Charles F. Stanley Quotes & Sayings

Make amends to those you've hurt, and forgive anyone who has wounded you. If He does, then obey Him immediately. But then move on. Don't continue to beat yourself up over something that God has forgiven. True, you may still have to live with consequences related to your choices. But the Father doesn't want you to live with unresolved guilt, shame, or regret. Seek Him and be free. — Charles F. Stanley

Oftentimes the root of their marriage problems is found in some hostility they have been hauling around, sometimes since childhood. — Charles F. Stanley

Victory is possible. Genuine healing can occur if we're willing to allow the Father to set us free. — Charles F. Stanley

Some days the burdens may seem so heavy and the weariness so profound that you may wonder if God has forsaken you. Why would He allow you to experience such deep adversity? Yet do not despair. He has a clear purpose for your suffering: so you will know the Savior better and reflect His character. — Charles F. Stanley

Pride entices us to favor people who build up our egos. Everyone wants to feel accepted and loved. The best way to rid your life of pride is to surround yourself with people who care for you for the right reasons and not just to stroke your ego. Pride is — Charles F. Stanley

Obey God and leave the consequences to Him. No matter what He tells you to do, do it and trust Him for the outcome. — Charles F. Stanley

[Prayer] is the link between God's inexhaustible resources and people's needs ... God is the source of power, but we are the instrument He uses to link the two together. — Charles F. Stanley

Likewise, when you make time alone with Christ the priority, it affects and influences every single facet of your life - He gives you His energy, wisdom, and strength to fulfill His purposes and make you fruitful for His kingdom. — Charles F. Stanley

There is a basic truth to shifting your life out of reverse and into a forward gear, and it is this: no matter what your circumstances are or what you have done in the past, God loves you with an everlasting love, and He will make your life count for something wonderful, if you will place your trust in Him. — Charles F. Stanley

Discernment is the ability to judge a situation accurately - to see the full reality of a situation, relationship, experience, or circumstance. It is the capacity to understand accurately and clearly what is, to see the truth of things as they are from God's viewpoint. — Charles F. Stanley

True unconditional love is sacrificial - it is not easily offended, self-focused, or afraid of rejection. It seeks only the good of the other person. — Charles F. Stanley

As we place our dependence upon God, an incredible freedom and peace will begin to rest in our hearts. And reaching that point in our lives makes every failure worth it. — Charles F. Stanley

Friend, God wants you to see not just the path ahead, but the profound spiritual realities that are affecting your life. He is ready to help you! So when you sense the dark fears encroaching, run to Him. Because when He is your light, you will have nothing to dread. — Charles F. Stanley

Whatever you accomplish in life, you will have to accomplish on your knees. (God told Charles F Stanley) — Charles F. Stanley

Lord, as my Source and Creator, I will make time for You. Transform me so I may carry out Your wonderful plans for my life, amen. — Charles F. Stanley

Until we are sure, until we settle the issue of forgiveness once and for all, two things will always be true. First, we will never have much confidence when we petition our heavenly Father. We will always feel that God is holding something against us. Second, we will put others on the same scale we put ourselves on. Since we are always trying to do something to ensure our forgiveness, we will subconsciously pressure others to perform to gain our forgiveness. We will have a tendency to remind others of their failures and their need to make up for them in some way. — Charles F. Stanley

We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength. — Charles F. Stanley

Behavior is the substance of religion. Belief is the substance of relationship. — Charles F. Stanley

10:30 - "I and the Father are one." In this verse, Jesus proclaimed His unity of nature and equality in the Godhead (Deut. 6:4). Based on His assertion, we must make a decision: either we believe He really is God, or we must reject everything He says - there is no middle ground. As believers, we know that there is only one God and that He is three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We also know that everything Jesus said is absolutely true because He is the truth (John 14:6). — Charles F. Stanley

However, not all sorrow and adversity come as a result of disobedience. Some of the disappointments come from living in a fallen world. Many — Charles F. Stanley

