The key question in order to change you is not 'What would Jesus do?' but "What has Jesus done for you?"

The gospel frees us from the relentless pressure of having to prove ourselves, for we are already proven and secure.

Unless you believe the gospel, everything you do will be driven by either pride or fear.

The Christian Gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.

Repentance is like antiseptic. You pour antiseptic onto a wound and, at first, it stings. Then it heals.

Happiness is a by-product of wanting something more than happiness-to be rightly related to God and our neighbor.

Some suffering is given in order to chastise and correct a person for wrongful patterns of life (as in the case of Jonah imperiled by the storm), some suffering is given not to correct past wrongs but to prevent future ones (as in the case of Joseph sold into slavery), and some suffering has no purpose other than to lead a person to love God more ardently for himself alone and so discover the ultimate peace and freedom.