I had seen him before when I flipped through the channels on my TV, but it wasn’t until my friend talked about him did I take a closer look/a closer listen to Dr. Charles Stanley. He wasn’t the most charismatic speaker I had ever heard, nor did he have a soulful praise team behind him singing the latest Gospel/Contemporary Christian hits. As a matter of fact, the early days of In Touch Ministries gave off a sort of Lawrence Welk vibe (If you don’t know who he was, feel free to look him up). What he did have was a love for the Lord Jesus that just exuded from him; a desire for every soul to place their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins; and the ability to preach God’s Word in truth with clarity.
Years ago, my friend gathered a small group of five women together and we read through books about Biblical womanhood, did Bible studies, and lifted each other up in prayer. One of the things she encouraged us to do was to pray God’s Word because when we do that we always know we are praying God’s will. I still do that today. She later shared that she picked up that bit of wisdom from Dr. Stanley.
Another tidbit of wisdom Dr. Stanley would share was, “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him. For someone who has struggled with worry and anxiety, that was always a welcomed reminder. Dr. Stanley’s ministry has been a blessing in my life and it continues to be even since his passing. Dr. Stanley passed away April 18, 2023, at the age of 90. InTouch Ministries reported (via Instagram), “On April 17, he went to bed listening to an audiobook about Heaven and the next morning, he woke again to walk with Jesus, this time, hand in hand and face to face.” (Instagram, April 20, 2023) That was so powerful to me that I wanted to learn more about Dr. Stanley and his life. So, I purchased and read his book, Courageous Faith: My Story from a Life of Obedience. It is not a newly released book. It was published back in 2016. And let me just say this up front. . .I highly recommend that you read it!
He begins the book by talking about his early life. His mom, a young widow, had to work a lot to make ends meet which caused young Charles to spend a lot of time alone. He credits his mom for passing on her faith to him. She was no theologian, but she spent time in God’s Word with hm and she was a prayer warrior. As you read the book, you will understand that Dr. Stanley’s life was characterized by fervent prayer, standing on God’s Word, radical obedience and unwavering faith in our Savior, Christ Jesus. He tells stories of God’s providence, God’s faithfulness, and God fighting his battles. He shared times of joy and triumph, but like the rest of us, he has some very difficult times.
What stood out most for me is that while he served at First Baptist Church Atlanta for 51 years, he served at four other churches beforehand. He bathed each potential assignment in prayer to determine if it was the Lord’s leading or not. If it was of the Lord, he obeyed wholeheartedly. If was not of the Lord, he did not go and would stay put until the Lord revealed his next steps. He knew there would be tough times ahead when he accepted the position at First Baptist Atlanta, for example, but He also knew that was direction that the Lord was leading. He knew that God would be with him; He would provide; and God would fight the battles he would encounter. I closed the book continued to be in awe of our God who can take a boy from West Virginian, mold and make him into a man who would make an eternal impact on the world for Christ. I was motivated to feast on God’s Word and to bathe everything in prayer. I was convicted by my lack of faith and my lack of obedience in favor of that which is safe.
So, what about you? I implore you to read this book and let me know how it impacts you. May God be glorified. And, may all of His people be known for having courageous faith!
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