Religion is a very scary thing, because a pastor is in a position of power. And if you use that power badly, you ruin people's lives, and you ruin your own life.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
There are no experts in the company of Jesus. We are all beginners, necessarily followers, because we don’t know where we are going.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes humility in faith, suggesting that no one can claim to be an expert when following Jesus, as we are all learners on a journey.
Eugene H. Peterson's quote reflects on the nature of discipleship and the human condition in relation to spiritual guidance. It suggests that, regardless of one’s experiences or knowledge, everyone is essentially a 'beginner' in their faith journey, as true understanding and certainty of our spiritual path can elude us. This humility is important as it highlights the need for reliance on Jesus as the guide in our lives, acknowledging that we are all still learning and discovering the way.
Themes
FaithHumilityLearningSpiritualityDiscipleship
In practice
Example use cases
During a church service to inspire the congregation to embrace their spiritual journey.
More from Eugene H. Peterson
All quotes →When we sin and mess up our lives, we find that God doesn't go off and leave us- he enters into our trouble and saves us.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
If you don't take a Sabbath, something is wrong. You're doing too much, you're being too much in charge. You've got to quit, one day a week, and just watch what God is doing when you're not doing anything.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
Christians don't simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus' name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
Exile (being where we don't want to be with people we don't want to be with) forces a decision: Will I focus my attention on what is wrong with the world and feel sorry for myself? Or will I focus my energies on how I can live at my best in this place I find myself?...'I will do my best with what is here.'
Eugene H. PetersonRead
The Latin words humus, soil/earth, and homo, human being, have a common derivation, from which we also get our word 'humble.' This is the Genesis origin of who we are: dust - dust that the Lord God used to make us a human being. If we cultivate a lively sense of our origin and nurture a sense of continuity with it, who knows, we may also acquire humility.
Eugene H. PetersonRead
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