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We must give up the vain idea of trying to please everybody. That is impossible, and the attempt is a mere waste of time. We must be content to walk in Christ's steps, and let the world say what it likes.
J. C. Ryle
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Striving to please everyone is futile and unproductive; instead, focus on personal integrity and values.

The quote emphasizes that seeking approval from everyone can lead to disappointment and wasted efforts. Instead of attempting to conform to others' expectations, one should prioritize following their own principles, in this case, represented by walking in Christ's steps, thereby suggesting that true fulfillment comes from self-acceptance and authenticity.

Themes

Pleasing OthersIntegrityAuthenticitySelf-Acceptance

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used during a motivational speech about personal growth.

More from J. C. Ryle

The minister who keeps back hell from his people in his sermons is neither a faithful nor a charitable man.
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Good hymns are an immense blessing to the Church. They train people for heaven, where praise is one of the principal occupations.
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When I speak of a man growing in grace, I mean simply this - that his sense of sin is becoming deeper, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, his love more extensive, his spiritual mindedness more marked.
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Those who confine God's love exclusively to the elect appear to me to take a narrow and contracted view of God's character and attributes....I have long come to the conclusion that men may be _x000D_ more systematic in their statements than the Bible, and may be led into grave error by idolatrous veneration of a system
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Never be satisfied with the world's standard of Christianity!
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Sunday morning, before we go to hear the Word of God preached...let us not rush into God’s presence careless, reckless, and unprepared, as if it mattered not in what way such work was done. Let us carry with us faith, reverence, and prayer. If these three are our companions, we will hear with profit, and return with praise.
J. C. RyleRead

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