His Legacy of Courage

In an age of conformity, he showed us what conviction looks like | In Case You're Curious #2

Sep 13, 2025

I see some people saying that everything has already been said about Charlie Kirk, so there’s no point in writing more.

Well, not everyone is me. And Charlie Kirk impacted my life. Even if I’m just adding to all of the “RIP Charlie” noise a few days late, I still want to share MY thoughts and prayers.

Because I appreciate Charlie Kirk and the life he lived. So, here are my thoughts.

Charlie Kirk was assassinated. A man with two children and a wife who adored him. A man who built a culture-shifting movement. A brother in Christ…is gone. Because someone couldn’t stand that there was a man out there who had a different opinion than them.

My thoughts have been riddled with questions like how could someone be this evil? And over what?? Over words??? Over completely mainstream views???? I’m confused. I’m angry. I’m sad. I’m heartbroken that this is what our culture has become.

In our desire to stay positive, to keep everything kumbayah and “nice,” we often want to minimize the cold, hard truth. Someone was brutally murdered in front of a large crowd for exercising his right to speak freely.

And instead of grieving the idea that someone was brutally murdered over their beliefs in our free country, instead of recognizing the horror, what do we see from fellow Americans? People cheering, validating it, and saying, “He deserved it.”

But this isn’t new. As terrible as this is, Scripture told us things like this would happen in our corrupted world.

Here’s a reminder:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
—Romans 1:28–32 (NKJV)

That’s where we are. A culture not only committing evil, but applauding it.

One of the books Charlie recommended at the Young Women’s Leadership Summit this year was 1984 by George Orwell. Because of his suggestion, I finally read it. And now, in light of his death, I can’t help but see the parallels.

In 1984, people were punished, and sometimes even killed, if they dared to step out of line with what the state deemed acceptable. “Thoughtcrime” and “hate speech” were labels used to control people, to silence opposition, to strip away the very idea of truth. If you didn’t conform, you paid the price.

Reading it was chilling then. Living through this moment now is even more chilling.

Charlie was a man who believed in truth. He spoke boldly, even when it cost him. And just like in Orwell’s dystopia, we are watching a society where disagreement is not only attacked, it’s criminalized in the minds of those who cannot tolerate free thought.

Charlie’s death is a tragic reminder that 1984 was not just fiction. It was a warning. A warning that when a culture abandons truth and embraces lies, when it demonizes those who speak differently, violence will follow.

Book Recommendations from Charlie at YWLS. They helped shape him, and their helping me too:

But instead of focusing on the sheer depravity of this world, I would like to focus on what I learned from Charlie Kirk during his short life.

This all really started when I went to the Young Women’s Leadership Summit that Turning Point USA has hosted these last couple of years, and each year I walked away more inspired. And believe it or not, it wasn’t just political. Yes, there were political talking heads, but many of the speakers shared on health, biblical womanhood, motherhood, marriage, and more.

This year I took pages of notes with the thought that I would turn them into articles. But I never did. They were left in my notes app all this time. Today, for the first time, I went back to reread them. And what I found, not to my surprise, was that the longest notes I wrote were from Charlie and Erika Kirk. Even though I don’t remember everything they said, I do remember how captivated I was. It was like each sentence they spoke I had to try and write down because they were just dropping gem after gem.

Charlie didn’t just talk about politics, in fact he barely did. He focused on life, marriage, and family. On building strong homes that would outlast a crumbling culture.

Here are just a handful of truths that I brought home with me from Charlie Kirk at YWLS:

You get what you aim at—we are aiming creatures, and we need something to point at.
Self-control is a sign of maturity. Instill self-control, not just self-restraint.
Hyper-toxic feminism is off-putting to young men. Hookup culture gives men everything they want, while saving yourself for marriage would transform the dating pool.
Marriage is a covenant. Your relationship with your kids is not.
Premarital counseling is important. You must really know the nature of your spouse before you say yes.
Get married early, but not rushed. Christians do a bad job of glorifying marriage, but it is a gift.
If men don’t lead their families to church, it is the #1 predictor that their children will not go either.
Do not talk down to men. Men just want a return to normal things like cooking a meal and serving.
Your kids are not your friends. What you feed them—spiritually and physically—matters. Even five minutes less of screen time can make a difference.
Be careful who you let through your gates (Deut. 28). One day they could own you.
A career-driven life is empty. Don’t force your wife into the workforce if you can help it.
You should have more kids than you think you can afford—God provides.
Go and occupy culture. Ask: is it good, is it true, is it beautiful? Is it bringing people closer to God or closer to depravity?
Wisdom is not the same as knowing facts.
Turn off your phone for one day. Keep the Sabbath holy. Rest is obedience.
“You only have one thing to fear which is the fear of the Lord”

This terrible tragedy with Charlie Kirk has woken a lot of people up. I think the best way we can honor his legacy is by living out the things he stood for:

Speaking to others about Jesus
Getting married and having children
Building strong families
Courageously speaking the truth

These are all things that Charlie stood for, and that Erika Kirk still stands for, and spoke courageously about.

But let me end with this: evil does not win. Death does not win. Christ wins. And while we grieve Charlie, and while we lift Erika and the kids in prayer, we also stand firm.

Because our God is not mocked, and His justice is perfect.