Quotes About Spiritual

For me, books were not the containers of words so much as the words themselves, and the value of a given book was determined by its spiritual quality rather than its physical condition.

was it Martin Luther who told of a time when he was focused intently on the person and work of Christ? The Holy Spirit was there as if in the form of a dove, gently alight on his shoulder, and when Luther turned his attention to the Spirit and away from Christ, the dove flew away. This story may go too far in the other direction, but I believe it contains at least a modest lesson

Worry is spiritual short sight. Its cure is intelligent faith.

When every situation which life can offer is turned to the profit of spiritual growth, no situation can really be a bad one.

Our blessings are never payment for the good we've done, and our trials are never punishment for the wrongs we've done. This cause-and-effect equation is always bad spiritual math.

The doubt of wonderment is a normal part of a life of faith, and it's spiritually healthy when it drives you to bring your confusion to the One who has no confusion.

Change begins at the level of the heart.

The real burdens of suffering are made significantly more difficult when you carry them in a heart spiritually weakened by bitterness.

Envy is self-focused; because it's self-focused, it's entitled; because it's entitled, it's demanding; because it's demanding, it tends to judge the goodness of God by whether he has delivered what you feel entitled to; and because it judges God on that basis, it leads you to question his goodness. Because you question God's goodness, you won't run to him for help. Envy is a spiritual disaster.

Sin makes us better fighters than lovers.

We're all spiritually promiscuous, running from lover to lover, giving the loyalty of our hearts to things other than God.

But it must be said that maturity is not merely something you do with your mind. No, maturity is about how you live your life. It is possible to be theologically astute in yet very immature. It is possible be biblically literate and in need of significant spiritual growth.

What you and I bring to our relationship with God is desperate spiritual and moral need.

the heart can be captured or ruled by only two things. I'll use Paul's terms. Your heart is always living under the rule of "things that are above" or "things that are on earth.

No parent is able to escape the deceiving power of sin. All parents need to understand the power of spiritual blindness as they think of the task that God has called them to.

A leadership community is spiritually safe and prepared for a long-term and productive life of ministry only when what is important to God is not just theologically important to them but also functionally important.

If you're physically starving, you will groan, but spiritual starvation will make you groan too. So here's the good news of the Christmas story: the birth of Jesus is an invitation to the best, most satisfying dinner ever.

Ministry leadership is not a fortress against spiritual attack; it's the front line.

You have only two choices: an "on earth" way of thinking that is all about this right here, right now physical moment, or an "above" way of thinking that looks at life from the vantage point of the grand redemptive story and, more specifically, from the perspective of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Autonomous Christianity never works, because our spiritual life was designed by God to be a community project.

Don't be discouraged at the spiritual war you're called to fight every day. The Lord almighty is with you and wars on your behalf.

Here is the spiritual reality that you need to know, understand, and live in light of—if you love the gifts and not the Giver, your heart will never be satisfied, but if you love the Giver, your heart will be content and you will be able to enjoy his gifts while keeping them in their proper place.

We should never become achievement satisfied, because there is always more gospel work to do. But we must always remind one another that achievement is a spiritual minefield. Achievement has the power to change us—to change who we think we are and what we think we are capable of doing. Sadly, achievement can turn humble servant leaders into proud, controlling, and unapproachable mini-kings. But there is powerful, right-here, right-now grace for this struggle.

We were meant to see more than our physical eyes can see,