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The Christian Handbook of Survival from Silas Marshall is an insightful and practical guide to surviving this earthly life and preparing for God’s will. Navigating human existence is often difficult, but when you act according to God’s ineffable plans, coping with mortal challenges becomes much, much easier.
Living with Purpose in God
Fifty years ago, author Silas Marshall lived somewhat in darkness, but he ambled through and stepped into the marvelous light of God. From there, he lived a purposeful life according to God’s will and, now, success in his hands.
The average human experience on this Earth can best be described as one that is half-filled with suffering and half-filled with triumph. It is a journey that has them crossing a sometimes turbulent sea. In the real world, people of middling faith navigate life through moments of joy and sorrow, tossed ever so consistently by the unpredictable waves of life.
In this earthly existence, where nothing is ever permanent, and everything has a deadline, all people are plagued by questions of uncertainty and imperfection. How does one not only endure life but actually live it?
The answer, of course, is to anchor one’s life to a purpose that transcends the temporal and physical limitations of mortal existence. To live is to be in a relationship with God.
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3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
A Higher Calling with Faith
Merely surviving this earthly life leads to a life of spiritual emptiness and existential drought. There needs to be more. If you live only because you think that you have to live, it is akin to existing only in a state of perpetual reaction. You do not move your own feet but let the world do it for you. You are without agency, battling only when the challenges arise. Never seeking them. Never knowing what to do with the tomorrow you’ve been given.
Living like this is a short way to finding yourself wading into restlessness and unfulfilled life, even if people heap you with praise and recognition.
However, if you live with a purpose in God, there is an altogether different paradigm. When you anchor your life to God’s will, there is no question of uncertainty because the answer is already there, laid out before you. When you move with God’s grace, your perspective of living changes sharply and critically. It is like being given a pair of glasses: the world before you is so changed and made clearer.
A man of God no longer focuses their goals on the ephemeral, having shifted their outlook to the eternal instead.
With God, you are not groping in the darkness, searching for your lot in life; you are made aware of your place in the grand scheme of existence. This is what The Christian Handbook of Survival wants to teach its readers.
Surviving This Earthly Life and Understanding
Living with purpose in God is powerful and transformative. Much of your daily life will fundamentally change for the better. Submitting to God’s will influences values, priorities, and interactions with others. To live with God’s purpose is not something that is taken lightly. It is something that one must work towards and desire within their heart of hearts.
When a life is anchored in a divine purpose, one’s actions become more intentional, driven by love, compassion, and a desire to reflect God’s character in the world.
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Furthermore, living with purpose in God provides a profound sense of hope that transcends the limitations of this earthly existence. It offers the assurance of an eternal perspective, a belief that this life is not the end but a chapter in a much larger story. This hope empowers you to persevere through difficulties, to forgive others, and to live with a sense of joy and peace that is not dependent on external circumstances. It allows you to face your own mortality with courage and the comforting knowledge that everyone is ultimately held in God’s loving embrace.
The Christian Handbook of Survival can be purchased through this link.
