The average Christian is so cold and so contented with His wretched condition that there is no vacuum of desire into which the blessed Spirit can rush in satisfying fullness.
Aiden Wilson TozerRead
Peace of heart that is won by refusing to bear the common yoke of human sympathy is a peace unworthy of a Christian. To seek tranquility by stopping our ears to the cries of human pain is to make ourselves not Christian but a kind of degenerate stoic having no relation either to stoicism or Christianity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True peace comes from empathy and compassion for others, not from ignoring their suffering.
This quote emphasizes that genuine peace of mind cannot be achieved by turning a blind eye to the suffering of others. It suggests that a true Christian response to suffering is one of empathy and engagement, rather than detachment or indifference. To seek tranquility by ignoring human pain reduces one to a mere stoic who lacks the moral and spiritual depth that should characterize a believer.
Themes
PeaceEmpathySufferingChristianityStoicismCompassion
In practice
Example use cases
During a sermon about compassion, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of empathy.
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The church that can't worship must be entertained. And leaders who can't lead a church to worship must provide the entertainment.
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Before the Christian Church goes into eclipse anywhere there must first be a corrupting of her simple basic theology. She simply gets a wrong answer to the question, ‘What is God like?’ and goes on from there. Though she may continue to cling to a sound nominal creed, her practical working creed has become false. The masses of her adherents come to believe that God is different from what He actually is; and that is heresy of the most insidious and deadly kind
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People who are crucified with Christ have three distinct marks: 1. they are facing only one direction, 2. they can never turn back, and 3. they no longer have plans of their own.
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Nothing that God has ever said about Himself will be modified; nothing the inspired prophets and apostles have said about Him will be rescinded. His immutability guarantees this.
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