We must quit bending the Word to suit our situation. It is we who must be bent to that Word, our necks that must bow under the yoke.
Interpretation
We should adhere to our principles rather than changing them for our convenience.
In this quote, Elisabeth Elliot emphasizes the importance of adhering to a set of values or truths, suggesting that instead of trying to manipulate these standards to fit our own situations, we should strive to align ourselves with them. It serves as a reminder that integrity and commitment to our beliefs require humility and the willingness to adapt ourselves rather than compromise those beliefs for personal gain or convenience.
In practice
In a speech about ethics in business, one might say, 'As Elisabeth Elliot wrote, we must quit bending the Word to suit our situation, reminding us to uphold our values in tough decisions.'
We are not asked to SEE," said Amy. "Why need we when we KNOW?" We know--not the answer to the inevitable Why, but the incontestable fact that it is for the best. "It is an irreparable loss, but is it faith at all if it is 'hard to trust' when things are entirely bewildering?
Prayer lays hold of God's plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit's prayer.
What sort of world might it have been if Eve had refused the servants offer and had said to him instead, βlet me not be like God. Let me be what I was made to be - let me be a woman'?
Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline. We are to worship ''in spirit and in truth.'' Never mind about the feelings. We are to worship in spite of them.
Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.
If your goal is purity of heart, be prepared to be thought very odd.
Most deadly errors arise from obsolete assumptions.
Nonsense! The most hopelessly stupid man is he who is not aware that he is wise.
None deserve praise for being good who have not the spirit to be bad: goodness, for the most part, is nothing but indolence or weakness of will.
You must bring out of each word its practical cash-value, set it at work within the stream of your experience.
Let us resolve: First, to attain the grace of silence; second, to deem all fault finding that does no good a sin; third, to practice the grade and virtue of praise.
So my message is in whichever realm, be it going into space or going into the deep sea, you have to balance the yin and yang of caution and boldness, risk aversion and risk taking, fear and fearlessness. No great accomplishment takes place, whether it be a movie or a deep ocean expedition, or a space mission, without a kind of dynamic equipoise between the two. Luck is not a factor. Hope is not a strategy. Fear is not an option.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.