--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...few things can mess you up as badly as…" description: "\"“...few things can mess you up as badly as trying to do your best. For the tender heart, the earnest heart, it is so discouraging to give all you have ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/john-eldredge-1487_christian-life_few-things-can-mess-you-up-as-badly-as-t_1922504.jpg" --- # ...few things can mess you up as badly as trying to do… ![“...few things can mess you up as badly as trying to do your best. For the tender heart, the earnest heart, it is so discouraging to give all you have trying to do what you think Jesus would have you do, and find yourself falling short, sabotaging your own efforts at every turn. Discouragement and…” quote by John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/john-eldredge-1487_christian-life_few-things-can-mess-you-up-as-badly-as-t_1922504.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/john-eldredge-1487_christian-life_few-things-can-mess-you-up-as-badly-as-t_1922504.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/john-eldredge-1487_christian-life_few-things-can-mess-you-up-as-badly-as-t_1922504.jpg) > ““...few things can mess you up as badly as trying to do your best. For the tender heart, the earnest heart, it is so discouraging to give all you have trying to do what you think Jesus would have you do, and find yourself falling short, sabotaging your own efforts at every turn. Discouragement and shame settle in like a long Seattle rain. And this is what most Christians experience as the Christian life: Try harder; feel worse.”” [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Striving for perfection in faith can cause shame and discouragement, making the spiritual journey harder. **In simple terms:** Perfectionism fuels shame in faith. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection, seek grace. Themes faith perfectionism spiritual struggle Mood hopeful empathetic Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - personal prayer - church community - counseling sessions Key Concepts Christian doctrine self‑compassion Questions to Reflect On - How can believers balance effort and grace? - What practices reduce spiritual shame? A Different Perspective Hard work without grace can deepen despair. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-life/) [Discouragement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discouragement/) [Discouragement Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discouragement-shame-2960797/) [Discouraging Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discouraging-trying-2960796/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Try harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-harder/) [Trying Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-best/) ## Related quotes > [One of the hardest decisions youll ever ever face in life is choosing wether to walk away or try harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikkie/one-of-the-hardest-decisions-youll-ever-ever-face-in-life-is-choosing/) [Nikkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikkie/) > [As Hamlet tells his friend, ''There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'' Well then, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-chaitin/as-hamlet-tells-his-friend-there-are-more-things-in-heaven-and-earth/) [Gregory Chaitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-chaitin/) > [“The whole Redwood City philosophy was based on a willingness to try harder than anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-whole-redwood-city-philosophy-was-based-on-a-willingness-to-try/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Joy blossoms in our hearts not as we try harder and harder to grow, but as we see more clearly the depth of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-duguid/joy-blossoms-in-our-hearts-not-as-we-try-harder-and-harder-to-grow/) [Barbara Duguid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-duguid/) > [“His love, his faith in me, his belief that I can be as strong and brave as he is...The way he makes me feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-jay/his-love-his-faith-in-me-his-belief-that-i-can-be-as-strong-and-brave/) [Stacey Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-jay/) > [If at first you do succeed, try something harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-at-first-you-do-succeed-try-something-harder/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love everything about Philadelphia, and its food is like the city itself: real-deal, hearty, and without pretension. We've always had an underdog vibe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-scottoline/i-love-everything-about-philadelphia-and-its-food-is-like-the-city/) [Lisa Scottoline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-scottoline/) > [I think it was always there and it was maybe a matter of bringing it out. It was harder than I thought it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-lafleur/i-think-it-was-always-there-and-it-was-maybe-a-matter-of-bringing-it/) [Guy Lafleur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-lafleur/) > [“The best we can do is a compromise: learn to recognize situations in which mistakes are likely and try harder to avoid significant mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-best-we-can-do-is-a-compromise-learn-to-recognize-situations-in/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Don't expect a man will try any harder to keep you than he did to get you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-n-blount/don-t-expect-a-man-will-try-any-harder-to-keep-you-than-he-did-to-get/) [Angela N. Blount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-n-blount/) > [Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder; smarter. Persevere relentlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/stay-the-course-when-thwarted-try-again-harder-smarter-persevere/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [One of the hardest parts of life is deciding to walk away or try harder...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-hardest-parts-of-life-is-deciding-to-walk-away-or-try/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm sorry I'm just not the type of guy that if you play hard to get I'm not going to try harder, feels like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-sorry-i-m-just-not-the-type-of-guy-that-if-you-play-hard-to-get-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a scientist, objectivity is one of my most deeply held values. If we could just try harder, I once thought, surely we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-everett/as-a-scientist-objectivity-is-one-of-my-most-deeply-held-values-if-we/) [Daniel Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-everett/) > [If something isn't working, don't try harder or do more. Do something DIFFERENT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramit-sethi/if-something-isn-t-working-don-t-try-harder-or-do-more-do-something/) [Ramit Sethi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramit-sethi/) ## More by John Eldredge > [To find God, you must look with all your heart. To remain present to God, you must remain present to your heart. To hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/to-find-god-you-must-look-with-all-your-heart-to-remain-present-to/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [ “There is a satisfaction we don't want to come to until we come to it in God…\[Disappointments\] serve to remind us every day