--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you mature in your relationship with…" description: "\"When you mature in your relationship with God you realize how suffering and patience are like eating your spiritual vegetables.\" — Criss Jami" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/criss-jami-320_eating_when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-wit_3100647.jpg" --- # When you mature in your relationship with God you realize… ![“When you mature in your relationship with God you realize how suffering and patience are like eating your spiritual vegetables.” quote by Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/criss-jami-320_eating_when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-wit_3100647.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/criss-jami-320_eating_when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-wit_3100647.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/criss-jami-320_eating_when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-wit_3100647.jpg) > “When you mature in your relationship with God you realize how suffering and patience are like eating your spiritual vegetables.” [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. Maturing spiritually makes suffering and patience feel like necessary, nourishing growth. **In simple terms:** Spiritual maturity turns hardship into growth food. Key Takeaway Accept hardship as spiritual nourishment. Themes spirituality growth patience suffering mindfulness Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - counseling - personal reflection - faith practice Key Concepts metaphor resilience inner development Questions to Reflect On - How can you differentiate productive suffering? - What practices help cultivate patience? A Different Perspective Not all hardships lead to growth; some may be destructive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) [Our relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-relationship/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Relationship with god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-with-god/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [While eating, our attention should not be focused just on the taste. Imagine our chosen deity or guru is present within us and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/while-eating-our-attention-should-not-be-focused-just-on-the-taste/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [Your passion must be tempered with patience. Maybe long-suffering patience would be a better word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/your-passion-must-be-tempered-with-patience-maybe-long-suffering/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [“Tony looked at me with the long-suffering patience of an adult child who knew an educational lecture was coming and there was no way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/tony-looked-at-me-with-the-long-suffering-patience-of-an-adult-child/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [You must realize that I was suffering from love and I knew him as intimately as I knew my own image in a mirror.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/you-must-realize-that-i-was-suffering-from-love-and-i-knew-him-as/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [We are all more similar than we usually realize. So much of the suffering we do in our life is because of obsession with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-adam-hamilton/we-are-all-more-similar-than-we-usually-realize-so-much-of-the/) [Michael Adam Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-adam-hamilton/) > [When you realize that suffering and discomfort are the call to inquiry, you may actually begin to look forward to uncomfortable feelings. You may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/when-you-realize-that-suffering-and-discomfort-are-the-call-to/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“Our diseases merely act as amplifiers for our human nature, turning up the volume of our attachments and suffering. In that regard, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-ash/our-diseases-merely-act-as-amplifiers-for-our-human-nature-turning-up/) Mel Ash > [“We need God’s gospel to suffer well. We need it every day, and never more than when life hurts. The better we know it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wetherell/we-need-god-s-gospel-to-suffer-well-we-need-it-every-day-and-never/) [Kristen Wetherell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wetherell/) > [I believe that I was lucky to have suffered. Some people don't realize that in suffering there is great potential, because if you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-abu-ghazaleh/i-believe-that-i-was-lucky-to-have-suffered-some-people-don-t-realize/) [Talal Abu-Ghazaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-abu-ghazaleh/) > [What I find compelling is the moment in which people realize, with suffering and pain, that in the past there was a time when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-sorrentino/what-i-find-compelling-is-the-moment-in-which-people-realize-with/) [Paolo Sorrentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-sorrentino/) > [I do not suffer; I cannot suffer because I am not an object. Of course there is suffering. But do you realize what this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/i-do-not-suffer-i-cannot-suffer-because-i-am-not-an-object-of-course/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [It's funny how the closer you get to God, the more you realize how far you are from Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hart/it-s-funny-how-the-closer-you-get-to-god-the-more-you-realize-how-far/) [Mark Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hart/) > [“Rarely do we realize that we are in the midst of the extraordinary. Miracles occur all around us, signs from God show us the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/rarely-do-we-realize-that-we-are-in-the-midst-of-the-extraordinary/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Instead of questioning the ways of God, we should realize that he is totally just, and we should have faith that he is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyndale-house-publishers-inc/instead-of-questioning-the-ways-of-god-we-should-realize-that-he-is/) Tyndale House Publishers Inc > [When you realize that every breath is a gift from God. When you realize how small you are, but how much he loved you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-bassett/when-you-realize-that-every-breath-is-a-gift-from-god-when-you/) [Angela Bassett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-bassett/) ## More by Criss Jami > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Religion, like science, is only noteworthy when it emphasizes a matter of what is true rather than whose belief is greater or lesser or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/religion-like-science-is-only-noteworthy-when-it-emphasizes-a-matter/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Slander does to a soul what cancer does to a cell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/slander-does-to-a-soul-what-cancer-does-to-a-cell/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [The hated man is the result of his hater's pride rather than his hater's conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-hated-man-is-the-result-of-his-hater-s-pride-rather-than-his/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [What is a genius? 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 Eating quotes > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [I have my meals delivered... you know what I like? Chicken and rice... But the problem with being a defensive lineman is, if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-douglas/i-have-my-meals-delivered-you-know-what-i-like-chicken-and-rice-but/) [Hugh Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-douglas/) > [I do not believe in eating fish hot. People always insist on hot fish, but that leaves it dried out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-do-not-believe-in-eating-fish-hot-people-always-insist-on-hot-fish/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [My mom cares that I tweeted a picture of my breakfast. She's knows I'm eating and I'm safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-dorsey/my-mom-cares-that-i-tweeted-a-picture-of-my-breakfast-she-s-knows-i-m/) [Jack Dorsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-dorsey/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [I have an intense dislike of doctrines, because you will always end up eating your words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/i-have-an-intense-dislike-of-doctrines-because-you-will-always-end-up/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) > [The worst thing for me is to not taste what I'm eating, to not know what I'm eating. It upsets me to no avail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-robuchon/the-worst-thing-for-me-is-to-not-taste-what-i-m-eating-to-not-know/) [Joel Robuchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-robuchon/) > [The heaviest I've ever been is 65 kilos. That was during my Leaving Cert when I was just studying and eating chocolate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-taylor/the-heaviest-i-ve-ever-been-is-65-kilos-that-was-during-my-leaving/) [Katie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-taylor/) > [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [The good Bishop of Assisi expressed a sort of horror at the hard life which the Little Brothers lived at the Portiuncula, without comforts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-good-bishop-of-assisi-expressed-a-sort-of-horror-at-the-hard-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I have a great time cooking and eating Thai green chicken curry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-have-a-great-time-cooking-and-eating-thai-green-chicken-curry/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) [Browse all 4,153 Eating quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you mature in your relationship with God you realize how suffering and patience are like eating your spiritual vegetables.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Criss Jami" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-with-god-you-realize-how/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eating" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-with-god-you-realize-how/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/criss-jami-320_eating_when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-wit_3100647.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/criss-jami-320_eating_when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-wit_3100647.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/criss-jami-320_eating_when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-wit_3100647.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you mature in your relationship with God you realize how suffering and patience are like eating your…” — Criss Jami", "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": "Criss Jami", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you mature in your relationship...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-with-god-you-realize-how/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/when-you-mature-in-your-relationship-with-god-you-realize-how/#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 } } ] } ```