The Good and Beautiful Life Quotes

“Wealth, power and possessions can easily numb us to our need for God and make us overlook the needs of others. The wealthy must be concerned for the poor. Eating gourmet meals when others have nothing to eat should cause us to reflect a bit. Pursuing pleasure in a world with so much pain creates uneasiness in those who follow Jesus. God is not against fine food or having fun, but we ought to think deeply about our decisions—what and how much we buy, what is truly important— because we live in a world of great disparity.”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ

“False Narrative: The Kingdom of God is Future No serious biblical scholar would deny that Jesus’ proclaimed the kingdom of God. However, many scholars conclude that Jesus was not talking about our present world but rather an epoch in history that has not yet begun.”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ

“The Beatitudes, far from being a new set of virtues that further divide the religious haves and have nots, are words of hope and healing to those who have been marginalized.”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ

“As long as we are worrying, we can’t seek first the kingdom of God. As long as we are seeking first the kingdom of God, we can’t worry.”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ (Apprentice

“But children do not need to be in control. They have very little authority or power, and live each day in dependence and trust, receiving everything as a gift. And this, I believe, is what Jesus is advocating.”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ (Apprentice

“And what is the religion Wesley prescribes? Not a religion of laws or ceremonies or mystical knowledge, but of love and kindness. Our world is badly in need of people who love, and it is hungering for people who demonstrate genuine kindness. We are so deprived of it that we are astonished when we encounter it. And what is the point of this religion? To get us to heaven? No, to get heaven into us. To help us discover a relationship with God wherein we enjoy God and are easy in ourselves. If we can discover such a life, Wesley believed, we can even face our death with calm assurance and the certainty of a joyful eternity.”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ

“I would like you to write a letter to God that begins with "Dear God, the life I want most for myself is ..." The rest of the letter will complete this opening statement (or prayer). You may want to acknowledge the mistakes you have made, but try to describe, in the rest of your letter, what a "good and beautiful life" would look like for you. Will it involve a major life change? Will it demand a new set of friends? Will it involve changing old narratives and habits? Feel free to dream big. Let God in on your greatest hopes.”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ (Apprentice

“Even though I have not mastered it, I now have a better sense of what makes us want others to think well of us, and how we can prevent that desire from ruling in our hearts. False Narrative: My Value Is Determined by Your Assessment”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ

“It takes a long time to ruin a life. It all starts with the stories we live by.”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ

“Dallas Willard notes, “The two main errors in the area of human sexuality are these: (1) assuming that all sexual desire is good, and (2) believing that all sexual desire is evil.”
― James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