Inspirational Quotes by Joni Eareckson Tada
“It’s easy to forget that life is supposed to be hard. God wired the world this way. Even Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble [italics mine].” Life is meant to be difficult. For some, it is downright crushing and they’ve convinced themselves that unhappiness is here to stay. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Perhaps the answer is not to get rid of unhappiness but to find a new definition for it.”
“In Ephesians 3:8 she discovered she was blessed with “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” In Romans 2:4, she found “the riches of his kindness.” In Romans 9:23 she took hold of “the riches of his glory.” There’s the “riches of wisdom and knowledge” mentioned in Romans 11:33 and “the riches of God’s grace” given in Ephesians 1:7. The “riches of his glorious inheritance” is mentioned in Ephesians 1:18. And, finally, “the riches of his glory” is listed four times in Scripture. Priceless, spiritual treasures are often discovered during our darkest times. Our afflictions are the pick and ax that help us unearth the unsearchable riches of Christ.”
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. — PROVERBS 18:10”
“Remember, Christ willed to be born poor, and He chose disciples who were living, for the most part, in poverty. Christ made Himself a servant of poor people. And He reminds us that whatever we do to help the least of the brethren--those most poor--we are personally ministering to Him.”
“I had lusted after Donald— after his time, his attention, his presence—because I felt I had a right to. I saw what a consuming, fiery passion lust can be. It was a desire that I did not want to deny myself. In the end, I lost everything that I sought to selfishly control.”
“Gut-wrenching questions honor God. Despair directed at God is a way of encountering him, opening ourselves up to the One and only Someone who can actually do something about our plight. And whether we, like Greg, collide with the Almighty or simply bump up against him, we cannot be the same. We never are when we experience God.”
“God, like a father, doesn’t just give advice. He gives himself. He becomes the husband to the grieving widow (Isaiah 54:5). He becomes the comforter to the barren woman (Isaiah 54:1). He becomes the father of the orphaned (Psalm 10:14). He becomes the bridegroom to the single person (Isaiah 62:5). He is the healer to the sick (Exodus 15:26). He is the wonderful counselor to the confused and depressed (Isaiah 9:6). This is what you do when someone you love is in anguish; you respond to the plea of their heart by giving them your heart. If”
“Oh, the pain of earth, you half sigh. Then you smile, rising to your feet to live the life God had been preparing for you all along. Weeping may have endured for a night, but it is morning.”
“Yes, faith is vital to everything, and “without faith it is impossible to please Him.” But faith’s focus must always be Jesus Christ—and nobody draws close to Christ who doesn’t first share in Christ’s sufferings. Just stop a minute and consider these awesome words from the apostle Peter, who wrote, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21). Christ and the manner in which He approached suffering is to be our focus, especially when the weight of our cross seems overwhelming. Man, it takes real faith to follow our suffering Savior’s example!”
“Love is something more stern and splendid than mere kindness. —C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain”
“It’s music that can only come from particular instruments, broken in particular ways, and yielded with particular humility. I also believe it brings God glory in a way that is completely unique on earth or in the heavens. And that’s a thought that keeps me going, too.”
“Wise is the statement that there is much we can do after we have prayed but nothing we can do until we have prayed. Thus,”
“As long as I viewed someone as the enemy, I gave that person some power over my life. But as I forgave a person, I too was free.”
“Contentment that is borne out of suppressing our longings leads to empty platitudes at best and bitter hypocrisy at worst. We all have longings. Crying out to God to fulfill them or change them or give us the strength to endure them strengthens our faith. Denying our longings under the guise of contentment may keep us from pain, may look more spiritual, and may make us less emotional, but it can lead to spiritual deadness.”
“I’ve often been devastated when he tells me no, but as I submit to his will in those situations—even with disappointment and tears—he assures me he’s working for my good. I see only part of the picture. He has a purpose in his denials. The Father said no to the Son [in Gethsemane]. And that no brought about the greatest good in all of history. God is not capricious. If he says no to our requests, he has a reason—perhaps ten thousand. We may never know the reasons in this life, but one day we’ll see them all. For now, we must trust that his refusals are always his mercies to us.”
topics: prayer
“Lamenting keeps us engaged with God. When we lament, we invite God into our pain so that we can know his comfort, and others can see that our faith is real. Our faith is not a façade we erect to convince ourselves and others that pain doesn’t hurt—it is an oak tree that can withstand the storms of doubt and pain in our lives, and grow stronger through them.”
“events on this earth are never determined by chance. As the nineteenth-century hymn writer Maltbie Babcock put it: This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.3”
“God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. Felt weakness deepens dependency on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away.”
“God’s hands stay on the wheel of your life from start to finish so that everything follows his intention for your life. This means your trials have more meaning—much more—than you realize.”
“He is working behind the scenes, making arrangements, putting everything in place. And in time, He will be the means of upending our enemy’s objectives and fulfilling God’s holy purpose for our lives.”
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Joni Eareckson Tada, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Joni and Friends, is an international advocate for people with disabilities.
A diving accident in 1967 left Joni Eareckson, then 17, a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, unable to use her hands. After two years of rehabilitation, she emerged with new skills and a fresh determination to help others in similar situations.
During her rehabilitation, Joni spent long months learning how to paint with a brush between her teeth. Her high-detail fine art paintings and prints are sought-after and collected.
Her best-selling autobiography "Joni" and the feature film of the same name have been translated into many languages, introducing her to people around the world. She also has visited more than 45 countries.
She has served on the National Council on Disability and the Disability Advisory Committee to the U.S. State Department.
She is Senior Associate for Disability Concerns for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and serves in an advisory capacity to the American Leprosy Mission, the National Institute on Learning Disabilities, Love and Action and Christian Blind Mission International, as well as on the Board of Reference for the Christian Writers Guild, New Europe Communications and the Christian Medical and Dental Society.
After being the first woman honored by the National Association of Evangelicals as its "Layperson of the Year" in 1986, Joni was named "Churchwoman of the Year" in 1993 by the Religious Heritage Foundation.