--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God can make a new beginning with people…" description: "\"God can make a new beginning with people whenever God pleases, but not people with God. Therefore, people cannot make a new beginning at all; they can ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_devices_god-can-make-a-new-beginning-with-people_1515864.jpg" --- # God can make a new beginning with people whenever God… ![“God can make a new beginning with people whenever God pleases, but not people with God. Therefore, people cannot make a new beginning at all; they can only pray for one. Where people are on their own and live by their own devices, there is only the old, the past.” quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_devices_god-can-make-a-new-beginning-with-people_1515864.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_devices_god-can-make-a-new-beginning-with-people_1515864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_devices_god-can-make-a-new-beginning-with-people_1515864.jpg) > “God can make a new beginning with people whenever God pleases, but not people with God. Therefore, people cannot make a new beginning at all; they can only pray for one. Where people are on their own and live by their own devices, there is only the old, the past.” [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine initiative initiates renewal, but human effort alone cannot create new beginnings without God’s grace. **In simple terms:** God starts new starts; people alone cannot. Key Takeaway Seek divine guidance before attempting change. Themes faith grace human limitation Mood contemplative serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal transformation - community building - spiritual practice Key Concepts theology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What role do you play in change? - How do you balance faith and action? A Different Perspective Overreliance on divine will may discourage personal responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devices/) [God Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-make/) [God People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-people/) [Live by](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-by/) [New beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-beginning/) [New beginnings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-beginnings/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-god/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [Pray People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray-people-1410788/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Each morning is a new beginning of our life. Each day is a finished whole. The present day marks the boundary of our cares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/each-morning-is-a-new-beginning-of-our-life-each-day-is-a-finished/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“O God make us your people. Be our God!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/o-god-make-us-your-people-be-our-god/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I've learned that trust isn't something that you put in people, it is something that you put in God. While people will fail you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sashauni-aaeliyae/i-ve-learned-that-trust-isn-t-something-that-you-put-in-people-it-is/) [Sashauni Aaeliyae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sashauni-aaeliyae/) > [“People will look different when I see them with God. People are a huge part of the “with God” life, because we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/people-will-look-different-when-i-see-them-with-god-people-are-a-huge/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [They care for, protect, and guide God's people, frequently intervening or bring messages to people from God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-neal/they-care-for-protect-and-guide-god-s-people-frequently-intervening/) [Mary C. Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-c-neal/) > [I've had Christians treat me in a way that is so wrong and so vicious, I realized there's a difference between God's people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-graham-lotz/i-ve-had-christians-treat-me-in-a-way-that-is-so-wrong-and-so-vicious/) [Anne Graham Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-graham-lotz/) > [Some people call God, some people call Allah; I want to see the fruit of the love, I want to see the love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-hammer/some-people-call-god-some-people-call-allah-i-want-to-see-the-fruit/) [MC Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-hammer/) > [The word of God is more than enough for the people of God to live their lives to the glory of God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/the-word-of-god-is-more-than-enough-for-the-people-of-god-to-live/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [It’s better to please God and have a few people upset with you than to please people and have God upset with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/it-s-better-to-please-god-and-have-a-few-people-upset-with-you-than/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [God's people, in God's place, under God's rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-goldsworthy/god-s-people-in-god-s-place-under-god-s-rule/) [Graeme Goldsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-goldsworthy/) > [Our kids were God's kids first... We tend to forget this fact, regarding our children as "our" children, as though we have the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/our-kids-were-god-s-kids-first-we-tend-to-forget-this-fact-regarding/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [My God is none other than the people. Only the popular masses are omniscient and omnipotent and almighty on earth. Therefore my lifetime motto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-il-sung/my-god-is-none-other-than-the-people-only-the-popular-masses-are/) [Kim Il-sung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-il-sung/) > [What is the difference between God and people? God never takes, only gives. Sometimes even a slap in the face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/what-is-the-difference-between-god-and-people-god-never-takes-only/) [Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/) > [“8 And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble,       the rock that makes them fall.”\* They stumble because they do not obey God’s word,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/8-and-he-is-the-stone-that-makes-people-stumble-the-rock-that-makes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When all of our idols are taken away, all our securities and defense mechanisms, we find out who we really are. We’re so little,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-lines/when-all-of-our-idols-are-taken-away-all-our-securities-and-defense/) [Aaron Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-lines/) ## More by Dietrich Bonhoeffer > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? 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Otherwise the church becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-church-can-only-defend-its-own-space-by-fighting-not-for-space/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [There remains an experience of incomparable value . . . to see the great events of world history from below; from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/there-remains-an-experience-of-incomparable-value-to-see-the-great/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“To endure the cross is not a tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/to-endure-the-cross-is-not-a-tragedy-it-is-the-suffering-which-is-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“There is only one church, the church of faith ruled by the word of Jesus Christ alone. This is the true catholic church that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/there-is-only-one-church-the-church-of-faith-ruled-by-the-word-of/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“As Christians, we needn’t be at all ashamed of some impatience, longing, opposition to what is unnatural, and our full share of desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/as-christians-we-needn-t-be-at-all-ashamed-of-some-impatience-longing/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/those-who-love-their-dream-of-a-christian-community-more-than-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“From now on there can be no more wars of faith. 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