Charles Stanley on How to Live an Extraordinary Life
A new book by ministry leader and senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Charles Stanley, is to help people to live a godly, fulfilled, and ''extraordinary life.''
A new book by ministry leader and senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Charles Stanley, has been written to help people to live a godly, fulfilled, and “extraordinary life.”
In Living the Extraordinary Life: Nine Principles to Discover It (Nelson Books, October 2005), Stanley exposes the secret to “a life sustained by an inner peace and joy in the good times as well as the bad.”
“God wants us to experience permanent fulfillment,” says Stanley. “He created us for excellence, and from His perspective, our lives represent infinite possibilities. No matter how many wrong turns we take, God knows how to redirect our lives and set us back on the right track.”
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In his book, Stanley presents nine timeless truths to help build the right relationship with God and live a complete life and through each one, teaches that completely surrendering, absolute obedience and trust in God, will only bring a complete life.
The book teaches that for an effective spiritual walk or ministry, intimacy with God is needed, and the point to begin that is to accept His grace, or free gift.
“For years, I was convinced that the distance I felt from God must be linked to some sin in my life. I prayed incessantly for forgiveness, even trying to find sins that weren’t there,” he says. “Many Christians live this way, harboring feelings of shame and self-doubt that have more to do with their fear of intimacy than with reality.”
“Sunday after Sunday they pray that the pastor will say something to help them bear the guilt they harbor,” he says, but “God wants all of us of rest in the liberty purchased by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.”
“Grace is a gift,” he adds. “If we add a single work requirement to salvation, then it is no longer a gift; it is payment for services rendered.”
In Stanley’s straight-from-the-heart style, the new book outlines how Christians should be patient, bear through sufferings, pray, and dwell in the Bible, which are the foundations for growing your faith and truly becoming alive with passion for being a son or daughter of God.
“Many people are not willing to wait on God for His timing, particularly when it involves the possibility of letting go of something they desire desperately,” he says.
“One of the primary reasons that believers step out of God’s will—and out of fellowship with the Lord—is that they step out on their own without His blessing or guidance. They are eager and impatient about achieving something they are convinced will please Him.”
“It is important for you to realize what it means to truly wait upon the Lord.”
Stanley is founder and president of InTouch Ministries, an organization whose television and radio programs have touched millions throughout the world. A bestselling New York Times author, Stanley has written more than 45 books, including Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit, When the Enemy Strikes, Finding Peace, How to Listen to God and Walking Wisely.
