Becoming Virtuous

The beginning of this year was a bit crazy, and so I never got around to posting the lessons I learned this past year. I don’t know if this is helpful for anyone else, but I find it helpful for myself at least to review and be reminded of the things God has been teaching me. I’ll share my list in case it might be useful for someone else (and maybe you can eschew some of the lessons I’ve learned the hard way).

• “You will die, 100% guaranteed. The question is; are you going to live before you die. What does it mean to live? To live before God? …Thy Kingdom come is both a prayer and a commitment.” – Stuart McAllister
• “A friend is someone who helps you re-narrate your life in light of the good news of the Gospel.” Stephen E. Fowl
• Repentance is a gift, not a “to do.” Repentance is most of the 100% I bring to sanctification, the Spirit does the actual work of change. – my counselor
• “Humility is the fuel that relationships run on.” JP Pokluda
• “Fear is the greatest deterrent of performance.” Mike Donehey
• “Peace for me comes when I refuse my rights and reframe everything as a gift.” Mike Donehey
• “Expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles.” Brandon Lake
• There are 5 layers of intimacy: social (shared experiences), intellectual (sharing thoughts), emotional (sharing feelings), spiritual (sharing faith and growing together), physical.
• “A culture’s decline is optional for an individual.” Jonathan Brush
• Don’t sacrifice relationships for the sake of efficiency. “You can have something that seems to be optimized on the one hand, while losing something that is genuinely good on the other hand.” – Cameron McAllister
• Questions for decision making: Is it moral? Is it wise? Do I want to?
• “You will either heal quickly or slowly; completely or partially. But the degree to which you are willing to embrace the pain of recovery, is the degree to which you will heal.” Christine Caine
• “There is a difference between a story and a testimony. …Take your counsel from people that have had victory over time, not people that are just quickly telling a story.” Christine Caine
• Teasing become bullying if both parties aren’t laughing.
• Stubbornness is only a virtue if it’s built on truth.
• Leadership is taking responsibility/ownership of the process, but holding loosely to the outcome.
• “We may impress people with our strengths, but we connect through our weaknesses.” Craig Groeschel
• “Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions.” Craig Groeschel
• “His will is our peace and our joy.” Elisabeth Eliott
• “Is your allegiance to Jesus? Or to personal preference?” Cameron McAllister. When His Word is contrary to your natural inclinations, which will you follow?
• “Jesus defeated death so you can live.” Charlie Kirk
• “Growth for the sake of growth is the mindset of a cancer cell. Healthy cells say, let’s multiply until we are a functioning kidney, and then let’s do what a healthy kidney does.” Nathan Rittenhouse
• “If our obedience cannot guarantee the outcome, then our failures cannot destroy the story either.” Daughter of Delight post
• My ability to love others well really does hinge on how well I understand God’s love for me.
• Colossians 3:15 says to “let” the peace of Christ dwell in you. So that seems to indicate that I can resist God’s peace in my heart. So will I choose to let His peace in, or resist it? – from a Mike Donehey interview
• When there is confusion, don’t make assumptions. Ask questions. Asking questions will prevent a mountain of unnecessary angst.