--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every action is a losing, a letting go, a…" description: "\"“Every action is a losing, a letting go, a passing away from oneself of some bit of one’s own reality into the existence of others and of the world. In..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/arthur-c-mcgill-103125_action_every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a_197237.jpg" --- # Every action is a losing, a letting go, a passing away… ![“Every action is a losing, a letting go, a passing away from oneself of some bit of one’s own reality into the existence of others and of the world. In Jesus Christ, this character of action is not resisted, by trying to use our action to assert ourselves, extend ourselves, to impose our will and…” quote by Arthur C. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/arthur-c-mcgill-103125_action_every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a_197237.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/arthur-c-mcgill-103125_action_every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a_197237.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/arthur-c-mcgill-103125_action_every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a_197237.jpg) > ““Every action is a losing, a letting go, a passing away from oneself of some bit of one’s own reality into the existence of others and of the world. In Jesus Christ, this character of action is not resisted, by trying to use our action to assert ourselves, extend ourselves, to impose our will and being upon situations. In Jesus Christ, this self-expending character of action is joyfully affirmed. I receive myself constantly from God’s Parenting love. But so far as some aspects of myself are at my disposal, these I receive to give away. Those who would live as Jesus did—who would act and purpose themselves as Jesus did—mean to love, i.e., they mean to expend themselves for others unto death. Their being is meant to pass away from them to others, and they make that meaning the conscious direction of their existence. Too often the love which is proclaimed in the churches suppresses this element of loss and need and death in activity. As a Christian, I often speak of love as helping others, but I ignore what this does to the person who loves. I ignore the fact that love is self-expenditure, a real expending and losing and deterioration of the self. I speak of love as if the person loving had no problems, no needs, no limits. In other words, I speak of love as if the affluent dream were true. This kind of proclamation is heard everywhere. We hear it said: 'Since you have no unanswered needs, why don’t you go out and help those other people who are in need?' But we never hear people go on and add: 'If you do this, you too will be driven into need.' And by not stating this conclusion, people give the childish impression that Christian love is some kind of cornucopia, where we can reach to everybody’s needs and problems and still have everything we need for ourselves. Believe me, there are grown-up persons who speak this kind of nonsense. And when people try to live out this illusory love, they become terrified when the self-expending begins to take its toll. Terror of relationship is \[that\] we eat each other. But note this very carefully: like Jesus, we too can only live to give our received selves away freely because we know our being is not thereby ended, but still and always lies in the Parenting of our God… Those who love in the name of Jesus Christ... serve the needs of others willingly, even to the point of being exposed in their own neediness… They do not cope with their own needs. They do not anguish over how their own needs may be met by the twists and turns of their circumstances, by the whims of their society, or by the strategies of their own egos. At the center of their life—the very innermost center—they are grateful to God, because... they do not fear neediness. That is what frees them to serve the needy, to companion the needy, to become and be one of the needy.”” Arthur C. McGill ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Christian love involves self‑sacrifice, not endless giving; it requires acknowledging personal limits. **In simple terms:** Love is self‑expending, not limitless. Key Takeaway Balance self‑care with service. Themes theology love self‑sacrifice service spirituality Mood thoughtful spiritual Type Action:0 Agape:1 Christ:1 Christian love:1 Crucifixion:0 Grateful to god:0 Helping others:1 Jesus:1 Love:1 Need:0 Neediness:0 Passion:0 Selflessness:1 Twists and turns:0 Purpose Jesus:0 Christ Self:0 Christ Character:0 Situations Jesus:0 When to use this quote - counseling - church leadership - personal spirituality Key Concepts agape self‑loss ethical paradox Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect yourself while serving? - What boundaries are healthy in love? A Different Perspective Idealized love can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Agape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agape/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christian love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-love/) [Crucifixion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crucifixion/) [Grateful to god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful-to-god/) [Helping others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping-others/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Neediness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neediness/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Selflessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selflessness/) [Twists and turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twists-and-turns/) ## Related quotes > [You don't have to always keep your company,every person needs some time alone in mind boggling situations. Even Jesus himself left his disciples and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-quperlier/you-don-t-have-to-always-keep-your-company-every-person-needs-some/) [Simon Quperlier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-quperlier/) > [God over money... Christ over self... Spirit over flesh... Love over fear... Hope over brokenness... YOU DON'T NEED THE WORLD, YOU NEED JESUS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lawson/god-over-money-christ-over-self-spirit-over-flesh-love-over-fear-hope/) [Eric Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lawson/) > [“To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only him who goes before and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/to-deny-oneself-is-to-be-aware-only-of-christ-and-no-more-of-self-to-2/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“But I withhold my pen; for vain were the fancy, by treatise or sermon or poem or tale, to persuade a man to forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/but-i-withhold-my-pen-for-vain-were-the-fancy-by-treatise-or-sermon/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [The Christian life is simply a process of having your natural self changed into a Christ self, and that this process goes on very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-christian-life-is-simply-a-process-of-having-your-natural-self/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What is my task? First of all, my task is to be pleasing to Christ. To be empty of self and be filled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-semple-mcpherson/what-is-my-task-first-of-all-my-task-is-to-be-pleasing-to-christ-to/) [Aimee Semple McPherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-semple-mcpherson/) > [“B. How is Jesus able to understand our weaknesses? C. How is our great high priest different from us? 2. Read 1 John 4:9–11.