How Marcus Aurelius and 4 Stoic Habits Can Strengthen Your Christian Faith
- Beata
- Sep 10
- 8 min read
Many today feel overwhelmed by thoughts, emotions, and outside pressures. But long before modern self-help, Marcus Aurelius — Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher — practiced a daily discipline of reflection, calm, and virtue. Not only did the Stoics recognize that the real battlefield is inside us — the chaos of thoughts, fears, and old patterns that rise up even when nothing outside is actually threatening us.
Surprisingly, many Stoic insights align beautifully with Christian values: inner peace, self-control, compassion, and courage. In this post, you’ll explore how simple 4 Stoic habits can strengthen your Christian faith. Using a grounding exercise and a short prayer can help you steady your heart.
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." — Romans 12:2
Start practicing today — and find the quiet strength God planted within you.
Marcus Aurelius, one of the wisest Stoics, wrote:
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” (common paraphrase)
Original essence: Focus on your own reasoned choices, because that's what you truly control.
“The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting.”
The Stoics taught that while we cannot control everything around us, we can learn to calm the storm within. And that inner calm brings a kind of quiet joy that no external blow can steal.
Let’s do this simple grounding exercise + short prayer together — to help your body and mind feel that peace you’re reaching for.
Grounding Exercise: “I am safe, I am steady.”
Sit comfortably and place one hand over your heart and one on your belly.
Take a slow breath in through your nose (count to 4) — feel your belly and chest rise.
Slowly breathe out through your mouth (count to 6) — feel your body soften.
As you breathe, softly say in your mind or whisper:
“I am safe now. I am steady. I can rest.”
Repeat 3 more slow breaths.
Short Prayer for Peace
Lord, You are my shelter and my calm. You see every fear I carry. Breathe Your peace into my body and mind. Teach me to stand steady, knowing You hold me gently. I give You the memories of judgment and fear. Fill me instead with Your courage, joy, and freedom. I choose to live unafraid. Amen.
Who was Marcus Aurelius?
Marcus Aurelius (121–180 AD) was a Roman emperor — one of the most powerful men in the world at the time — but also a philosopher at heart. Despite the empire’s wealth, wars, plagues, betrayals, and personal losses (he buried several children), Marcus quietly kept a journal where he reminded himself not to get lost in fear, power, or pride.
That journal is now known as "Meditations" — and it wasn’t written to impress others. It was just his private notes to himself: How do I stay good, calm, and wise even when life is hard? Think of it as a 2,000-year-old self-coaching notebook.
What is Stoicism?
Stoicism is a philosophy that originated around 300 BC, when Zeno of Citium founded it in Athens. Its main teachings are surprisingly simple and timeless:
You can’t control what happens to you — but you can control how you respond.
Virtue (good character, inner excellence) is the highest good — more important than wealth, fame, comfort.
Distinguish between what is up to you (your thoughts, actions, values) and what is not up to you (other people, events, outcomes).
Live in agreement with nature (accept life’s flow, don’t fight reality unnecessarily).
In short:
Calm mind, steady heart, clear action.
What was the source of their wisdom?
The Stoics observed life itself — human nature, suffering, joy, patterns of behaviour — and tried to align their minds with reason, nature, and virtue. They believed that wisdom came not from emotion or impulse, but from living thoughtfully and intentionally, accepting what is, and continually improving oneself.
They weren’t mystical or religious in the way we might think, but many Stoics spoke of "Logos", a kind of divine rational order of the universe (in some ways, similar to what Christians later saw as God’s Word and wisdom moving through all things).
Why was it buried for ages?
After the fall of the Roman Empire, many ancient texts — including Stoic works — were lost, destroyed, or simply forgotten as Europe entered the Middle Ages, where different philosophical and theological systems dominated (like Scholasticism, heavily influenced by Christianity). It wasn’t until the Renaissance and later the Enlightenment that interest in ancient Greek and Roman wisdom was revived.
Also, Stoicism sometimes got misunderstood as "emotionless" or "cold" — so it was less attractive during eras that emphasized feeling and passion (like Romanticism).
Do they have something we don’t have? Or are we just mistaken?
We aren’t missing anything humans haven’t always had — but we do forget easily.
What the Stoics trained relentlessly that we sometimes neglect today is:
The ability to pause and choose a calm response instead of reacting impulsively.
Daily self-examination (like Marcus writing in his journal).
A deep focus on character and virtue rather than chasing outcomes.
In a noisy, fast, external-results-driven world, their inner calm and discipline can feel like something we "lost" — but we can absolutely recover and practice it again.
In a way, their wisdom isn’t buried — it’s right here, waiting for anyone who wants to walk the path of quiet strength and clear mind.
Was Marcus Aurelius directly persecuting Christians?
There is no evidence that Marcus Aurelius personally organized or passionately pursued a large, empire-wide persecution of Christians like later emperors did (e.g., Decius, Diocletian). But… during his reign, localized persecutions of Christians did increase in some areas.
