40 Fundamentals Fresh on the Mind as I Turn 40

40 quietly laps you when you’re more bent on running, writing, and preparing for fall break in New York than recalling how old you are. But all of a sudden, you’re the age your teenage self remembers your parents. So you begin a list of little learnings you’ve picked up the past four decades. Fundamentals, you title it.

At first it’s a dare. Can you write down 40 life lessons? Then it’s a whittling, as you narrow to just 40. 

While revising and rearranging, you realize how much you need each reminder to stick to the essentials. Because we tend to overcomplicate what it means to live like Jesus, right where we are. We add in extra criteria until a mission-minded life–including actual friendships with our neighbors–feels out of reach.

So let’s stick with simple, shall we?

40 Fundamentals to Uncomplicate a Missional Life

1 – Never underestimate the gift of undivided attention.

2 – Some of the most beautiful moments happen when you lean into an interruption.

3 – A worship song on repeat saturates your soul in truth.

4 – It’s far easier to get to know your neighbors when they can see you. Visibility is key.

5 – Little else says “you are welcome here” more than inviting others into your lived-in space.

6 – Apologies heal. Embrace, instead of avoid, them.

7 – Gratitude that goes ahead of God’s answer, intervention, redemption deepens our trust in Him.

8 – Something powerful happens when we praise God in the presence of others.

9 – Never elevate your pace over your direction. You can waste a lot of time running hard in the wrong direction.  

10 – Almost nothing can shift the posture of your heart faster than a few minutes on your knees.

11 – You’ll miss the moments running feels effortless unless you press through that first mile.

12 – Writing is mostly about listening. Press your ear to God’s chest and pay close attention.

13 – Sunrises are God-hugs in full color. It’s worth rising early to watch them.

14 – The consistency of God’s nature can steady you in the most uncertain of circumstances.

15 – Take care of yourself–even if it takes manicured nails to remind you that efficiency isn’t everything.

16 – Availability is a gift without a price tag.

17 – Discipleship is as simple as a ripple effect. Get close to Jesus and let others get close to you so that the ways God is at work in you can rub off on the people around you.

18 – Your opened-up life can make a bigger impact than your keeping-it-all-together. Choose vulnerability over upkeeping a veneer of perfection.

19 – A word of the year is a gentle way to shift the trajectory of your life.

20 – Baby steps take the overwhelm out of the journey so you can keep pressing into the direction you want to grow.

21 – Turning your attention outward helps displace self-pity.

22 – You have more in common with your neighbors than you’d ever know at first glance. Treasure-hunt for the less-obvious overlap of interests and experiences.

23 – Humility isn’t highlighting what you’re not but who God is.

24 – Whatever grows inside eventually shows.

25 – You stay in a rut unless you get ruthlessly truthful about what you fear, who you trust, and how you see yourself.

 26 – A tender heart stays teachable.

27 – Comparison is anti-community. It drives unnecessary wedges and creates unneeded ranking systems.

28 – The better version of you isn’t the one stealing the show, but the one sowing into others.

29 – Find yourself a self-talk stopper, someone who can graciously point you to truth when your self-talk turns sour.

30 – A too-full life can empty you quickly.

31 – Linked arms don’t make us weak, as pride would have us think.

32 – Count the grace-gifts, the God-hugs, the glimmers of glory to grasp how God can always be counted on.

33 – When you dialogue with God, the noise in your head begins to dissipate.

34 – The way of Jesus is to give you more of Himself than you can possibly contain.

35 – When you read your Bible primarily to check a box, it’s only a matter of time until you check out.

36 – If you are saying no out of obligation or yes out of insecurity or fear, pause. Dig deeper with God. Ask Him to direct your decision.

37 – Growth often means going against your grain, even when it looks underwhelming to an outside eye.

38 – It takes true strength to name your weakness and invite God into it.

39 – You can’t microwave your trials and immediately pull out patience.

40 – It is not selfish to use the gifts God gives you to bless and point others around you to Him.

I’m so curious to know what life lesson you would add. I’d love to hear in the comments!

If you found this list of fundamentals helpful, you can share it via any of the buttons below.

Want more, easy-to-apply tips for getting to know your neighbors? I send a neighboring tip of the week email, and I’d love to send it your way as well.

And finally, here’s a blessing to tuck into your heart as you lean into a life opened up to God and the people right in front of you.

May hope and vision rise within you.

May you see the significance of small steps.

May you take notice of your neighbors.

May you embrace openness–with God, and others.

May the good things God is growing in you show.

In the almighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Just a friend over here in your corner,

---

P.S. Prefer the audio? Listen to The Uncommon Normal podcast for the same weekly content! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or listen to the latest episodes right here!