My Favorite Quotes From Rick Warren’s “The Power To Change Your Life!”

by John Hawkins | December 20, 2007 10:59 am

I recently read Rick Warren’s The Power To Change Your Life[1] and I decided to put together a list of the best quotes from the book. Enjoy!

“Acts 4 records the first serious opposition to the apostles’ preaching of the Gospel in Jerusalem. When the authorities threatened them, they banded together and prayed. But notice what they prayed for. They didn’t ask God to stop the opposition but rather to give them supernatural boldness in the face of the opposition (4:29). He did (4:31)” — P.12

“Only one thing will keep you from changing and becoming the person you and God want you to be. It’s not the devil. It’s not other people. It’s not circumstances. It’s procrastination.” — P.14

“It’s one thing for me to tell you that Jesus Christ can cancel your past, help you conquer the problems you are facing right now, and change your personality. But it’s quite another matter for you to overcome inertia and actually let Him begin to do it now! Although you may agree with everything I say, you may still wait and let Jesus help you “one of these days.” — P.16

When people tell me their faith is weak, I ask them, “Are you reading your Bible regularly?”
“Not really.”
“Are you studying the Bible?”
“Well, not exactly.”
“Are you memorizing Scripture?”
“No.”
“Well then, how do you expect your faith to grow?” The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God.” — P.19

God’s ideal way of changing us is to have us read the Bible to find out how we should love and then depend on His indwelling Spirit to enable us to do it. Unfortunately, most of us are stubborn, and we don’t change easily. So God brings in a third tool to work on us — circumstances. I’m talking about problems and pressures and heartaches and difficulties and stress. These things always get our attention. C.S. Lewis says that God whispers to us in our pleasure but shouts to us in our pain. It often takes a painful situation to get our attention. — P.20

So, there is no circumstance from which we can’t learn, if we’ll just have the right attitude. — P.20

Sometimes you may act depressed. Do you know why? Because you feel depressed. Do you know why you feel depressed? Because you are thinking depressing thoughts. The same is true for anger and worry and all the other kinds of destructive thought patterns. — P.22

The other way to change the direction of your boat is to adjust the automatic pilot. Now the “automatic pilot” in your life is your thoughts. How did you finish in the first chapter: “It’s just like me to be…?” You finish that sentence a few times, and I’ll tell you what the automatic pilot in your life is set on. — P.23

Victor Frankl was one of the Jews put in the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau. He says that while he was in the camp, the guards stripped him of everything. They took his identity. They took his wife. They took his family. They took his clothes. They even took his wedding ring. But there was one thing that no one could take from him. He writes, “The last of human freedoms is the ability to choose one’s attitudes in a given set of circumstances.” — P.26

We can control whether an experience makes us a bitter person or a better person. What matters in life is not so much what happens to us but what happens in us. — P.26

Anyone can be at peace in peaceful situations. That doesn’t take character. God teaches us about peace in the midst of total chaos, when everything is falling apart. The phone rings, the doorbell rings, something is boiling over on the stove, the baby’s crying, the dog bit the cat. That’s when we can truly learn about inner peace. — P.28

What does the Bible say? “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). Why? Perhaps it’s because we are most like God when we give, and He does not give grudgingly. — P.50

In the book of Ephesians, Paul reminds us: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does” (Eph. 6:7-8). The happiest people are usually too busy serving and helping others to ask themselves, “Am I happy?” — P.51

Just as a car runs more smoothly when you operate it according to its design, your life will run more smoothly if you live it according to God’s design as presented in His Word. It’s that simple. If you want to be at peace, obey God’s principles. — P.56

The night before Peter was to be killed, God sent an angel to rescue him. We read about it in Acts 12. Notice that the angel had to strike Peter on the side to wake him up (v.7). Peter was sleeping like a baby! Why? Because he was trusting the Lord who was directing his life. That’s peace, real peace! — P.62

Look at Galatians 6:10: “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.” Note the phrase “as we have opportunity.” When should we be kind? Whenever we have the opportunity. — P.84

The third reason I don’t believe man is inherently good is because I’m a parent. If you’re a parent, you know the idea that man is inherently good is a silly idea. I didn’t have to teach my kids to lie. Did you? Of course not. It just comes naturally. I didn’t have to teach my kids to be selfish. Did you? No. Man has an innate tendency to do wrong. The Bible says so, history proves it, and parents know it’s so. — P.92

If I were to ask you if you believe the Bible from cover to cover, you would probably say you do. You believe the Bible from cover to cover, but have you read it from cover to cover? How do you know you believe it if you don’t even know what’s in it? — P.94-95

Perhaps you are saying, “Well, Rick, I don’t understand the Bible.” The solution is simple. Get a modern version. There are many good ones. Get a Good News Bible or a Living Bible. Get a good study Bible like the New International Version Study Bible or The Life Application Bible. — P.95

If you stand up for your convictions, you can count on opposition. Some people will disagree with you. The Bible says that in the last days there will be people who hate good (2 Tim. 3:3). Remember that Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, yet He was criticized, mocked, misunderstood, and eventually killed on a cross. So what makes you think life will be any easier for you — or me? — P.97

As they walked on down the street, Sydney Harris asked his friend, “Does he always treat you so rudely?”
“Yes, unfortunately he does.”
“Are you always so polite and friendly to him?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Why are you so nice to him when he’s so unfriendly to you?”
Get this line — it’s a classic: “Because I don’t want him to decide how I’m going to react.” That’s gentleness. That’s strength under control. –P.122

The sixth step to becoming more self-controlled is just common sense: avoid things that tempt you. Stay away from situations that weaken your self-control. If you don’t want to be stung, stay away from bees. — P.132

The church is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints. — P.136

Perhaps you say, “I know where I lack self-control, and I know what I’m doing is wrong, but I still like doing it.” So what? Do you think that surprises God? The Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season. What does that mean? It means sin is fun — at least for a while. None of us would sin if sin immediately made us miserable. — P.136

Most of us think that when God prunes us, He cuts off the sinful and the superficial, the deadwood in our lives. He does that, but He also cuts off stuff that is alive and successful: a business that’s going great, a satisfying relationship, good health. Some of that may get whacked off for greater fruitfulness. It’s not just deadwood that goes. God often cuts back good things too, in order to make you healthier. It’s not always pleasant, but pruning is absolutely essential for spiritual growth. — P.144

Can God’s pruning fail to produce? Sure it can if we don’t cooperate. If we resist, rebel, complain, or become resentful, our character won’t develop the way God intends it to. — P.147

Also see,

RWN’s Favorite Quotes From Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life.[2]

Endnotes:
  1. The Power To Change Your Life: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPower-Change-Your-Life%2Fdp%2F0966089510&tag=brassknucklesweb&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
  2. RWN’s Favorite Quotes From Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life.: https://rightwingnews1.wpenginepowered.com/mt331/2007/09/rwns_favorite_quotes_from_rick.php

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