The Best Quote to Know When You Want to Bless Your Life
Do you ever read a quote that you believe to be life-changing? One that is full of wisdom and truth? These words by Max Lucado from In the Eye of the Storm.
It is one of those “best quotes” I not only want to remember but need to pull apart. I want it to be more than just words I know . . . I want to know the “why” behind them.
The Best Quote to Know When You Want to Bless Your Life
Love God more than you fear hell.
Why?
Because having faith just to stay out of hell misses out on so much today. When you and I love and trust God in the present we enjoy the blessings of the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22–23
My God will use His wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need. Philippians 4:19
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5–6
Make major decisions in a cemetery.
Why?
Because looking at life through the wider lens of eternity puts today’s desires and disappoints in perspective.
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:2–3
“How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasure.” ~St. Augustine
When no one is watching, live as if someone is.
Why?
Because that’s living with integrity. One of the blessings of integrity is you’ll have less to remember and less to regret.
It’s so easy to worry about what people think and forget that even when no one is else is present . . . God is.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I run away from where You are? If I go up to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in the place of the dead, You are there! If I take the wings of the morning or live in the farthest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me and Your right hand will hold me. Psalm 139:7–10
“Live for an audience of One.” (based on Galatians 1:10)
Succeed at home first.
Why?
Because God made us for relationships with Him and with others. The best place to practice relationship building is at home where we need the most patience and forgiveness. A great question to ask is, “What does love require of me?”
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
Don’t spend tomorrow’s money today.
Why?
Because debt will increase your stress and anxiety. I know, it’s hard! We’re constantly comparing our lives to those who have more and it’s easy to think that things will make us happy. But it’s not true. Peace and satisfaction are major ingredients in a happy life.
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! Ecclesiastes 5:10
“Measure your wealth not by the things you have, but by the things for which you would not take money.” ~ Dave Ramsey”]
Pray twice as much as you fret.
Why?
Because prayer is faith in action. Prayer trusts God’s love. Prayer believes God’s promises. When you and I replace worry with prayer, thoughts begin to change as the Spirit fills our hearts and minds with hope and peace as He reminds us of God’s promises and power.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Philippians 4:6
“You find no difficulty in trusting the Lord with the management of the universe and all the outward creation, and can your case be any more complex or difficult than these, that you need to be anxious or troubled about His management of it?” ~ Hannah Whitall Smith
God has forgiven you; you’d be wise to do the same.
Why?
Because failing to forgive yourself doubts God’s Word. He says He forgives as far as the east is from the west and that He “will not remember them.” (Jeremiah 31:34) That means because He forgives us, He chooses not to bring our sins up in a negative way.
I love this explanation from All About God…
“Forgiving yourself is not about forgetting. It is about not bringing the offense up to yourself in negative ways. Forgiving yourself is simply letting go of what you are holding against yourself so that you can move on with God. If God has moved on, shouldn’t we do the same?”
Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard, and all need to be made right with God by His grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ. God sent him to die in our place to take away our sins. We receive forgiveness through faith in the blood of Jesus’ death. Romans 3:23–24
Another blessing of self-forgiveness is being so thankful for God’s gift of grace that we extend it to others as He commands. And seriously, who wants to live with guilt, bitterness, and anger? They are not spiritual fruit!
Which phrase spoke to your heart?
Which one did you need to hear?
What do you think?
To make it easier to remember, I’ve shortened Lucado’s quote into 7 truths.
- Trust God.
- Keep an eternal perspective.
- Live with integrity.
- Value your closest relationships.
- Be a good steward of God’s blessings.
- Don’t worry – PRAY!
- Forgive yourself – God has forgiven you.
This may or may not be on your list of best quotes but I promise you these 7 truths will bless your life!
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Deb this is excellent! This is something I could benefit from rereading a few times over. I LOVE the first one, it threw me for a second because I’d never thought of it that way. And I love the “succeed at home first.” We are doing that one now so it relates well with me. I’d love to quote you from here in a post. This is so full of wisdom!
Great thoughts, Deb. I really like the pray instead of fretting one. I’m trying to build that habit into my life more and more, but it’s easy to slip into worry and forget all about God! Thanks for these reminders, my friend! And I hope you’re enjoying your move out west! We missed you at our recent gathering.
Pray twice as much as you fret and live for an audience of one – those resonated with me.
Good, good, good stuff, my friend! Every single one of these is something to hold tight to!
Hugs,
Lori
Such great insights to a beautiful quote! Truly words of wisdom.
Pray twice….that’s me. Worry tends to come easy and I tend to misuse my energy and time to worry more than I do to pray.
The one that convicted me the most was “succeed as home first” I guess I kinda felt like home was where you relaxed, I had a career and worked hard. I am still struggling with the success at this location. So, this hits a soft spot. I love this post, and the quote is amazing, I’ve never heard/seen it. Thanks for sharing and pulling it apart so well.
Deb, you’re right. That is a fantastic quote that hits the important areas of life. Thanks for sharing. I passed it on.