“You were born with the ability to change someone’s life, don’t waste it.”
Dale Patridge
Have you ever heard a statement that resonated so much with you that your mind kept going back to it long after you heard it?
You probably have.
Words that seem to flow past your defenses, your reservations, and your walls, and hit you right where it matters…your heart.
I love reading and noting down such words and phrases.
You would often find me with a pencil or highlighter circling through noteworthy sentences and phrases while I read.
Those statements that give us an imperceptible pause or smile. Sometimes, these are funny or heartwarming phrases, at other times, they are so deeply emotional and heartrending that you cannot but take a moment to reflect.
Over the last year or so, I got a chance to note down a few of such quotes but here’s what I’ve found:
While we may have these treasure chests of amazing life quotes, we may find that we hardly go back to them or practice them.
They become another list of things we should be doing but never do.
But we can’t let that happen.
I believe when it comes to quotes and advice that we love, we should :
- Have a place, journal, notebook, etc, where we store these words and phrases that mean a lot to us.
- We should find opportunities to practice and take action on them
- We should also be willing to share what we’ve learned with others.
Which was one of my reasons for writing this post, to share these life-changing quotes with you and hope that they will resonate with you. I hope they are the fuel you need to push through whatever you may be facing.
Please note that this list is by no means exhaustive, most of these quotes were from books I read recently and have been divided into two sections:
- About Purpose and Faith living
- About intentionality and making the most of now
To start off on a lighter note, here is a phrase from one of my favorite authors:
“Some people think that God is in the details but I have come to believe that God is in the bathroom.”
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott.
The author in the above quote was talking about how God helped her during an unexpected incident. She was being both literal and figurative. Her memorable meeting happened while she was in a public restroom. While at the doctor’s office, she broke down after hearing troubling news and she headed to the restroom crying and called out to God and our loving father saw her through this.
Perhaps, you’re in that place, broken and tired, wandering around the same mountain (same issues, same sin, same challenges) and you’re about to give up. Remember that God is in the bathroom, the bedroom, the closet, the office and everywhere you are.
About Purpose and faith living
“One has to be willing to lose everything to gain what God has shaped them for”
When Calls the Heart (S.1 E.2 39.53)
“It’s a fatal mistake to assume that God’s goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it.”
Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life)
“God knew we would never be enough. So he became enough for us. Jesus is our enough.”
Jennie Allen (Nothing to Prove)
“The greatest heroes of faith are not: those who achieve prosperity, success or power in life but those who treat life like a temporary assignment and serve faithfully expecting their promised reward in eternity.”
(A.O.)
“The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.”
D.L. Moody
“I used to think God’s gifts were on shelves – one above another- and the taller we grow, the easier we can reach them. Now I find that God’s gifts are on shelves – and the lower we stoop, the more we get.”
F.B. Meyer
“Great people don’t do great things. God does great things with surrendered people. And surrender happens every day in one thousand small moments.”
From Restless by Jennie Allen
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that our greatest ministry will most likely come from our greatest hurts. We cannot waste our pain but must use it to help others.”
Chioma Oparadike
“God, not time, will heal all wounds and restore your heart to a place of health and joy as you stay open to him.
Rotimi Iyun (from Wait is a four letter word)
About intentionality and making the most of now
Failure is just an event, it’s not a characteristic…don’t give up.” “Correct the wrongs you see in society.
Do those things that scare you, it’s in those things that scare you that you will shift the world.”
Judge Pratt(using transformative procedural justice systems)
“Life doesn’t make any sense without interdependence. We need each other and the sooner we learn that the better for us all.”
(Imperfect Chemistry by Mary Frame- said by Erik Erikson)
“Comparison is often why our important roles shrink to seem so insignificant.” “Comparison robs us of the joy of obedience.”
Jennie Allen (from Restless)
“You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit.”
Harry Truman
“Doing good for others is just the rent you pay on this earth.”
Marian Wright Elderman
“Anybody can be great because anybody can serve. All you need to serve is a heart full of grace, and a soul motivated by love.”
Dr. Jonetta Cole
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
“Self-discipline is the ability to do what you should when you should whether you like it or not.”
Elbert Hubbard
“The very worst use of time is to do very well what need not be done at all.”
Benjamin Tregoe
“The ultimate lesson we all have to learn is unconditional love, which includes not only others but ourselves as well.”
(Imperfect Chemistry by Mary Frame- said by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross)
“Don’t slack off after experiencing success assuming that prior achievements will automatically guarantee future victories.”
Keith Harrell (Attitude is Everything)
So that’s it!
These quotes have been beautiful reminders that life is what we make of it and we can no longer cower in the face of challenges or difficulties.
Hope you found these quotes helpful. I would love to hear which ones you liked best and please share any other quotes or sentences that have meant a lot to you.
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