Consider the Blameless

Psalm 37:37 offers good advice for those who want to advance in their faith.

Here are a few translations:

• NIV: Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.

• ESV: Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.

• CEB: Observe those who have integrity and watch those whose heart is right, because the future belong to persons of peace.

• MSG: Keep your eye on the healthy soul, scrutinize the straight life; there's a future in strenuous wholeness.

One of the primary ways of motivating one to pursue something, is by studying others who have done what you want to do. So investors study Warren Buffet, basketball players study Michael Jordan, actors and actresses study those who win Academy Awards, etc...

There is so much motivating power in observing someone's life. Such an observation has a way of telling one that they, too, can do it. In the Christian life this discipline of "considering the blameless" is, in my opinion, one of the most helpful in getting one started on the Way, or jumpstarting one who is stuck while in the Way. It was a discipline that certainly helped St. Ignatius.

So I thought I would right and share a list of people whose lives have greatly motivated me. There are several men and women who aren't famous that would be on my list, but for the sake of this post I will only list the well known ones. The order of the list is unimportant. Some of the names will have links to specific works that influenced me.

• JESUS!

• St. Francis of Assisi

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer

• John Wesley

• Dallas Willard

• Alistair Begg

• Tim Keller

• Francis Chan

• Hudson Taylor

• George Müller

• CT Studd

• St. Anthony of Egypt

• NT Wright

• Robert W. Jenson

• Madam Guyon

• Oswald Chambers

• Amy Carmichael

• Charles Spurgeon

• DL Moody

• St. Theresa of Avila

• AW Tozer

• CS Lewis

• St. Ignatius of Loyola

• Smith Wigglesworth

• St. Benedict

• John Bunyan

These are names that I would add to my own Hebrews 11 list. I'm sure the list will expand, for every time I read a new biography I learn of someone who inspired one of the people on this list. I hope you have an ever expanding list of people whose lives you observe.