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/b-how-is-jesus-able-to-understand-our-weaknesses-c-how-is-our-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“The truth is that the life-purpose of Jesus discovered by modern liberalism is not the life purpose of the real Jesus, but merely represents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-gresham-machen/the-truth-is-that-the-life-purpose-of-jesus-discovered-by-modern/) [J. Gresham Machen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-gresham-machen/) > [“When we look at the whole scope of this story line, we see clearly that Christianity is not only about getting one’s individual sins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-we-look-at-the-whole-scope-of-this-story-line-we-see-clearly/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“I knew that to really minister to Rwanda's needs meant working toward reconciliation in the prisons, in the churches, and in the cities and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rucyahana/i-knew-that-to-really-minister-to-rwanda-s-needs-meant-working-toward/) [John Rucyahana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rucyahana/) > [It was not according to the Divine purpose that Jesus was slain at the Passover, but it was according to a human invention that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-remsburg/it-was-not-according-to-the-divine-purpose-that-jesus-was-slain-at/) [John Remsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-remsburg/) > [We were to represent God whose supreme purpose is, as Jesus so clearly showed, to forgive all our sins and heal all our disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-g-lake-2/we-were-to-represent-god-whose-supreme-purpose-is-as-jesus-so-clearly/) [John G Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-g-lake-2/) > [The purpose of Jesus's coming is to put the whole world right, to renew and restore the creation, not to escape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-purpose-of-jesus-s-coming-is-to-put-the-whole-world-right-to/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“It is widely unknown, but nonetheless true that Catholicism fervently promotes the 'spiritual disciplines' whereas Protestantism has largely neglected them altogether. Does 'volunteerism' facilitate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/it-is-widely-unknown-but-nonetheless-true-that-catholicism-fervently/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [“The synoptic Gospels of the New Testament manuscripts make us aware of Christ's character and gives us a view of the 'son-ship' He modeled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/the-synoptic-gospels-of-the-new-testament-manuscripts-make-us-aware/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) ## More by Arthur C. McGill > [“Normally, to decide whether we are alive we do not look outside of ourselves to find out if we are nourishing and generating life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-mcgill/normally-to-decide-whether-we-are-alive-we-do-not-look-outside-of/) Arthur C. McGill Explore all 2 Arthur C. McGill quotes ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) [Browse all 14,940 Action quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Every action is a losing, a letting go, a passing away from oneself of some bit of one’s own reality into the existence of others and of the world. In Jesus Christ, this character of action is not resisted, by trying to use our action to assert ourselves, extend ourselves, to impose our will and being upon situations. In Jesus Christ, this self-expending character of action is joyfully affirmed. I receive myself constantly from God’s Parenting love. But so far as some aspects of myself are at my disposal, these I receive to give away. Those who would live as Jesus did—who would act and purpose themselves as Jesus did—mean to love, i.e., they mean to expend themselves for others unto death. Their being is meant to pass away from them to others, and they make that meaning the conscious direction of their existence. Too often the love which is proclaimed in the churches suppresses this element of loss and need and death in activity. As a Christian, I often speak of love as helping others, but I ignore what this does to the person who loves. I ignore the fact that love is self-expenditure, a real expending and losing and deterioration of the self. I speak of love as if the person loving had no problems, no needs, no limits. In other words, I speak of love as if the affluent dream were true. This kind of proclamation is heard everywhere. We hear it said: 'Since you have no unanswered needs, why don’t you go out and help those other people who are in need?' But we never hear people go on and add: 'If you do this, you too will be driven into need.' And by not stating this conclusion, people give the childish impression that Christian love is some kind of cornucopia, where we can reach to everybody’s needs and problems and still have everything we need for ourselves. Believe me, there are grown-up persons who speak this kind of nonsense. And when people try to live out this illusory love, they become terrified when the self-expending begins to take its toll. Terror of relationship is [that] we eat each other. But note this very carefully: like Jesus, we too can only live to give our received selves away freely because we know our being is not thereby ended, but still and always lies in the Parenting of our God… Those who love in the name of Jesus Christ... serve the needs of others willingly, even to the point of being exposed in their own neediness… They do not cope with their own needs. They do not anguish over how their own needs may be met by the twists and turns of their circumstances, by the whims of their society, or by the strategies of their own egos. At the center of their life—the very innermost center—they are grateful to God, because... they do not fear neediness. That is what frees them to serve the needy, to companion the needy, to become and be one of the needy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur C. McGill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-mcgill/every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a-passing-away-from-oneself-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Action" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-mcgill/every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a-passing-away-from-oneself-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/arthur-c-mcgill-103125_action_every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a_197237.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/arthur-c-mcgill-103125_action_every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a_197237.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/arthur-c-mcgill-103125_action_every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a_197237.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every action is a losing, a letting go, a passing away from oneself of some bit of one’s own reality into…” — Arthur C. McGill", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur C. McGill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-mcgill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Every action is a losing, a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-mcgill/every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a-passing-away-from-oneself-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-mcgill/every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a-passing-away-from-oneself-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```