I’ve been accused of being old fashioned. Some people have an inner child; I have an inner 90 year old man who finds himself increasingly disoriented by modern sensibilities, popular sentiments, and trendy trends.
The nonagenarian is raging today for some reason and I want to let him cook. Here are some pieces of wisdom he thinks my generation doesn’t want to hear, but deeply needs to.
No one accidentally becomes godly.
Your story explains you, but it doesn’t excuse you.
I’ve never regretted following the commands of Jesus Christ.
Every annoyance is a free workout for your patience.
Your wounds don’t erase your responsibility.
God loves you more than you sometimes want Him to.
Life is messy, but you get to choose the mess: money, travel, homes, work, or people.
You can’t control what happened, but you can control what happens next.
Being rich is not having much, but wanting little.
Marriage is like the gym: it’s not there to make you comfortable, but different.
Feelings are reporters, not rulers.
Love isn’t something you feel, but something you do.
Don’t trade the Fountain for a water bottle.
People who only agree with you aren’t your friends, but your audience.
Consequences, suffering, and failure are great teachers. Stop skipping class.
Jesus is only sweet for those who know sin is bitter.
Feeling bad is not repentance.
There is no “my truth,” just the truth.
You suffer more in your imagination than you do in reality (HT: Seneca).
Small sins are big sins that haven’t grown up yet.
Anxiety is a mild case of atheism.
Truth doesn’t win by popular vote.
Curating life is different than cultivating life.
Jesus is smarter than you so act like it.
A friend who’s unwilling to hurt you isn’t much of a friend.
Fear God and you’ll stop fearing everything else.
In relationships, use your mirror more than your magnifying glass.
Sincere doesn’t mean right.
Truth doesn’t care about your feelings.
Wants are not needs.
Authentic sin is still sin.
Your Bible should be more worn out than your excuses.
No one is obligated to agree with you.
Boring faithfulness makes a good life.
You married a sinner. So did your spouse.
Your calendar and your bank account tell everyone who you worship.
Nothing exposes a person’s theology like an election year.
Receive grace gently or you’ll face it violently.
Before you trust yourself, remember who made every mistake you regret.
Don’t excuse in yourself what you condemn in others.
You don’t need better circumstances. You need to be a better person.
You are not the main character.
Nobody owes you a life you didn’t build.
You don’t reach adulthood. You choose it.
Freedom isn’t avoiding your responsibilities. It’s fulfilling them.
Every responsibility you drop lands on someone else’s shoulders.
Habits beat intentions every day of the week.
Do the right thing, not the pleasant thing.
The road to good runs through hard.
Comfort is a gift, not a goal.
Rest to work; don’t work to rest.
Jesus is overqualified to be your copilot.
Contentment is a decision.
Live up to your vows.
Your spouse is your first sheep.
Care more about your family than your audience.
Now get off my lawn.