Like Peter, you may want God's will but are unsure about how He is accomplishing it - and you prefer to manage life according to your terms. But, friend, it just doesn't work that way. So let go of your fear and allow the Savior to work. He has a better plan than you can imagine. Accept that He's in control, and rest in the knowledge that He's always victorious. — Charles F. Stanley

Once a person feels that he has gotten away with sin, he rarely, if ever, thinks, I won't do that again because I know it displeases God. — Charles F. Stanley

God's word is alive, so full of spiritual truth and wisdom that even a single passage can be digested for a lifetime — Charles F. Stanley

Put your faith, hope, and trust in God. Do not look at your circumstances. Commit yourself to doing what He requires of you. Cling to the promises in His Word. Then when desperation pulls at your heart, you can cry out to Him, knowing that He hears your every word and will answer and provide the encouragement you need to hold out in the face of adversity. — Charles F. Stanley

Helen Keller was blind and deaf when she graduated from college with honors. So what's your problem? — Charles F. Stanley

Heavenly Father, Sometimes it is difficult for me to see You as You really are. By faith in the testimony of Jesus, however, I accept you as my forgiving heavenly Father. A Father who loves me with unlimited love. A Father whose patience is inexhaustible. A Father who is eager to have fellowship with me. A Father who focuses on me and my position as Your child, not on my sin. A Father who rejoices when I turn to You from my sin whether it be one single act or a season of rebellion. Expose the errors in my thinking toward You and fill me with the truth, for I know that in discovering the truth I will be set free. Amen. — Charles F. Stanley

A man may have a perfect body, but if his emotions, mind, and will are not under the control of the Holy Spirit he will fail regularly and tragically as the husband, father, and follower God intends him to be. — Charles F. Stanley

The eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His (2 Chron. 16:9). — Charles F. Stanley

Father God, keep my mind and heart fixed on You so that I can experience the fullness of Your peace, amen. — Charles F. Stanley

God calls you to delight in Him because nothing will satisfy your soul like being close to Him in intimate fellowship. — Charles F. Stanley

We're more intent on getting out of our circumstances than we are on finding out what great things God wants to show us. But the Father never allows difficulty just for the sake of difficulty - there is always a higher purpose involved. The problem is we cannot always identify God's higher purpose in the midst of our trials. That's when we must exercise our faith by waiting on His word to us. — Charles F. Stanley

30:20 - This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, "I have done no wickedness." It's become a mantra in our society: "But I'm really a good person!" Unbelievers and believers alike often make this claim after they do what God's Word calls sin. But sin requires repentance, not self-justification or denial. — Charles F. Stanley

You see, fears will arise that prevent you from doing as He asks - proclaiming the gospel, reaching out to those in need, and submitting to His will. But the fear of the Lord - your respect for Him - should motivate you to obey Him anyway. — Charles F. Stanley

Satan's primary goal is to prevent us from having an intimate
relationship with the Lord. He — Charles F. Stanley

The length of time it takes to catch on to this relationship depends on us - not God. The more willing we are to confess our inadequacy, the easier it is for us to fully surrender to His will for our lives. — Charles F. Stanley

Unless you and I strive to obey the Lord in our homes, we will create a spiritually poisonous atmosphere that will infect our children with disrespect for authority - both ours and God's. Pay close attention to this principle: we reap what we sow. Our disobedience today may become our children's rebellion tomorrow. — Charles F. Stanley

Friend, when you understand why Jesus does certain things in your life, then you will develop true insight into how greatly He cares for you. — Charles F. Stanley

Friend, God's will is not something that you can find through trial and error. Rather, you discover it through your intimate relationship with Him - through prayer and Bible study as you strive to know Him better. If you have been on a quest to "find God" or "track down His will," stop searching and simply talk to Him. He knows where you are, and He knows exactly where you need to go. No roadmap could promise more. — Charles F. Stanley

For too many believers the Christian life boils down to simply doing the best they can. — Charles F. Stanley

God knows exactly where you are at this very minute, and He understands your every struggle (Ps. 46:1). He is the one who has all the answers you need, and each one is found within His Word. He may not like where your life is right now, but He is not going to abandon you (John 14:18). If you will trust Him, He will begin to work in your life. Then you will see His plan and will for your life unfold in a mighty way. This is His promise to each one of us. — Charles F. Stanley

