--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We tend to think that refusing to exalt…" description: "\"We tend to think that refusing to exalt Christ is staying true to our self-will and personal freedom when really we are condemning ourselves. Sure, we ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/criss-jami-320_christ_we-tend-to-think-that-refusing-to-exalt_190267.jpg" --- # We tend to think that refusing to exalt Christ is staying… ![“We tend to think that refusing to exalt Christ is staying true to our self-will and personal freedom when really we are condemning ourselves. Sure, we can pretend to stay true to ourselves, but if you want to talk about reality, all of that is completely trivial if this life is an island and He's…” quote by Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/criss-jami-320_christ_we-tend-to-think-that-refusing-to-exalt_190267.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/criss-jami-320_christ_we-tend-to-think-that-refusing-to-exalt_190267.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/criss-jami-320_christ_we-tend-to-think-that-refusing-to-exalt_190267.jpg) > “We tend to think that refusing to exalt Christ is staying true to our self-will and personal freedom when really we are condemning ourselves. Sure, we can pretend to stay true to ourselves, but if you want to talk about reality, all of that is completely trivial if this life is an island and He's the only pilot with a plane and a flight plan.” [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Claiming personal freedom by rejecting Christ actually limits true self‑realization; true freedom is found in aligning with a higher purpose. **In simple terms:** Rejecting Christ limits true freedom. Key Takeaway Seek purpose beyond ego. Themes faith freedom self‑will existentialism Mood contemplative spiritual Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crises - spiritual searching - ethical decision making Key Concepts theology philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does true freedom mean to you? - How does belief shape your choices? A Different Perspective Freedom without purpose can be empty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christ Staying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-staying-623909/) [Exalt Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exalt-christ-1339323/) [Flight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flight/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Islands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islands/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Personal freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-freedom/) [Pilots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilots/) [Planes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planes/) [Plans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plans/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Refusing Exalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refusing-exalt-2013071/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-will/) [Stay true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-true/) [Staying true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying-true/) [Think Refusing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-refusing-2013072/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [This life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-life/) [True self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-self/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [You can’t crush ideas by suppressing them. You can only crush them by ignoring them. By refusing to think, refusing to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/you-can-t-crush-ideas-by-suppressing-them-you-can-only-crush-them-by/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him & He will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-you-want-to-be-of-use-to-god-maintain-the-proper-relationship-with/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“The Spirit works in the church so that men might see Jesus as Lord, recognizing His authority and submitting to His will (1 Cor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-spirit-works-in-the-church-so-that-men-might-see-jesus-as-lord/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“Showing a lack of self-control is in the same vein as granting authority to others. 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It is saying “Yes, Lord!”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-leigh-demoss/brokenness-is-the-shattering-of-my-self-will-the-absolute-surrender/) [Nancy Leigh DeMoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-leigh-demoss/) > [When you are dealing with a serious compulsion or addictive pattern, then by definition self-will, self-discipline, and any other machinations of the conscious mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/when-you-are-dealing-with-a-serious-compulsion-or-addictive-pattern/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [If we divested ourselves, once and for all, of all self-will, we would then be in a position of being sure of doing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/if-we-divested-ourselves-once-and-for-all-of-all-self-will-we-would/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [I bid you conquer in your warfare against your four great enemies, the world, the devil, the flesh, and above all, that obstinate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-william-hare/i-bid-you-conquer-in-your-warfare-against-your-four-great-enemies-the/) [Augustus William Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-william-hare/) > [False liberty is also a reason that people fabricate doctrines that say that you don't need to suffer. One such doctrine is the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-oscar-smith/false-liberty-is-also-a-reason-that-people-fabricate-doctrines-that/) [Johan Oscar Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-oscar-smith/) > [Happiness is your True Nature. Within you is Unimaginable Beauty. Your True Self is Bright and Shining this Moment. Through the clear Realization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-adams/happiness-is-your-true-nature-within-you-is-unimaginable-beauty-your/) [Robert Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-adams/) > [It is not action or effort that we must surrender; it is self-will, and this is terribly difficult. 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A person who demands little to nothing from others, but is often found extremely difficult to have around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/what-is-a-genius-a-person-who-demands-little-to-nothing-from-others/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [A man does not have to feel less than human to realize his sin; oppositely, he has to realize that he gets no special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/a-man-does-not-have-to-feel-less-than-human-to-realize-his-sin/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [I would rather my descendants have greater abilities and a greater knowledge of the love of Christ than I do, much like standing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/i-would-rather-my-descendants-have-greater-abilities-and-a-greater/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Create with the heart; build with the mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/create-with-the-heart-build-with-the-mind/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Peace is more of an internal settlement rather than what is visible on the external.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/peace-is-more-of-an-internal-settlement-rather-than-what-is-visible/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Our entire lives we witness individuals, the ones who break some of the most culturally sensitive moral codes, ruined permanently by the media -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/our-entire-lives-we-witness-individuals-the-ones-who-break-some-of/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Senses of humor define people, as factions, deeper rooted than religious or political opinions. When carrying out everyday tasks, opinions are rather easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/senses-of-humor-define-people-as-factions-deeper-rooted-than/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [I believe in evolution in the sense that a short-tempered man is the successor of a crybaby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/i-believe-in-evolution-in-the-sense-that-a-short-tempered-man-is-the/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“God speaks of his children shining best in ways that only he can provide. The heavens lift one as a golden child while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/god-speaks-of-his-children-shining-best-in-ways-that-only-he-can/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [It is never just disagreement but always intellectual dishonesty that is the apologist's worst enemy. And its apprentice is ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/it-is-never-just-disagreement-but-always-intellectual-dishonesty-that/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Always work towards a dream or you'll always dream of working elsewhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/always-work-towards-a-dream-or-you-ll-always-dream-of-working/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) [Explore all 684 Criss Jami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) ## More Christ quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“I would even go so far as to say that the mythical character of a life is just what expresses its universal human validity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/i-would-even-go-so-far-as-to-say-that-the-mythical-character-of-a/) [C.G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . 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