OPINION
When I was a child, I learned about all of the great American heroes and leaders who have helped pave the path to get us here today.
While none of them were perfect, there seemed to be a certain civility, integrity, courage and tenacity held by many of those we look up to.
Washington selflessly gave up the presidency after two terms to model the peaceful transition of power.
Lincoln demonstrated courage and conviction amid the extraordinary pressures of abolition and a nation torn apart.
The qualities of courage, restraint, integrity, humility, sacrifice and perseverance remain admirable, yet, I fear we have lost the commitment to cultivate them.
We increasingly promote morality as subjective and worldview formation as best left for the individual to figure out.
We favor success, efficiency and individual expression.
We first ask, “Does it work?” rather than “Is it good?”
We teach people how to compete, win and optimize.
While all of those can be positive in their own right, unbridled pragmatism can lead a culture down a dangerous path.
Where do we find ourselves when we train up a new generation of capable and talented people who lack selfcontrol, honesty and courage?
We create effective managers and employees, while neglecting the development of the person.
We nurture “human-doers” rather than “human- beings.”
C.S. Lewis recognized this danger decades ago and gave a warning in “The Abolition of Man.”
When a culture becomes timid about moral formation and increasingly measures people by productivity and usefulness, it eventually develops a utilitarian, transactional worldview.
Yet, when courage, sacrifi ce and selflessness is required, who will be able to respond?
We cannot disregard the strengthening process, then be baffled when we are weak.
We cannot train a generation to prioritize usefulness and pragmatism, then expect them to spontaneously become virtuous people.
Virtue requires formation, just like any other personal discipline.
Aristotle taught that character was something to be developed through habitual lifestyle.
We become courageous by practicing courage.
The Quarterback does not suddenly become excellent when the game starts.
What happens on the field reveals the countless hours of practice which went unseen by the crowds.
The defining moment of one’s career does not occur by accident, but it is the result of years of dedication and commitment to underlying values. It is not enough to know what is right—we must know what is right, practice what is right and love what is right. A virtuous person is developed through a life committed to virtue in the head, heart and hands (what we know, love, and do).
What are our habits producing within us?
What kind of people are we being formed into by our thoughts, desires, and actions?
A world designed around convenience can form impatient people.
Relationships treated transactionally can form disloyal friendships.
A culture that promotes outrage can form very angry and hostile people.
What we repeatedly practice will form us into those types of people.
The Apostle Paul articulates a completely different kind of life shaped by God’s Spirit, “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal.
5:22–23, NIV).
These are more than rules to obey; they describe the type of person we are becoming.
Virtue is not simply about behaving better.
It’s about the type of person we are being formed into as we learn to love what is good and ordered around us.
Paul does not see the Christian life as passive, but as one actively committed to the work of God through faith, obedience, practice and perseverance.
While our culture has become hesitant to teach virtue, we continue to expect it.
We want courage when its necessary, selflessness when sacrifice is required, and patience when life is difficult.
But character does not suddenly appear just because the moment requires it—character must be intentionally prioritized and cultivated long before the need arises.
George Washington’s decision to surrender the presidency was not made in the moment he left office.
His decision revealed something that was already present within him.
Virtue still matters because our character drives our actions.
And, character is developed long before anyone is watching.
Steve Stanley is a Providence Village resident with a doctorate in ministerial leadership with a platform on YouTube, https://www. youtube.com/@Formed-NotPerformed, and on Instagram, https://www.instagram. com/formed_not_ performed. He can be reached at [email protected].