This is an important concept as we look into the idea of forgiveness because we see in it God's desire to have fellowship with sinful, disobedient men and women. — Charles F. Stanley

Friend, you're in a spiritual battle, and your enemy is trying to undermine your faith and impede your progress. Satan cannot destroy your soul, but he can demolish your effectiveness. And he does so by building strongholds in your life that influence your thoughts and actions - ultimately enslaving you to sin. Thus he renders you ineffective for the kingdom of God. Don't fall for his trap. — Charles F. Stanley

The Bible admonishes us to live each day fully - not living in the past or the future. But God never intends for us to walk blindly from day to day. He expects us to discern what He is doing and what He desires. He intends for us to have a capacity to see beneath the surface of life and to expose and analyze the unseen. — Charles F. Stanley

Life Lessons 4:4, 7, 10 - "It is written . ... It is written . ... it is written . ... " Jesus responded to each of Satan's three temptations by appealing to the unchanging Word of God: "It is written!" If we want to successfully overcome temptation, we must know what the Word says. — Charles F. Stanley

The needs you have for love, respect, security, and admiration cannot be met by the desire of your heart. They are fulfilled by God - and Him alone. — Charles F. Stanley

7"The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. — Charles F. Stanley

The only never you should focus on is that God will never let you down. — Charles F. Stanley

Our tendency today is to assume that we can eliminate the authority of husband over wife and yet retain the authority of husband-wife over the children. The Bible is more realistic about marriage than modern man, for the truth is that in disobeying the one hierarchy we destroy the other. — Charles F. Stanley

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).
God's — Charles F. Stanley

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). — Charles F. Stanley

Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. — Charles F. Stanley

You should forgive too. There is no telling what God wants to do through you or through the person who hurt you. The one thing you do know is that as long as you harbor unforgiveness, you're not going to be free. So don't be afraid to let God handle the situation. His plan of justice for your offender may surprise you. — Charles F. Stanley

The Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit lives in me. — Charles F. Stanley

Obedience always is the first step to discovering God's plan for your life. — Charles F. Stanley

You always have God's undivided attention. — Charles F. Stanley

Cease striving and know that I am God. PSALM 46:10 The most profound need of your soul is to be still in the presence of God. Stop wrestling with your troubles or worrying about circumstances - the Lord Almighty is greater than all of them. So calm your soul and focus on His astounding wisdom, ability, and timing. — Charles F. Stanley

What is a "total" or "real" man? He is one who understands and accepts the responsibility for the development of his mental, emotional, and spiritual capacity and demonstrates this by his maturing attitude and actions in his personal life, his home life, his vocational life, his social life, and his spiritual life. — Charles F. Stanley

Inner Strength Study Guide — Charles F. Stanley

He allows brokenness in our lives in order to bring about a blessing. — Charles F. Stanley

Life Lessons 12:32 - "I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." Jesus says that He draws all peoples to Himself. We are to represent Him as well as we can and allow Him to live through us, but we can never convert anyone. It is Christ's responsibility to cause faith to take root in human hearts, not ours. — Charles F. Stanley

The truth of the matter is that our goals are generally very small and unsatisfying compared to the awesome, eternal plans the Father desires to accomplish through us. — Charles F. Stanley

Friend, you don't have to earn God's love or try harder. You're precious in His sight, covered by the priceless blood of Jesus, and indwelt by His Holy Spirit. Don't hide your heart or fear you're not good enough for Him to care for you. Accept His love, obey Him, and allow Him to keep you in His wonderful freedom. — Charles F. Stanley

Make sure that what you are living for is what you are willing to die for. — Charles F. Stanley

no matter how far you are from God, His arms are open to you — Charles F. Stanley

FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, 25BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER. And this is the word which was preached to you. — Charles F. Stanley

Paul declared in Philippians 3:8: "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ" (NASB). — Charles F. Stanley

Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins. — Charles F. Stanley