Inspirational Quotes by Gary Thomas

“The best thing you can do to witness to a toxic person is stay focused on your task, refuse to be distracted or play their games, pray instead of gossip, and then get the work done. Find the reliable people God has called you to invest in. Accomplish the task that you know to be urgent. Then”

“It’s not selfish for you to want to be who God created you to be, and it’s not selfish for you to do what God created you to do,”

“When you sexually reconnect, you feel the effects of this neurochemical cement. Learning to disregard this cement (which you must eventually do to break things off) will undercut the positive effects it has in marriage. You must train yourself to ignore what God created you to pay attention to.”

“If you have an extra shirt to give to a toxic person, be kind. If you can give to a difficult individual without taking time away from a reliable individual, go for it. But if your investment of time and money keeps you from fulfilling your ministry and fighting your own battles, including investing in other reliable people, it’s time to reevaluate. It’s time to say no—even to your children.”

“In the study of Christian spirituality, real contemplation is actually an experience with a beginning and an end that Christians pass through. Contemplation is not generally considered a life-state that one exists in, so I’m adapting the word somewhat when I use it as a label for a spiritual temperament.”

“A captivated heart, a bridled tongue, a limited curiosity, and a slow reentry after prayer are necessary disciplines of simplicity.”

“Bask in God’s acceptance and delight. You can’t make everyone like you; in this toxic world, it is certain that everyone won’t like you. So put your identity in the One who loves you dearly, who says, “I chose you and will keep choosing you.” Your best defense against toxic people’s rejection is your holy Father’s acceptance. Your best shield from the world’s animosity is the Creator’s passionate pursuit. You don’t have to defend yourself. You don’t have to engage your enemies. Simply lift up your hands and be loved. Embrace your mission and walk away with Jesus from anyone who seeks to stop you from doing what God has called you to do or from being the person God has called you to be. God’s grace, God’s beauty, God’s acceptance, and God’s affirmation are the most powerful antidotes against the toxicity found in this fallen world. Let’s all choose to live out of his affirmation.”

“For now let me just state that when interacting with a toxic person I have two aims: I want to do the right thing—keep seeking first God’s kingdom—and be the right person—nontoxic in return and acting out of love (whether that leads to confrontation or walking away depends on the situation). I can’t control a toxic person. I can’t change a toxic person. I can’t understand a toxic person. But I can guard my mission and maintain my character. Those are the only two things you can control when you live or work around toxic people.”

“There is nothing morally superior about wanting to live on a farm, in a city apartment, or in a house in the suburbs.”

“Seeking miraculous experiences simply for the sake of experiencing the miraculous makes us spiritual drug addicts who simply want to get “high.” This book is about learning to love God, not learning to join a spiritual circus. Enthusiasts need to be especially careful to remain true to seeking and loving God rather than searching for new experiences. When we seek “spiritual experiences” for their own sake, they can actually become, and be used for, evil.”

“Learn how to grieve fractured relationships, and then learn how to let them go. Don’t let disappointment morph into self-doubt and self-flagellation. Just because you wish something wasn’t a certain way doesn’t mean it’s your fault that it’s not.”

“It’s far better to move somewhere on a trial basis as a single person to try out the option than to get married first and then see if you like it.”

“Neurologists tell us a startling truth that has major implications for spiritual formation: Our choices and experience shape our brain, both literally and physiologically. What we choose cognitively helps make us into who we are.”

“God has much to say to us, but we are often too busy to listen. Our minds have a tendency to get too occupied during the day, or sometimes we are too busy praying to God with our own agendas and have lost our listening ears. Dreams are one way God can “break in” and get something across to us that we might not be open to hearing during the day.”

“Trying to find contentment in this world without addressing the inner person is no more drastic a change than simply changing cubicles while continuing to work for the same company. Your location may change, but the overall environment is exactly the same.”

“Finally, by “humble” spirituality I mean, does your Christian understand he or she is not perfect and needs to grow? Does that person resent it when you notice his or her anger, lust, selfishness, or does he or she recognize that while God is working on them, there is always room for more growth? If people don’t understand God’s grace, they will get defensive rather than listen. If they don’t understand God’s grace, they will never be empowered to rise above an ineffective perfectionism that leads to legalism and denial. You will be married to someone who spends all of his or her energy covering up and making excuses instead of repenting and changing. Worse, you’ll be married to someone who doesn’t even think he or she needs to change (which means, by extension, that your spouse will think you’re the one who is always in the wrong).”

“When I first began spending daily time in prayer, I often grew frustrated at how I could forget about God’s presence by lunchtime, even after praying for an hour in the morning. Shorter but more frequent times of prayer may actually help us to live with an increasing awareness of God’s presence in our lives. How difficult would it be for us to set aside five minutes in the morning, five minutes at noon, and five minutes before or after dinnertime to meet God in prayer?”

“Abraham’s servant prayed for success: “O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham” (Gen. 24:12 NASB). This is the first time in Scripture that we read of someone asking God for specific guidance.”

“when truth is rejected, spend your time on those who will receive it instead of begging closed-hearted people to reconsider.”

“A Christian who has a hard time living by his or her faith while driving, for instance, could hang a symbol—a cross or a fish—on their rearview mirror to challenge them when their temper begins to flare. (That’s certainly preferable to putting a Christian bumper sticker on the back of the car for all to see, and then driving like a son of perdition!) A pastor friend of mine uses a pond near his home as a symbol. As soon as he drives by that pond, he is reminded that he is going home and needs to prepare himself to focus on his wife and children, leaving the cares, worries, and concerns of the church on the north side of the pond. He can pick them back up the next morning when he passes the pond on his way to work. A symbol can be found to meet virtually every need in every situation. Men”