--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God often waits until we're out of ideas…" description: "\"God often waits until we're out of ideas before He lets us know His plans. He competes for our hearts, not our attention.\" — Bob Goff" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/bob-goff-1182_attention_god-often-waits-until-we-re-out-of-ideas_2696029.png" --- # God often waits until we're out of ideas before He lets us… ![“God often waits until we're out of ideas before He lets us know His plans. He competes for our hearts, not our attention.” quote by Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/bob-goff-1182_attention_god-often-waits-until-we-re-out-of-ideas_2696029.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/bob-goff-1182_attention_god-often-waits-until-we-re-out-of-ideas_2696029.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/bob-goff-1182_attention_god-often-waits-until-we-re-out-of-ideas_2696029.png) > “God often waits until we're out of ideas before He lets us know His plans. He competes for our hearts, not our attention.” [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine guidance often appears when we feel stuck, urging us toward purpose beyond our own plans. **In simple terms:** God shows up when we run out of ideas. Key Takeaway Stay open to unexpected direction. Themes faith patience purpose guidance Mood hopeful inspirational Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - personal crisis - creative block - decision making - spiritual retreat Key Concepts theology spirituality creativity Questions to Reflect On - What does “waiting” look like in your life? - How can you balance faith with action? A Different Perspective Reliance on divine timing may discourage proactive problem‑solving. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [God Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-waits-1172892/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Hearts Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts-attention-2696717/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Plans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plans/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waits/) [Waits Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waits-ideas-2696718/) ## Related quotes > [God waits for us to create him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-de-menil/god-waits-for-us-to-create-him/) [Dominique de Menil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-de-menil/) > [“Fight and live, fight and die, God waits for all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/fight-and-live-fight-and-die-god-waits-for-all/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [Perhaps God waits for us to be empty, so he may fill us with himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/perhaps-god-waits-for-us-to-be-empty-so-he-may-fill-us-with-himself/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [“God waits, watches, and hopes that the sun will not set on our length of days without our standing on tiptoes at the extremity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/god-waits-watches-and-hopes-that-the-sun-will-not-set-on-our-length/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [Ours is a God who waits. So who are we not to?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-boyle/ours-is-a-god-who-waits-so-who-are-we-not-to/) [Greg Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-boyle/) > [God waits for you to communicate with Him. You have instant, direct access to God. God loves mankind so much, and in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-l-duewel/god-waits-for-you-to-communicate-with-him-you-have-instant-direct/) [Wesley L Duewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-l-duewel/) > [“Teilhard de Chardin wrote that we must "trust in the slow work of God." Ours is a God who waits. Who are we not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-boyle/teilhard-de-chardin-wrote-that-we-must-trust-in-the-slow-work-of-god/) [Greg Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-boyle/) > [A delay isnt a denial. Not yet isnt No, God often waits until you change before he changes your situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-delay-isnt-a-denial-not-yet-isnt-no-god-often-waits-until-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God waits to win back his own flowers as gifts from man's hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/god-waits-to-win-back-his-own-flowers-as-gifts-from-man-s-hands/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [God waits patiently for me to wake up, grow up, come to the awareness that great works take time, that nothing truly worthwhile can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-royer/god-waits-patiently-for-me-to-wake-up-grow-up-come-to-the-awareness/) [Jean Royer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-royer/) > [Whilst a man is persuaded that he has it in his power to contribute anything, be it ever so little, to his salvation, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/whilst-a-man-is-persuaded-that-he-has-it-in-his-power-to-contribute/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“I guess this thing we call faith is a climb. I always wanted to think of it as a big slide straight into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-samson/i-guess-this-thing-we-call-faith-is-a-climb-i-always-wanted-to-think/) [Lisa Samson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-samson/) > [While God waits for His temple to be built of love, men bring stones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/while-god-waits-for-his-temple-to-be-built-of-love-men-bring-stones/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [The 'kingdom of God' is not something one waits for; it has no yesterday or tomorrow, it does not come 'in a thousand years'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-kingdom-of-god-is-not-something-one-waits-for-it-has-no-yesterday/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“We wait for God to bless us while God waits for us to accept the blessing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-thompson/we-wait-for-god-to-bless-us-while-god-waits-for-us-to-accept-the/) [Betsy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-thompson/) ## More by Bob Goff > [I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/i-used-to-think-i-could-shape-the-circumstances-around-me-but-now-i/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Next to grace, I bet God thinks making us need each other was one of His best ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/next-to-grace-i-bet-god-thinks-making-us-need-each-other-was-one-of/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [The battle for our hearts is fought on the pages of our calendar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/the-battle-for-our-hearts-is-fought-on-the-pages-of-our-calendar/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [If we pick recognition over influence we'll be known for all the wrong stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/if-we-pick-recognition-over-influence-we-ll-be-known-for-all-the/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [“As I sit on my island, it becomes clears that we need to stop plotting the course and instead just land the plane on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/as-i-sit-on-my-island-it-becomes-clears-that-we-need-to-stop-plotting/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [“You become like the people you hang around, and to a great degree, you end up going wherever they’re headed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/you-become-like-the-people-you-hang-around-and-to-a-great-degree-you/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [The way we love people we disagree with is the best evidence of what we really believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/the-way-we-love-people-we-disagree-with-is-the-best-evidence-of-what/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [No book is a chapter, no chapter tells the whole story, no mistake defines who we are. Hope makes our lives page turners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/no-book-is-a-chapter-no-chapter-tells-the-whole-story-no-mistake/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Every time we see people as ordinary, we turn the wine back into water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/every-time-we-see-people-as-ordinary-we-turn-the-wine-back-into-water/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Faith isn't figuring out what we're able to do, it's deciding what we're going to do - even when we think we can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/faith-isn-t-figuring-out-what-we-re-able-to-do-it-s-deciding-what-we/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [I'm trying to surround myself during my life with the eight people I'd surround my bed with on my death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/i-m-trying-to-surround-myself-during-my-life-with-the-eight-people-i/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Most of our decisions are driven by either love or fear. Figure out who's doing the talking, then decide what you'll do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/most-of-our-decisions-are-driven-by-either-love-or-fear-figure-out/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Jesus lets us be real with our life and our faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/jesus-lets-us-be-real-with-our-life-and-our-faith/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [I used to think being loved was the greatest thing to think about, but now I know love is never satisfied just thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/i-used-to-think-being-loved-was-the-greatest-thing-to-think-about-but/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Don't let uncertainty talk you into pursuing a backup plan instead of your purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/don-t-let-uncertainty-talk-you-into-pursuing-a-backup-plan-instead-of/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) [Explore all 277 Bob Goff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "God often waits until we're out of ideas before He lets us know His plans. 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