It is the distinguishing glory of Christianity not to rest satisfied with superficial appearances, but to rectify the motives, and purify the heart.
William WilberforceRead
There is no shortcut to holiness; it must be the business of our whole lives.
Interpretation
Holiness requires a lifelong commitment and cannot be achieved through quick fixes.
This quote by William Wilberforce emphasizes that attaining holiness is not a simple or quick endeavor; rather, it demands a persistent and dedicated effort throughout our lives. It highlights the notion that genuine spiritual growth and moral integrity are built over time through consistent choices and lifestyle rather than through fleeting actions or shortcuts.
In practice
In a sermon on personal growth, one might say, 'Remember, there is no shortcut to holiness; it must be the business of our whole lives.'
It is the distinguishing glory of Christianity not to rest satisfied with superficial appearances, but to rectify the motives, and purify the heart.
God Almighty has set before me two great objects: the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.
The first years in Parliament I did nothing - nothing to any purpose. My own distinction was my darling object.
In an age in which infidelity abounds, do we observe parents carefully instructing their children in the principles of faith which they profess? Or do they furnish their children with arguments for the defense of that faith? ...it is not surprising to see them abandon a position which they are unable to defend.
No one expects to attain to the height of learning, or arts, or power, or wealth, or military glory, without vigorous resolution, strenuous diligence, and steady perseverance. Yet we expect to be Christians without labour, study, or inquiry.
O what a blessing is Sunday, interposed between the waves of worldly business like the divine path of the Israelites through the sea! There is nothing in which I would advise you to be more strictly conscientious than in keeping the Sabbath day holy. I can truly declare that to me the Sabbath has been invaluable.
The human ego prefers anything, just about anything, to falling, or changing, or dying. The ego is that part of you that loves the status quo β even when it's not working. It attaches to past and present and fears the future.
When she read just now to James, 'and there were numbers of soldiers with kettledrums and trumpets,' and his eyes darkened, she thought, why should they grow up, and lose all that?
Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group from another.
Things themselves cannot touch the soul, not in the least degree, nor have they admission to the soul nor can they turn or move the soul: it turns and moves itself alone and whatever judgment it may think proper to make, such it makes by remaking for itself the things that present themselves to it
To live means to experience-through doing, feeling, thinking. Experience takes place in time, so time is the ultimate scarce resource we have. Over the years, the content of experience will determine the quality of life. Therefore one of the most essential decisions any of us can make is about how one's time is allocated or invested.
I see now more clearly than ever before that even our greatest troubles spring from something that is [as] admirable and sound as it is dangerous β from our impatience to better the lot of our fellows.
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