--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a Christian has not and does not…" description: "\"Being a Christian has not and does not come naturally or easy for me. I take that to be a good thing because I am sure that to be a Christian requires ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/stanley-hauerwas-2675_a-good-thing_being-a-christian-has-not-and-does-not-c_2746535.png" --- # Being a Christian has not and does not come naturally or… ![“Being a Christian has not and does not come naturally or easy for me. I take that to be a good thing because I am sure that to be a Christian requires training that lasts a lifetime.” quote by Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/stanley-hauerwas-2675_a-good-thing_being-a-christian-has-not-and-does-not-c_2746535.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/stanley-hauerwas-2675_a-good-thing_being-a-christian-has-not-and-does-not-c_2746535.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/stanley-hauerwas-2675_a-good-thing_being-a-christian-has-not-and-does-not-c_2746535.png) > “Being a Christian has not and does not come naturally or easy for me. I take that to be a good thing because I am sure that to be a Christian requires training that lasts a lifetime.” [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Christianity is not innate; it requires lifelong training and effort. **In simple terms:** Being Christian needs ongoing practice. Key Takeaway Commit to continual spiritual growth. Themes faith discipline growth Mood hopeful reflective Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - church community - personal prayer - ethical decisions Key Concepts spiritual formation habit formation theology Questions to Reflect On - How do you sustain spiritual discipline? - What supports lifelong faith training? A Different Perspective Hardship may discourage perseverance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [A good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/a-good-thing/) [Am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/am/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-does-2055993/) [Christian Requires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-requires-924937/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-am/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Naturally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naturally/) [Requires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requires/) [Requires Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requires-training-2821853/) [Sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure/) [Sure Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-christian-3066553/) [Take](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) ## Related quotes > [“The life of faith does not follow automatically when a person becomes a Christian. It requires deliberate action on his part. This is especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-macdonald/the-life-of-faith-does-not-follow-automatically-when-a-person-becomes/) [William MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-macdonald/) > [Anecdotal thinking comes naturally; science requires training.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/anecdotal-thinking-comes-naturally-science-requires-training/) [Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/) > [Though every film teaches me at least three new things, I don't subscribe to doing homework about a character's backstory unless it's a historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranvir-shorey/though-every-film-teaches-me-at-least-three-new-things-i-don-t/) [Ranvir Shorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranvir-shorey/) > [But above that, most mature adults can hold their attention on something for 45 minutes, whether they like it or not. But above that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fripp/but-above-that-most-mature-adults-can-hold-their-attention-on/) [Robert Fripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fripp/) > [“Knowing when to leave requires training.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-prowse/knowing-when-to-leave-requires-training/) [Jane Prowse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-prowse/) > [Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rockefeller/success-in-business-requires-training-and-discipline-and-hard-work-2/) [David Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rockefeller/) > [I love to prepare if it's something that requires training. But I don't like to prepare the psychology too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-zane/i-love-to-prepare-if-it-s-something-that-requires-training-but-i-don/) [Billy Zane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-zane/) > [“Most of us assume that running is a natural instinct and so requires no training. As a result, athletes rarely consider that improper technique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-of-us-assume-that-running-is-a-natural-instinct-and-so-requires/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To be in good moral condition requires at least as much training as to be in good physical condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/to-be-in-good-moral-condition-requires-at-least-as-much-training-as/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [Any skill requires training. I took the corporate approach to acting and wanted to develop the necessary skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-daggubati/any-skill-requires-training-i-took-the-corporate-approach-to-acting/) [Rana Daggubati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-daggubati/) > [What one Christian does is his own responsibility, what one Jew does is thrown back at all Jews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/what-one-christian-does-is-his-own-responsibility-what-one-jew-does/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [“It's important to understand that if someone calls themselves a Christian, it does not automatically make everything they do an act of Christianity, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-n-roe/it-s-important-to-understand-that-if-someone-calls-themselves-a/) [Lewis N. Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-n-roe/) > [The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-christian-does-not-think-god-will-love-us-because-we-are-good-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nobody can call himself a Christian who does not worship Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/nobody-can-call-himself-a-christian-who-does-not-worship-jesus/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [There is nothing colder than a Christian who does not seek to save others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/there-is-nothing-colder-than-a-christian-who-does-not-seek-to-save/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) ## More by Stanley Hauerwas > [Advent is patience it's how God has made us a people of promise, in a world of impatience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/advent-is-patience-it-s-how-god-has-made-us-a-people-of-promise-in-a/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [It turns out that the God whose word will stand forever does not exist to insure our fantasies that we will not have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/it-turns-out-that-the-god-whose-word-will-stand-forever-does-not/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [I have come to think that the challenge confronting Christians is not that we do not believe what we say, though that can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/i-have-come-to-think-that-the-challenge-confronting-christians-is-not/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [Though the world may often appear to be more charitable than the church, it is crucial to remember that, for the church, the care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/though-the-world-may-often-appear-to-be-more-charitable-than-the/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [God