You know how much I love Bible quotes, but I’m also inspired by other great quotes. For about ten years I had this one framed over my desk:
“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” Abraham Lincoln
This quote motivated me to study my Bible because I wanted to be a Bible teacher of the caliber of Kay Arthur, one of my earthly heroes. You cannot become something that you are not in the process of becoming. What is something you aspire to that requires preparation?
For the last five years I’ve had another powerful quote on my desk.
“The chief cause of failure is trading what you want most for what you want at the moment.” Zig Ziglar
This saying applies to countless situations:
• I’d like to succeed with my diet, but right now I want a cupcake.
• I really want to save money for a vacation, but right now I want new shoes.
• I must study hard so I can graduate, but right now I want to watch football.
• I want my children to have good character but right now I want us to have fun.
• I want to memorize Scripture but right now I want to listen to the radio.
The quote communicates that if you want to succeed at your valuable goal, whatever it is, you must not trade it away for lesser things.
I can’t resist—here’s a few more:
“God feeds the birds but he doesn’t throw it in the nest.” Adrian Rodgers
“The Bible: trust it—don’t adjust it.” E.V. Hill
“After the game the king and the pawn go back in the same box.” Italian proverb
“I would rather light a candle in the darkness than hang another chandelier in the Fellowship Hall.” Roland Vaughan
“If you want to hear God speak audibly read your Bible out loud.” John Piper
“Dear God, I have a problem—it’s me.”
Words inspire all of us. I’d love to hear your favorite quotes and sayings, and why they resonate with you.
Here is one that gets me every time I read it…
“Now screw your attention down, form habits, give diligence, concentrate. We are not born with character or habits. The tiniest detail in which I obey has all the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it.” Oswald Chambers
Wow, love it! That one’s deep. And it comes from one who speaks what he lives!
I love this–which I gleaned from a friend. It’s taped onto my refrigerator:
Hudson Taylor wrote at age 62, “God chose me because I was weak enough. God does not do His great works by large committees. He trains somebody to be quiet enough, and little enough, and then uses him.”
A great lesson for us all. And we can all qualify.
What a crack-up. I always thought I was the only quote-fanatic. The Zig Ziglar one is what grabbed me as I’ve been trying to teach my kids this very idea.
Here are three of my many faves. The last one I paid to have printed on my checks.
Do something today that your future self will thank you for…
—unknown
…only let us live up to what we have already attained.
—Apostle Paul
Adoption—a picture of the gospel.
—John Piper
Words are powerful, that’s why God chose to communicate by words. May our words be a source of strength and motivation to others. Thanks Cherie.
Hi, Janet, I so loved this topic and all the quotes that you and others brought to life. I feel compelled to share one that I thought of.
I have to listen to the voices in my heart; if I listened to the voices in my head I would probably be in prison right now.
The more I think about it, this reminds me of Romans 8:5-8.
Just a laugh for you. Hope you enjoy. 😉
Karen!
That quote just might have saved my life and I’d never seen it before? When you are the mom of a special needs kiddo, every act of obedience to God IS SO TINY because TINY is all you can do.
I come from a background of the salon business with many opportunities to share the gospel and I had the privilege of leading many gals to Christ as I primped and polished them.
Now my goal is to get through a day without a crisis and tears. (many times they are mine?) Babysitters for kiddos like mine are just plain scarce, and support is so limited, but this quote has helped me so much just today. Thank you Karen!
Also, thought I would share here. This is a poem my littlest wrote to me for MOTHERS DAY on a wrinkled piece of binder paper, with a withered dandelion from the yard attached. The last line of it should be a quote because its so (hysterically) adorable.
“You are bright like a flower,
You are the one who chose me.
Your kisses are like gum—they can’t come off…..”
This one from AW Tozer is written in my Bible and is perhaps my favorite quote of all, “The unbelieving mind would not be convinced by any proof, and the worshiping heart needs none.”
Another good one I keep at my desk is by Blaise Pascal, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
And above that one hangs this one from Helen Keller, “I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”
Outstanding! Love them all. I think I’d better write some of these down.
I am only one, but I am one!
I cannot do everything, but I can do something;
What I can do, I ought to do,
And what I ought to do
By the grace of God I will do.
From the book “On the Way – Learning and Living as a Christian” by Richard Bewes … Page 11
Most favorite quote: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled.” 1 Peter 1:13
LOVE this because of the contrast. The mind has movement and vitality combined with self-control which often has physical stillness properly governed by that mental prowess. Strength hemmed in.
Also LOVE this because the self-control is (in conText) directed unto the Blessed Hope as much as to nonconformity, and because it is right after being told the prophets searched intently and with (not some care), with the greatEST care.
Why? They were trying to find out the details that the Spirit was impressing upon them.
Salvation. Sufferings. And glories.
Details FOR US.
Details even angels long to look into–but are not given that opportunity of process of diligence.
This makes me want to be diligent, even, in the Bible Memory. To prepare my mind for action. To be self-controlled, meaning don’t waste precious time.
Also: “To handle yourself use your mind, to handle others use your heart.
And: “Anger is only one letter away from danger.”
And love Richie’s A.W. Tozer quote!
The quote above my desk is ISamuel 12:23 Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.
Good one. I need that myself. We need to pray for each other. Thanks Shirley!