If you’re tired of the stain of sinful habits discolouring your life and you long to breathe the fresh, clean, life-giving air of God’s holiness, if you would love to detoxify your soul from guilt, fear, regret, and all the impurities that pollute your relationship with God, then it’s time to come clean and renew your faith, according to Craig Groeschel in his book Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World.
The book goes on to discuss toxic behaviours such as self-deception, negative language, and covered-up sins; toxic emotions such as resentment, envy, anger and fear; and toxic influences such as materialism, exposure to harmful media, and unhealthy relationships. Any book on Christian behaviour runs the risk of advocating legalism, and the author cleverly offsets this risk by including a chapter which describes legalism as one of the toxic influences. The concluding chapter has some challenges for readers who might be tempted to treat the book as just “another book you read about how to have a stronger faith and a closer walk with the Lord”.
In some ways, the book is just another book about Christian behaviour. However, because it addresses issues which remain a struggle for followers of Jesus throughout their lives, there is no harm in being reminded. Not everyone would draw behavioural lines in the same places as the author (less sex and swearing, more violence), but his advice is biblically informed and written in a thoroughly engaging manner.