--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But the question to precede all others…" description: "\"But the question to precede all others, which finally determines the course of our lives is What do I really want? Was it to love what God commands, in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/elisabeth-elliot-1209_command_but-the-question-to-precede-all-others-w_479647.jpg" --- # But the question to precede all others, which finally… ![“But the question to precede all others, which finally determines the course of our lives is What do I really want? Was it to love what God commands, in the words of the collect, and to desire what He promises? Did I want what I wanted, or did I want what He wanted, no matter what it might cost?” quote by Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/elisabeth-elliot-1209_command_but-the-question-to-precede-all-others-w_479647.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/elisabeth-elliot-1209_command_but-the-question-to-precede-all-others-w_479647.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/elisabeth-elliot-1209_command_but-the-question-to-precede-all-others-w_479647.jpg) > “But the question to precede all others, which finally determines the course of our lives is What do I really want? Was it to love what God commands, in the words of the collect, and to desire what He promises? Did I want what I wanted, or did I want what He wanted, no matter what it might cost?” [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True purpose is discovered by aligning personal desires with divine will, even when it demands sacrifice. **In simple terms:** Seek God's will over personal wants. Key Takeaway Prioritize divine purpose above self‑interest. Themes spirituality purpose obedience Mood contemplative serious Type scriptural motivational When to use this quote - mission work - personal decision‑making - prayer life Key Concepts theology self‑reflection cost of discipleship Questions to Reflect On - What are you willing to sacrifice for your faith? - How do you discern God's will? A Different Perspective Self‑denial can lead to resentment if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) ## Related quotes > [“Hope is not merely a wish that something good might happen—it is the firm confidence and desire that the promises of God will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/hope-is-not-merely-a-wish-that-something-good-might-happen-it-is-the/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [Not only does the Charter Organization not prevent future wars, but it makes it practically certain that we shall have future wars, and as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/not-only-does-the-charter-organization-not-prevent-future-wars-but-it/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [I simply did not want my face to be my talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-tierney/i-simply-did-not-want-my-face-to-be-my-talent/) [Gene Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-tierney/) > [“ Late Fragment And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/late-fragment-and-did-you-get-what-you-wanted-from-this-life-even-so/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I did it because I can,I can because I want to and I want to because you said that I couldn't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/i-did-it-because-i-can-i-can-because-i-want-to-and-i-want-to-because/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [Carl did not want to believe. He wanted to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-druyan/carl-did-not-want-to-believe-he-wanted-to-know/) [Ann Druyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-druyan/) > [“(...)And what did I want? (...)A chance to sleep easy in my bed without fear. (...) There were old wants too, to be loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/and-what-did-i-want-a-chance-to-sleep-easy-in-my-bed-without-fear/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [To take pictures had become a necessity and I did not want to forgo it for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inge-morath/to-take-pictures-had-become-a-necessity-and-i-did-not-want-to-forgo/) [Inge Morath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inge-morath/) > [Let's just say that back in the old days, sex was available every two feet. 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But you must remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/and-the-other-was-this-the-doctor-did-want-to-take-off-my-leg-because/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [People ask me, 'Did you always want to be on SNL?' No, actually, it never crossed my mind. It didn't even seem possible. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/people-ask-me-did-you-always-want-to-be-on-snl-no-actually-it-never/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) ## More by Elisabeth Elliot > [All our problems are theological ones, William Temple said. All of them have to do with our relationship to God and his to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/all-our-problems-are-theological-ones-william-temple-said-all-of-them/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Discipline, for the Christian, begins with the body. We have only one. It is this body that is the primary material given to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/discipline-for-the-christian-begins-with-the-body-we-have-only-one-it/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [It seems disrespectful to me to see ladies in church in very short skirts or skimpy, sleeveless tops. I would imagine that it could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/it-seems-disrespectful-to-me-to-see-ladies-in-church-in-very-short/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [The deepest lessons come out of the deepest waters and the hottest fires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-deepest-lessons-come-out-of-the-deepest-waters-and-the-hottest/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Everything if given to God can become your gateway to joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/everything-if-given-to-god-can-become-your-gateway-to-joy/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Lead me, Lord, to the Rock that is higher than I. 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I pray that you will be that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-world-cries-for-men-who-are-strong-strong-in-conviction-strong-to/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) [Explore all 273 Elisabeth Elliot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) ## More Command quotes > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. 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