Y’all

Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker. - C.S. Lewis

Good writers, the popularity of evil characters at protagonists or the most popular character is not making our world brighter, only darker. We should return to stories about heroic courage.

Paladin Life:
Train – Teach – Prepare – Stand Firm – Be Humble – Believe in Good

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Y’all

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Love incorporates, flows from, strengthens, and is the foundation of all the other virtues.

We live in a world where kindness is mistaken for nice and virtual signaling and so called tolerance substitute for love. But true love is sacrificial. Sometimes it’s consoling, like a big hug. Sometimes it’s kindly putting someone back on the right path. Wisdom, knowledge, faith, and the rest are required to know which.

Without love, all the other virtues are paper. Without all the other virtues, how do we know how to truly love.

Love is the greatest virtue.

Paladin Life:
Train – Teach – Prepare – Stand Firm – Be Humble – Believe in Good

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Y’all

Good people should be grateful when nice things are done for us, when kindness is showed to us, or when good fortune is ours. We should, and that’s easy.

We should also be grateful when times are hard. Just as a hard workout helps us to discipline our bodies, hard times helps to discipline our minds and souls. That one is harder.

Likewise, we should be grateful when things are going okay, neither fantastic or poor but just ordinary or unremarkable. Grateful to simply be. In my opinion, that one may be harder still.

For the Christian, this is the way we should live. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you 1 Thess 5:16–18

Gratitude is a virtue.

Paladin Life:
Train – Teach – Prepare – Stand Firm – Be Humble – Believe in Good

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Y’all

Be kind to those around you. A good person should never practice cruelty in any way, but don’t confuse being kind with being nice. If we must correct someone, it should be gentle and out of love, but at the same time if we must correct someone, we must correct them. It should never mean going along with others in every way.

Being kind means being generous with our time and resources. Being helpful, especially when nothing is expected in return. Being grateful at the least blessing.

Allowing someone to wallow in brokenness when we could help is not a kindness. It could be misguided “being nice” or even as bad as apathy. But harshly rebuking someone when they are wrong can never be considered kind.

For the Christian, kindness does not mean overlooking someone’s sins, but it does means forgiving them. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; (Luke 6:35–37)

Kindness is a virtue.

Paladin Life:
Train – Teach – Prepare – Stand Firm – Be Humble – Believe in Good

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Y’all

One of the easiest ways to control someone in a fight, and often outside a fight, is to make him mad. A people frightened will more easily surrender. Anyone who allows lust in their lives can be enslaved by it.

Self-Control is the spiritual mastery of the passions of the body and mind. It’s both the control of normal healthy desires and feelings as well as the subduing of unhealthy ones.

To be an effective Martial Artist, as in many other pursuits, it is vital you develop self-control.

For the Christian, self-control is a fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22–23) and is something we seek from the Lord, not develop from our own effort and will power alone.

Self-Control is a virtue.

Paladin Life:
Train – Teach – Prepare – Stand Firm – Be Humble – Believe in Good

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Y’all

We should be true to our word. Loyalty should be our default behavior. Our devotion to our foundation should be as solid as that foundation. We should reject things that would make us less devout such as pride, greed, envy, and cowardice. We should refuse to move or be moved for any unworthy reason.

Faithfulness is a virtue.

Paladin Life:
Train – Teach – Prepare – Stand Firm – Be Humble – Believe in Good

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Y’all

Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway. - John Wayne

True courage without the other virtues would not be possible. It does not take courage to be good when those around us are also good. In this world ravaged by the spiritual warfare between good and evil, simply defying the gaslighting and saying “no I don’t believe that” is dangerous, and therefore takes courage.

Likewise, not black pilling ourselves, that is, giving in to depression because we feel there is no hope in this corrupt world, also takes courage. We must not only stand up to the corruption of the world, but not lose hope that the fight is winnable.

For the Christian, we have our foundation and therefore our courage and strength in Christ Jesus. We should never fear what they can do to our body, because they can never touch our spirit. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:10–11

Courage is a virtue.

Paladin Life:
Train – Teach – Prepare – Stand Firm – Be Humble – Believe in Good

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Y’all

Lord give me patience and give it to me now.

When we think of patience as a virtue, we probably think of waiting in lines or traffic, or may be putting up with annoying people. Perhaps we should think about it from the terms of enduring though the times when obedience to our faith is hard.

Without patience, we might doubt our faith in our foundation despite the knowledge we gained.

Patience is a virtue.

Paladin Life:
Train – Teach – Prepare – Stand Firm – Be Humble – Believe in Good

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