Inspirational Quotes by Gary Thomas

“the story of Isaac and Rebekah is an account of what was, but not necessarily of what should be for all of God’s people.”

“I may not receive any new insights and God may not feel particularly close. This has taught me that the demand for spiritual experience can be as gluttonous as the desire for food, money, or sex. Desire for spiritual highs needs to be contained so that we can develop other parts of our being.”

“How often do we Christians “take the Lord’s name in vain” during our worship? It matters to God if we lie, even if we’re singing, and even if everybody around us is singing the same thing. Music can make us feign a commitment that just isn’t there, causing us to become callous, insincere believers.”

“Christians who demonstrate compassion because they are passionately in love with God will thus speak prophetically to a selfish culture and, sometimes, a selfish church. Selfishness distorts true sacrifice, and sacrifice is at the heart of true care. Mother”

“It wasn’t easy. In junior high, I was voted “most polite,” and it took some time for me to realize that being perceived as a “nice guy” and being a faithful Christian don’t always go hand in hand.”

“There are three elements of the traditionalist pathway: ritual (or liturgical pattern); symbol (or significant image); and sacrifice. Evelyn Underhill, a popular Christian writer in the early part of this century, calls these three elements “sensible signs of supra-sensible action.”9 They are ways we use the physical world to express nonphysical (spiritual) truths.”

“God will speak to us through creation if we’ll only listen. If you feel like your time in front of books or listening to sermons has become stagnant, grab a coat, pick up a walking stick, and step outside into a school that never closes.”

“We cannot receive, however, unless we set aside time for God to speak—and then let him set the agenda for our discussion. I’ve found that my agenda is frequently different from God’s. He must be the initiator in my spiritual walk. He knows what I need to hear. When I’m consumed with my temporal problems, I miss the blessing of being out of doors.”

“The world is full of religions and religious people who don’t know God. Religion can serve faith, but it doesn’t substitute for faith, and it can never replace faith. Meaningful expressions of the heart, mind, and will become lifeless if they’re not mixed with a deep and abiding faith.”

“At its deepest root, ambition is often a fight against powerlessness and a fight for control. The ambitious person is also inherently selfish. This search for control, unimpeded by thoughts of concern for another’s welfare, certainly provide a fertile seedbed for sexual lust, which may therefore find a particularly comfortable home in an ambitious soul. I was speaking to a group of Christian activists not that long ago, and I sobered them with the words, “The very qualities that help you succeed as an activist may tempt you to fail as a Christian.” Ambitious men and women need to allow others to hold them accountable. Ambition coupled with secrecy is a fertile ground for sexual sin; throw in fatigue, and you’re almost certain to embarrass yourself and the ministry God has given you. The activist may face more temptation in this regard than many of the other temperaments.”

“We don’t always need a change. Sometimes, we just need a rest, and there is no better place to rest our bodies and our souls than outside.”

“Sincerity and effort are two strong legs, but two legs are not enough to stabilize a stool. Christian activists need sincerity, effort, and thoughtful prayer. A minister who had misgivings about the prohibition movement remarked that “the churches in the long run would get further if their activities were marked by less commotion and more insight.”24 It is hard to disagree with this. Jesus, as always, is the perfect model of a man who worked hard during the day and prayed hard during the morning and night. Peter is the model of a man who acted fast (cutting off a soldier’s ear, for instance) and had much to repent.”

“Most of our solitude is forced, not chosen, creating loneliness rather than spiritual intimacy with the Father, and our culture is anything but morally strict. We gravitate toward the trite and trivial rather than the somber and grave, and we pride ourselves on adornment and complexity rather than simplicity, often because many of us are trying desperately to hide our true selves. Ascetics, perhaps more than any of the other spiritual temperaments, must truly go against their culture to practice loving God.”

“It is in these dark, intense, and lonely times that ascetics’ souls awaken. I think that anyone who has been stretched in ministry knows that the real battle was fought at Gethsemane, not Calvary. To be sure, only Calvary provided payment for our sins and thus was absolutely necessary, but Gethsemane was the real spiritual battleground where Jesus made the final decision to be obedient. In a wrenching, courageous act of self-denial, Jesus proved the mettle of his faith.”

“Don’t you know where God is leading on this?” I was asked once. “Yes, I do,” I said. “And that’s the problem. I’m waiting for my willingness to catch up with God’s.” That’s why I identify so much with Christ, alone and in agony, as he prayed in Gethsemane. It is the ultimate picture of Christianity, the picture of us struggling spiritually as God aligns our will with his. It’s the picture that fuels the ascetic spiritual temperament.”

“Ascetics are “strict” only because they want to reserve a major portion of their lives for their passionate pursuit of God.”

“It is this strict side of the ascetic’s life that is perhaps the least understood, not only by our culture, but also by other Christians. Especially among evangelicals, who champion salvation by grace through faith, a strict faith can seem perilously close to legalism; and in some cases, it might be. For healthy ascetics, however, strictness is a cherished method of expressing love for God.”

“women,”

“Givers don’t always mind being in a relationship with a taker because they like to give; it brings them joy.”

“Even if you’re a giver who likes to give, it’s exhausting being married to a taker. A taker will suck the life out of you in many ways, and in one sense undercut your ability to minister to others.”