Stephanie Rousselle and guest Dr. Alan Noble discuss living well in today’s world by reclaiming forgotten Christian virtues. Drawing from Noble’s book, To Live Well, let’s consider practical steps Christians can take to thrive amid cultural confusion.
According to Noble, we’re surrounded by an overwhelming cacophony of voices (social media, celebrities, self-help gurus, even misguided pastors), each offering conflicting advice on how to live a meaningful life. This deluge of ideas leaves many—Christians included—feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and directionless. The key challenge: how do we discern a coherent, godly way of living amid so many broken narratives?
Noble suggests reclaiming classic virtues—time-honored character strengths rooted in Christian tradition and Scripture—as a path toward living well. He points out that Protestants, in particular, have neglected these virtues, though historically theologians like Augustine, Aquinas, and Calvin all upheld their value.
Practicing these virtues is not about earning favor with God. Instead, Christians live out virtue in grateful response to God’s grace, relying on the Spirit’s power, and always within community, where we are supported, challenged, and forgiven when we fail.
So, let’s consider 3 of the 7 virtues Alan Noble offers in his book.
1. Prudence (choosing decisively)
Prudence means choosing decisively and wisely. In a world obsessed with limitless choice, prudence involves slowing down, humbly discerning reality, seeking what truly glorifies God, deliberate decision-making, and resolute action. Prudence guards against both indecision (paralysis) and the sunk-cost fallacy—stubbornly sticking with poor choices out of pride or prior investment.
2. Fortitude (Suffering steadfastly)
Modern culture avoids suffering at all costs, but Noble explains that fortitude is about the courage to endure or risk suffering for the sake of the good. Suffering, rightly faced, builds character and produces hope—connecting deeply to the sanctifying work God does in His people. Fortitude enables Christians to move through hardship, trusting that even suffering has purpose.
Magnanimity is boldly living into the excellence and gifts God has given, for His glory and the good of others. Pusillanimity, by contrast, is timidity—hiding or burying your God-given talents out of fear. As illustrated in the parable of the talents, God calls each believer to step out in faith and use their gifts with courage.
3. Temperance (living moderately)
Temperance is the willful restraint from doing everything you can do, especially when surrounded with endless technological, social, and material options. Choosing not to indulge every impulse, but to order choices for God’s glory, is countercultural but vital for soul health.
When we reorder our perspectives around these timeless virtues, we move from confusion and anxiety toward clarity, purpose, and peace—living as God intended, by His grace and for His glory.
Application
- Self-examine: Where do you feel confused or pressured by the “heap of broken images” in your life?
- Practice virtues: Choose to cultivate prudence, fortitude, magnanimity, and temperance, seeking wisdom, courage, excellence, and self-control in daily choices.
- Pursue community: Remember that virtue grows in fellowship with others; seek relationships that encourage and hold you accountable.
- Rest in grace: When you fail, rely on God’s grace and learn from your mistakes. Embrace the freedom found in Christ’s finished work.
MORE ABOUT “TO LIVE WELL”
You were told to live a meaningful life. But no one ever told you how.
Our lives are shaped by contradictions. Competing voices tell us who to be, what to want, and how to live. The result? A fragmented moral imagination. We're handed a thousand broken messages and left to cobble together something resembling a life. But instead of clarity, we get exhaustion. Instead of wisdom, we get anxiety.
This leaves you asking yourself How can I get through when I feel alone and confused? How can I live well in this broken and chaotic world?
In To Live Well, Alan Noble shows you how you can not only endure but flourish in life. Through exploring the seven virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope, and love, you'll learn how to
- choose gracefully,
- act justly,
- suffer steadfastly,
- live moderately,
- believe soundly,
- hope resolutely, and
- love rightly.
This book won't give you a ten-step plan to fix everything. It doesn't promise clarity overnight. But it will invite you into something deeper: an ancient, time-tested path of habits of heart and mind that shape who we are and how we live.
With honesty, theological depth, and a mentor's heart, Noble names your confusion and offers an antidote―not by escaping the mess but by learning how to live faithfully within it. If you've ever longed for something solid in a world that just wants to sell you more temporary stuff, To Live Well is a good place to begin.
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