she declares. The second step is facing our approval addiction and the feelings of shame, guilt, anger and unforgiveness that come with it. Finally, we must break our behavior patterns in the future. Meyer admits that she "will always be a type-A... in fact, most of the time I am type A+." Her writing bears out her self-assessment: it's strong, pointed, no-nonsense and even pushy. But Meyer knows what she's talking about, truly loves God and wants people, with God's help, to overcome their addiction to human approval. Her goal? "I want you to become addicted to Jesus!" (Apr. 5) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.