Let me say that it is not a question of us getting more of the Holy Spirit, but rather of the Holy Spirit getting more of us.
Oswald J. SmithRead
God does not have to come and tell me what I must do for Him; He brings me into a relationship with Himself where I hear His call and understand what He wants me to do, and I do it out of sheer love to Him... When people say they have had a call to foreign service, or to any particular sphere of work, they mean that their relationship to God has enabled them to realize what they can do for God.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that a personal relationship with God guides one's actions and purpose in life.
Oswald J. Smith articulates the profound connection between an individual's relationship with God and their understanding of their calling or purpose. He suggests that rather than receiving explicit directives, a genuine relationship with the divine fosters an internal conviction about what one ought to do, driven by love and a sense of duty towards serving God and humanity. This underscores the transformative power of faith in guiding one's actions and decisions in life.
Themes
RelationshipGodCallingLoveService
In practice
Example use cases
During a sermon on the importance of personal faith.
More from Oswald J. Smith
All quotes →Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice, before everyone has heard it once?
Oswald J. SmithRead
Oh my friends, we are loaded with countless church activities, while the real work of the church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost is almost entirely neglected.
Oswald J. SmithRead
Similar quotes
The awakening passed from simple recognition of my need for God at the center of my life, to a depth where the will is stirred And that is a deeper place by far. That is the place of response, of unifying one's heart, mind, soul and feet around a decision.
Sue Monk KiddRead
The sky is my prayer, the birds are my prayer, the wind in the trees is my prayer, for God is all in all.
Thomas MertonRead
However one might pray - in any verbal way or completely without words - is unimportant to God. What matters is the heart's intent.
Malcolm BoydRead
If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer.
Philip YanceyRead
There is no specialized art of prayer. All of life must be a training to pray. We pray the way we live.
Abraham Joshua HeschelRead
Prayer is the raising of the mind to God. We must always remember this. The actual words matter less.
Pope John XxiiiRead