knows we are subtle creatures who are more than able to use candour to avoid acknowledging our deceptions of others and ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/god-knows-we-are-subtle-creatures-who-are-more-than-able-to-use/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [When love becomes what Christianity is all about, we can make no sense of Jesus's death and resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/when-love-becomes-what-christianity-is-all-about-we-can-make-no-sense/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [To try to turn Iraq into a liberal democracy is absolutely crazy. Islam has no understanding of the separation between church and state because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/to-try-to-turn-iraq-into-a-liberal-democracy-is-absolutely-crazy/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [Our sin is exactly the presumption that we can know God or ourselves through our own capacities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/our-sin-is-exactly-the-presumption-that-we-can-know-god-or-ourselves/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [The heart of the gospel is that you don't know Jesus without the witness of the church. It's always mediated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/the-heart-of-the-gospel-is-that-you-don-t-know-jesus-without-the/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [I have no doubt that for some to become a Christian may involve an experience of ecstasy. Yet I do not think such an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/i-have-no-doubt-that-for-some-to-become-a-christian-may-involve-an/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [The Gospel of John makes explicit what all the Gospels assume - that is, the cross is not a defeat, but the victory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/the-gospel-of-john-makes-explicit-what-all-the-gospels-assume-that-is/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [One of the challenges Christians confront is how the politics we helped create has made it difficult to sustain the material practices constitutive of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/one-of-the-challenges-christians-confront-is-how-the-politics-we/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > ['The Chronicles of Narnia' are war-determined stories. I do not think Lewis could have written well or truthfully if he had tried to avoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/the-chronicles-of-narnia-are-war-determined-stories-i-do-not-think/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [I should like to think how we write as theologians would reflect our confidence in the One who makes that writing possible. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/i-should-like-to-think-how-we-write-as-theologians-would-reflect-our/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [Many who become theologians in our time think their task is to try to determine how much of what has passed for Christianity they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/many-who-become-theologians-in-our-time-think-their-task-is-to-try-to/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) [Explore all 155 Stanley Hauerwas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) ## More A good thing quotes > [Knowledge is generally considered a good thing; so, presumably, knowing more about how the U.S. thinks and operates around the world is also good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/knowledge-is-generally-considered-a-good-thing-so-presumably-knowing/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Being authentic can be a good thing in that often people who are fixated on that are also fixated on having very high standards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-meyer/being-authentic-can-be-a-good-thing-in-that-often-people-who-are/) [Edgar Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-meyer/) > [Money is a good thing, but every morning you have to get up with something no one else in the world gets up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/money-is-a-good-thing-but-every-morning-you-have-to-get-up-with/) [George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/) > [I was raised that emotion was a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/i-was-raised-that-emotion-was-a-good-thing/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [When I had a full-time job, I really wasn't that busy, but now I'm really busy. I guess that's a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-moneymaker/when-i-had-a-full-time-job-i-really-wasn-t-that-busy-but-now-i-m/) [Chris Moneymaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-moneymaker/) > [It's flattering that there are lots of Internet fan sites about me. I'm a bit of a technophobe and I don't even own a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-armstrong/it-s-flattering-that-there-are-lots-of-internet-fan-sites-about-me-i/) [Jonas Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-armstrong/) > [I am not opposed to e-readers. Any technology that encourages the reading of literature is a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/i-am-not-opposed-to-e-readers-any-technology-that-encourages-the/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [I think about death all the time. I think that's a good thing because we're all going to die, and the only thing we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-gleason/i-think-about-death-all-the-time-i-think-that-s-a-good-thing-because/) [Steve Gleason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-gleason/) > [First, I was opposed to gay marriage because it seemed like one more way that gays were wanting to assimilate. When I realized the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/first-i-was-opposed-to-gay-marriage-because-it-seemed-like-one-more/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Just because we're rid of Saddam and the evil Batthists doesn't mean the occupation is a good thing. Our salvation from Saddam was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muqtada-al-sadr/just-because-we-re-rid-of-saddam-and-the-evil-batthists-doesn-t-mean/) [Muqtada al Sadr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muqtada-al-sadr/) > [I love Florida Georgia Line. I love 'Round Here.' So if a fan wants to listen to that, and if a fan that wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-mccreery/i-love-florida-georgia-line-i-love-round-here-so-if-a-fan-wants-to/) [Scotty McCreery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-mccreery/) > [I keep threatening to write a non-fantasy book, and they keep offering me the kind of money I can't refuse to write a fantasy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-keep-threatening-to-write-a-non-fantasy-book-and-they-keep-offering/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [My mother raised three kids on her own, so I was taught that to be a working mom was a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-shahi/my-mother-raised-three-kids-on-her-own-so-i-was-taught-that-to-be-a/) [Sarah Shahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-shahi/) > [I think it is a good thing to buy less and choose well - it's good for the environment and to be fair it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-think-it-is-a-good-thing-to-buy-less-and-choose-well-it-s-good-for/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [I think it's a good thing to have a lot of voices in the media, and I think, you know, let all flowers bloom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cokie-roberts/i-think-it-s-a-good-thing-to-have-a-lot-of-voices-in-the-media-and-i/) [Cokie Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cokie-roberts/) [Browse all 195 A good thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/a-good-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being a Christian has not and does not come naturally or easy for me. 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