that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/there-is-a-satisfaction-we-don-t-want-to-come-to-until-we-come-to-it/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [The early Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit 'the wild goose.' And the reason why is they knew that you cannot tame him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-early-celtic-christians-called-the-holy-spirit-the-wild-goose-and/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [The real you is on the side of God against the false self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-real-you-is-on-the-side-of-god-against-the-false-self/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [“The authors challenge that the marriage in which one cannot express disappointment has become an idol – The Thing that Cannot Be Questioned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-authors-challenge-that-the-marriage-in-which-one-cannot-express/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [A man's calling is written on his true heart, and he discovers it when he enters the frontier of his deep desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/a-man-s-calling-is-written-on-his-true-heart-and-he-discovers-it-when/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [In the end, it doesn’t matter how well we have performed or what we have accomplished—a life without heart is not worth living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/in-the-end-it-doesn-t-matter-how-well-we-have-performed-or-what-we/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [Whatever their age, most men have never received true fathering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/whatever-their-age-most-men-have-never-received-true-fathering/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [I'm married. I have three children. I have a mortgage to pay. The plumbing breaks and the yard needs trimming. However, what my wife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/i-m-married-i-have-three-children-i-have-a-mortgage-to-pay-the/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [“He is on a mission to rescue a people who are so utterly deceived most of them don’t even want to be rescued.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/he-is-on-a-mission-to-rescue-a-people-who-are-so-utterly-deceived/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [“Something has gone wrong in us, very wrong indeed. So wrong that we have to be told that joy is found not in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/something-has-gone-wrong-in-us-very-wrong-indeed-so-wrong-that-we/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [“We don’t need accountability groups; we need fellow warriors, someone to fight alongside, someone to watch our back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/we-don-t-need-accountability-groups-we-need-fellow-warriors-someone/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [We don't see clearly because we don't see with the eyes of our heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/we-don-t-see-clearly-because-we-don-t-see-with-the-eyes-of-our-heart/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-story-of-your-life-is-the-story-of-the-long-and-brutal-assault-on/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [I have a call to speak, to write, to do sort of deep-heart surgery in people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/i-have-a-call-to-speak-to-write-to-do-sort-of-deep-heart-surgery-in/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) [Explore all 233 John Eldredge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) ## More Christian life quotes > [If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/if-you-don-t-plan-to-live-the-christian-life-totally-committed-to/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [“Life is but a prayer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/life-is-but-a-prayer/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The point of this work and the Christian life as a whole is not burden and drudgery, but joy. Jesus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-j-chaput/the-point-of-this-work-and-the-christian-life-as-a-whole-is-not/) [Charles J. Chaput](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-j-chaput/) > [“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/) > [In order to the attaining of all useful knowledge this is most necessary, that we fear God; we are not qualified to profit by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/in-order-to-the-attaining-of-all-useful-knowledge-this-is-most/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [“If you want to know how Jesus understands the Christian life, the place to begin is with what he means by kingdom of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scot-mcknight/if-you-want-to-know-how-jesus-understands-the-christian-life-the/) [Scot McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scot-mcknight/) > [“I travel to know the life of great souls in the pages of a book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/i-travel-to-know-the-life-of-great-souls-in-the-pages-of-a-book/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Let weak Christians know that a spark from heaven, though kindled under green wood that sobs and smokes, yet it will consume all at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-sibbes/let-weak-christians-know-that-a-spark-from-heaven-though-kindled/) [Richard Sibbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-sibbes/) > [“Be patient and wait for God to direct your path. God loves you. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-marshall/be-patient-and-wait-for-god-to-direct-your-path-god-loves-you-he-has/) [Lydia Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-marshall/) > [I could, of course, have done no more if no less than affiliated myself in one way or another with a particular church, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-could-of-course-have-done-no-more-if-no-less-than-affiliated-myself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“There is an overflowing grace, for every great work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-an-overflowing-grace-for-every-great-work/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“As those of you with children know, rational parenting is like the Loch Ness Monster. We all hope it's out there somewhere, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-sprink/as-those-of-you-with-children-know-rational-parenting-is-like-the/) [Holly Sprink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-sprink/) > [I have not suffered a lot for Christ, but I want to tell you that those times that I have suffered and I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/i-have-not-suffered-a-lot-for-christ-but-i-want-to-tell-you-that/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [We are not being true to the artist as a man if we consider his art work junk simply because we differ with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-not-being-true-to-the-artist-as-a-man-if-we-consider-his-art/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Christian life, then, is a battle, so sharp and full of danger that effort can nowhere be relaxed without loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huldrych-zwingli/the-christian-life-then-is-a-battle-so-sharp-and-full-of-danger-that/) [Huldrych Zwingli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huldrych-zwingli/) [Browse all 787 Christian life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...few things can mess you up as badly as trying to do your best. 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