Quotes have always been a super starter for me. Thoughts from past leaders, teachers, speakers, authors and others provide the bread crumbs of their journies and often give insight into their philosophy, thinking and reasoning. Here are five that should be incredibly motivating in these uncertain times.
Until we come to terms with (spiritual) war as the context of our days, we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happening around us and to us. ~John Eldredge.
This should be a game-changer, and it is a reminder for all Christians of a truth we should already know. It’s no more evident than in Daniel 10, where the angel Gabriel outlines his “delay”. What would change for us if we recognized every physical, mental or emotional battle as a spiritual battle? What if we were to fight the spiritual battle and put aside the earthly struggle? C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters and Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness trilogy highlight the real battle prevalent in scripture.
Ephesians 6:12 lays it out in black and white terms: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
The next time you watch the news, talk about your local school or even discuss a problem in your church, remember this. The pastor, school board members, the president and other world leaders aren’t the problem. Fight the actual battle, not just the one you see with your physical eyes.
We become the product of three things: The people we associate with, the books we read, and the media we listen to. ~Scott Alexander.
Essentially — and this sounds trite — but garbage in, garbage out. We can easily up our game by paying attention to these three areas. If your choices today determine your destiny tomorrow, choose carefully.
The people you surround yourself with may be the most significant influence on your success or failure in life. And even your peace of mind and emotional welfare. They can lift you up or drag you down. They can help you move forward or keep you in your rut.
Change your inner circle, and you will change your life and future.
None of the disciples was a first-round draft pick.
They were a mess. ~Ray Johnston.
Ah, yes. We’ve all been told we aren’t good enough, we don’t measure up and that God couldn’t possibly use us. Who tells us that? Certainly not God. Look who Jesus chose for his circle of supporters. Peter and John were “uneducated and untrained men” (Acts 4:13), but the people around them recognized they “had been with Jesus”. There was a tax collector, a zealot, a few fishermen and a thief. You may be like the disciples — “a mess” — but you are what God can use today.
You find what you are looking for. ~Craig Groeschel.
Consider where you are today: your situation, job, and location. You have today what you were looking for yesterday. We all tend to gravitate to our comfort zones or sometimes the path of least resistance. There is much here, but consider this: How much would change if you change what you’re looking for? Don’t look for mediocrity, and don’t settle for second-best. Don’t think about what may go wrong. Focus on what may go right!
What is inside you that can help you make others better? ~John Maxwell.
Somewhere deep down inside you, a piece of coal is waiting to become a diamond. That nugget may be locked in a box behind a closed door you haven’t opened in years. But it’s there — and someone else needs it. It can encourage, inspire or even save them. What are you waiting for?
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