Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Joel J. Miller

About
Resources
Joel's Books
Article Categories
- Spiritual Growth
- Theology
- Prayer
- Church Life
- Family Life
- Society
- Books
- Misc

Home
Evangelical
Things I’m pretty sure are true

Things I’m pretty sure are true

Last updated on: April 2, 2014 at 8:01 am by Joel J. Miller

Things I’m pretty sure are true 2014-04-02T08:01:45-06:00 Joel J. Miller

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Many are the authors who have assembled lists of various undeniable truths and irrefutable laws. I’m less sure about these ones, but here’s my list of things — some discovered through ample trial and much error — that I’m pretty certain are true:

If your Christianity doesn’t leave a mark, you’re doing it wrong.

Even the Body of Christ has an armpit or two.

If you don’t discipline yourself, others will.

If you don’t learn from history, you’re like most people.

To affirm one thing is to negate many others.

To speak at all is to speak falsely.

To do at all is to do wrongly.

Doubting someone’s sincerity doesn’t make them insincere.

Ill will toward others hurts you more than them — but it hurts them too.

Life is more than money, and lots of people who say really want your money.

The truth of something is not proved by its apparent success.

There is a difference between right and wise.

There’s nothing like the scarcity of fame to make people grasping and ungrateful.

Throwing a fit involves the same risk as throwing a party: What if no one comes?

Nobody is damned until they are.

Sloppy writing indicates sloppy thinking — or at least liquor.

Events cannot be undone, but most of them can be redeemed.

There’s no such thing as an exact comparison, especially among people and events. So don’t fool yourself.

Data can make you both confident and foolish.

A person can go pretty far in life with funny stories. But usually not far enough.

Every talent has its time.

People are complicated, especially yourself.

Texans make better country musicians than presidents.

This last one is perhaps more arguable than the others, but I submit two items of evidence: Guy Clark and LBJ.

This is a running list. As I think of new ones, I’ll add to the above. And I might delete or modify the existing ones as well. What if, for instance, Guy Clark became president? That might change a few things.

Previous Post

November 17, 2011

How differing Christians can work together

Next Post

November 21, 2011 Jesus: The sweetest name

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Church Life Family Life Misc Prayer Quotes Society Spiritual Growth Theology Uncategorized Video

Select a Month April 2014 March 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 November 2008 October 2008 July 2008 June 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 August 2007 June 2007 October 2002 July 2002 November 1999 October 1999

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jesus do for Lazarus in Bethany?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Fed him Raised him from the dead Healed his blindness Turned him invisible