For example:
The martyrdom of Polycarp (around 155–160 AD, slightly before Marcus' reign but close)
The martyrs of Lyon and Vienne (177 AD in Gaul — modern-day France), where Christians were tortured and executed brutally
While Marcus didn’t issue edicts like "hunt down Christians everywhere," he didn’t intervene to stop local governors and mobs from attacking Christians either — and some scholars believe his writings suggest he didn’t think highly of Christians.
What did Marcus Aurelius think about Christians?
In his Meditations, Marcus never directly mentions Christians. But… he criticizes people who are obstinate, who die for causes stubbornly and theatrically. He admired rational, calm acceptance of death, not public defiance that challenged Roman social order (like Christians refusing to sacrifice to Roman gods).
To a Stoic like Marcus, Christians seemed irrational and superstitious: They refused to worship the emperor (seen as disloyal). They held secret meetings (viewed suspiciously). They were willing to die rather than conform (seen as stubborn and unreasonable).
So while Marcus valued virtue and duty, he likely saw Christians as disruptive and irrational, not admirable martyrs.
Why didn’t Stoicism and Christianity get along at first?
They had similar moral values (self-control, virtue, care for others), but different worldviews:
So, tensions were inevitable. Christians wouldn’t worship Roman gods, or the emperor — Stoics couldn’t grasp why someone would "irrationally" refuse civic duty to the state.
The irony?
Later Christian thinkers, especially in the 3rd and 4th centuries, actually loved Stoic wisdom and integrated much of it! For example, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and others drew from Stoicism to talk about virtue, reason, and self-mastery, but were rooted in Christ.
The bottom line:
Marcus Aurelius was not a brutal persecutor, but not a friend of Christians either. He was a philosopher-emperor trying to keep social order, and he saw Christians as confusing, stubborn outsiders. But in God’s quiet providence, even Marcus’s love of virtue and wisdom later echoed inside the Christian tradition itself.
Here are 4 foundational Stoic habits that you can use today — simple but mighty.
How 4 Stoic Habits Can Strengthen Your Christian Faith
1. Morning Reflection (Set Your Compass)
Each morning, Marcus Aurelius reminded himself:
“Today I will meet people who are meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, and unsocial.”But they are like this because they don’t understand good and evil… and I will not be harmed by them.
Why? — To lower false expectations and steady your heart.
How? When you wake up, say quietly to yourself:
“Today may bring challenges. People may act out of fear or confusion. But I will stay steady and kind. Their actions are theirs — my response is mine.”
Effect: You disarm surprise and defensiveness before the day even starts.
2. The Dichotomy of Control (The Stoic Superpower)
This is core Stoic teaching — the mind-saver. At any moment, ask:
“Is this up to me, or not up to me?”
Up to me: my thoughts, values, choices, words
Not up to me: other people, the past, weather, outcomes, opinions
When something stresses you: Breathe and quietly say:
“Not up to me. I release it.”OR“This is mine to shape. I focus here.”
Effect: You don’t waste energy wrestling what you can’t control — you reclaim peace fast.
3. Evening Reflection (Clean Your Heart)
Seneca (another Stoic) said each night he would ask himself:
“What bad habit did I correct today? What good habit did I strengthen? Where did I fall short?”
How? Before sleep, quietly ask:
Did I stay calm today?
Did I act with kindness or courage?
Where can I gently improve tomorrow?
Don’t beat yourself up — observe, learn, release.
Effect: You end each day clean and clear — no hidden guilt or tangled mind as you rest.
4. View from Above (Perspective Zoom-Out)
When stressed or overwhelmed, picture yourself high above, like a bird or from a mountaintop.
“This moment is small in the grand flow of life. I am a part of something vast and beautiful. I can breathe and relax.”
Marcus often wrote about zooming out to see the stars, the universe, the passage of generations — it softens anxiety quickly.
These 4 are pure gold if you practice daily:
Morning → Throughout the day → Evening → When overwhelmed
Renewing the Mind
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."— Romans 12:2
This verse beautifully echoes themes found in both Stoic and Christian teachings. Marcus Aurelius wrote privately, trying to renew his mind each day, to resist pride, fear, and despair, and instead choose peace, discipline, and virtue. Paul’s words remind us that real transformation doesn’t come from the chaos of the world but from what happens within.
As Christians, we believe that this renewal is not just personal effort — it’s the Holy Spirit reshaping us. But we must still pause, reflect, and cooperate with that work. The Stoics offer helpful tools to support this daily renewal, not as a replacement for faith, but as a companion to spiritual growth.
May your heart be steady, your mind renewed, and your steps guided by grace.
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🙌 Share & Reflect
If this reflection encouraged you, share it with someone who might need a moment of calm or courage today. Let’s bring ancient wisdom and living faith into our everyday lives — together.
🕊️ Which of the 4 Stoic Habits Can Strengthen Your Christian Faith the most right now? Leave a comment or tag a friend who would walk this path with you.
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