Ancient Christian Wisdom
for Everyday Life
Wisdom for those with the wild ambition of getting as close to Jesus as they can on earth and living the kind of life that God desires every single day
Welcome to the Daily Monastic. I’m Barnabas the Monastic.
I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I attempt to do that by learning to become a modern monastic. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in my modern everyday life. I write about it here. Feel free to write to me about your own journey. I currently reside in the “Great White North.”
Self-Sufficiency versus Spirit-Sufficiency
I've been a believer in Jesus for over two decades now. It's been a journey fraught with many ups and downs in my spiritual life. In particular, it's been a long journey of learning what it's like to listen to Christ and obey Him every single day. I haven't always been…
Some is Better than None
There are times when I don't feel very motivated to do important and productive things. These significant things could include exercising, writing, cleaning, reading, and spiritual activities like praying or reading the Bible. The lack of motivation could be because I had a really long day and I just want to "veg out" on the couch. Or it…
Easy Access to the Bible
The Bible is more accessible to people today than at any point in history. Back in the day, people didn't own personal copies of the Bible. The Scriptures were usually held in specific places of worship and were only handled by religious leaders. Jesus, Himself, didn't carry around a Bible with Him. There weren't any personal copies…
The Six Realms of Life
How are you showing up to life? Are you showing up in a state of hurriedness, anxiousness, tiredness, confusion, or frustration? Or are you showing up with a posture of peace, confidence, love, graciousness, and excitement? You can either bring the best of you or the worst of you to…
Excited about Church
Several weeks ago, I was at a gathering of Christian leaders. We discussed about the upcoming generations of believers. Some lamented about how the next generations don't seem all that interested in "going to church" (this was from a North American context). I humorously pointed out that many in the current generation don't seem all that excited…
God’s Definition of Success
How do we define success in life? A lot of people in our world define success through what they can see with their eyes—usually in the form of wealth and material possessions. A person is often seen as successful if he or she has a…
Thinking Differently about Rejection
It's hard getting rejected for something we want whether it's a relationship or a job offer or to get into a school we really want to go to or a promotion at work. Rejection can be painful. It can really play against our sense of self-worth. We might start thinking that we're a failure or inadequate or of little value. But we have to remember that…
Harder than Ever
I want to live well for Jesus. I want my life to be a reflection of the godly values associated with the Kingdom of God. I want to embody godly traits like love, humility, faith, sacrifice, etc. I want my living well for Christ to…
Take Opportunities to Grow Your Spirituality
A few days ago, my neighbor asked me to help him with something important. He was going to have minor surgery and he asked me if I could drive him and his wife to the hospital. He also asked me to stay behind in order to…
Beating Procrastination
I don't know why, but I really enjoy procrastinating. I like doing anything and everything else except the very thing I'm supposed to be doing. This happens with writing. This happens with house chores. This happens with exercise. This happens with replying to emails. This happens with preparing for talks. This happens with spiritual disciplines. For some odd reason, it just…