For God, Family and Republic

Finding Peace : God's Promise of a Life Free from Regret, Anxiety, and Fear. (Nelson Books: Sept. 2003. List Price $19.99)

Book Review by Ryan Setliff.

"You have dealt well with Your servant,
O LORD, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
...
But now I keep Your word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes."
—Psalm 119

Finding Peace : God's Promise of a Life Free from Regret, Anxiety, and Fear is a helpful guide to seeking peace and overcoming anxiety in midst of stressful circumstances. I first picked up this book in midst of anxiety at the very end of 2003, and read it in 2004. Finding peace was vitally requisite for me, as I crashed and burned figuratively speaking, and ran out of money and motivation for law school. I had a 101 other problems of course too.

Charles Stanley gives practical and sound Scriptural exhortation on facing life's problems. We can find our peace in midst our trials and tribulations by recognizing that God is sovereign. Sometimes, it is a lot easier said than done, which is why we need reinforcement from others. We have to continually set our sights on God's promises. Few Christians want to peer into book of Job, much less have their faith tested like Job. Taking a hit professionally or financially, suffering persecution, enduring slander, or relationship friction can strain a person. However, we can come out stronger enduring hardship if we seek peace of mind through God. God's pruning can often be painful, but we have to set our sights on Romans 8:28, and the promises of God. We must recognize that God is sovereign and is present in our lives, if we are of faith. Life is a vapor, and we should imbued with an eternal perspective, which gives our life purpose.

Anyhow, Stanley offers a lot of prudent exhortation on seeking stability, peace of mind, discerning between productive and destructive anxiety, and living at peace with others. Too many Christian pastors these days, miss the mark and neglect addressing that life has its pains, and preach blissful optimism. Turn on Joel Olsteen for example, and he will be rambling about having a "better house, a better car," etc. and preaching the health and wealth non-sense. When life on the flying carpet of bliss doesn't come people get all the more discouraged and disappointed. Charles Stanley, however, isn't one of those errant teachers. Stanley will be the first to say tough times will come. Likewise, he offers sound advice on enduring those times and finding peace through acknowledging and trusting God. "You therefore must endure hardship, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 2:3). Hardship endured in God's strength produces the peaceable fruit of patience, makes us more dependent on God, and breaks us of our stubborn self-centered thinking.

All things considered, Stanley's book is a great practical book for Christians struggling with some measure of anxiety brought on by life's burdens.