You Can Have Victory in Christ
Charles Stanley
Charles Stanley is known as “America’s pastor” and pastors a Baptist Church along with running a television ministry called, “In Touch.” I wanted to read this book because I am currently going through a time of adversity in my life and wanted to read what he wrote on the subject.
Stanley opens his book by talking about why adversity and suffering happen. He gives several reasons in his pastoral manner. Ultimately, the author says there is a more important question about adversity besides why it happens. I agree with him wholeheartedly.
In the second chapter, Stanley moves through the story of Lazarus’ death and Jesus raising him from the dead to point out some pastoral and scriptural clues as to why people suffer and how God handles it as much as we do.
Stanley elaborates on a question we have in adversity. He answers it by telling the story of Joseph. The first is, “Why is God silent?” He is a simple answer he will answer in detail later in the book.
In chapter 4, Stanley deals with the injustice we see around us every day. How will God repay this justice, and when? These are two questions he answers this chapter. I love his pastoral tone. He is clear but not overbearing with the truth he brings forward. He further approaches the topic of adversity and explains the difference between the way the world deals with adversity in the way God has given Christians to deal with it.
Chapter 6 expounds more on the topic of adversity and Stanley puts it to the idea of God using adversity to get your attention. He has something for you to learn or simply wants you to focus on Him. He further explains adversity as part of the discipline of God and presents three guidelines for knowing when God is disciplining you.
Another way the author describes adversity is that it opens the door for us to realize there’s something in our lives and character that needs to be examined. God is going for a deep change in our character that resembles Jesus. Sometimes adversity is the only way He can get us to see these flaws.
Stanley suggests another possibility for adversity in your life in chapter 9. He says that another reason God allows adversity in your life is because of pride for the possibility of pride that could creep up as He ministers to others through you. He describes yet another reason for adversity – God’s great power working through our greatest weaknesses.
In chapter 11, Stanley reminds his readers that adversity affords us the opportunity to see God’s faithfulness in our lives. He also says another reason we go through adversity is God can teach us how to comfort others as He has comforted us. There is a very touching story at the end of the chapter that really ministered to me personally.
Stanley lays out the ultimate reason for the adversities we face in life. It is part of God’s program to make us new creatures in Christ. It is not about us trying to be like Christ but about Christ crucifying us so that He can live through us. In chapter 14, the author uses the life of Paul to point out 10 truths he has been unpacking throughout the book.
In the last chapter, Stanley leaves the reader with the wrong and right ways to respond to adversity with a lot of godly counsel on this matter. This was also a very helpful chapter to me personally.
I have never read any of Charles Stanley’s books before, but this was a very timely and helpful book for me. I am currently suffering paralysis from my neck to my feet. That’s why I picked up this book. But I never expected such a pastoral and biblical help to deal with adversity of all kinds. I recommend this book to every Christian because we all suffer adversity in different ways. But God’s response through adversity and our response to adversity makes all the difference. If you are especially going through some kind of adversity, this book will surely help you along the way.
