--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It may be a very bad thing that I needed…" description: "\"It may be a very bad thing that I needed God to die for me, but it is a wonderful thing that God thinks I am worth dying for.\" — John Ortberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/john-ortberg-932_bad-thing_it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed_472562.png" --- # It may be a very bad thing that I needed God to die for… ![“It may be a very bad thing that I needed God to die for me, but it is a wonderful thing that God thinks I am worth dying for.” quote by John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/john-ortberg-932_bad-thing_it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed_472562.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/john-ortberg-932_bad-thing_it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed_472562.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/john-ortberg-932_bad-thing_it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed_472562.png) > “It may be a very bad thing that I needed God to die for me, but it is a wonderful thing that God thinks I am worth dying for.” [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. God values the individual enough to sacrifice Himself, offering a profound sense of worth despite personal flaws **In simple terms:** God’s sacrifice affirms personal worth Key Takeaway Embrace the belief that you are valued by the divine Themes faith redemption worthiness Mood reverent hopeful Type sermon theological reflection When to use this quote - personal crisis - spiritual counseling - grief support Key Concepts sacrifice theology self‑esteem Questions to Reflect On - How does this belief shape your self‑image? - Can you extend this worth to others? A Different Perspective Some may struggle with accepting unearned love ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [I'll call it a day when I die. It's a wonderful occupation for me. I've never worked a day in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-ll-call-it-a-day-when-i-die-it-s-a-wonderful-occupation-for-me-i-ve/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [A man, as a man, could arrive at all the dignity that a man was capable of obtaining or receiving; but it needed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor/a-man-as-a-man-could-arrive-at-all-the-dignity-that-a-man-was-capable/) [John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor/) > [“He realized he needed strength, sustenance that couldn’t come from bread alone. He desperately needed God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-e-b-spredemann/he-realized-he-needed-strength-sustenance-that-couldn-t-come-from/) [J.E.B. Spredemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-b-spredemann/) > [“God is one answer to our need to explain ourselves, to make sense of ourselves. But the moment you just accept yourself, then no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-maree-brown/god-is-one-answer-to-our-need-to-explain-ourselves-to-make-sense-of/) [Adrienne Maree Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-maree-brown/) > [“the bar was the best place to hide in. time came under your control, time to wade in, time to do nothing in. no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-bar-was-the-best-place-to-hide-in-time-came-under-your-control/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“It was too easy to die for what was good or beautiful, for home or children or a civilization - it needed a God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/it-was-too-easy-to-die-for-what-was-good-or-beautiful-for-home-or/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [“Every change that God promises is possible. Every quality that God requires in His redeemed children can be attained. Every resource that is needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-e-adams/every-change-that-god-promises-is-possible-every-quality-that-god/) [Jay E. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-e-adams/) > [How often the priest had heard the same confession--Man was so limited: he hadn't even the ingenuity to invent a new vice: the animals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/how-often-the-priest-had-heard-the-same-confession-man-was-so-limited/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew I needed God in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hamilton/i-didn-t-know-what-i-was-doing-but-i-knew-i-needed-god-in-my-life/) [Jim Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hamilton/) > [“I realized that I needed God more than I needed rescuing. I needed to draw closer to Him in the storm more than I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lee-hatcher/i-realized-that-i-needed-god-more-than-i-needed-rescuing-i-needed-to/) [Robin Lee Hatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lee-hatcher/) > [“I find God not in the tests that life imposes on us but in the ability of ordinary people to rise to the challenge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/i-find-god-not-in-the-tests-that-life-imposes-on-us-but-in-the/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [“I needed more than strength; I needed to be rejuvenated. I needed more than peace; I needed to take back what the enemy had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlena-jackson/i-needed-more-than-strength-i-needed-to-be-rejuvenated-i-needed-more/) [Charlena Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlena-jackson/) > [“Call it the Human Mission-to be all and do all God sent us here to do. And notice-the mission to be fruitful and conquer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stasi-eldredge/call-it-the-human-mission-to-be-all-and-do-all-god-sent-us-here-to-do/) [Stasi Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stasi-eldredge/) > [“Once sin creeps its way into your life, it’s hard to turn around. You can’t pull yourself back up on your own, and certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sweet/once-sin-creeps-its-way-into-your-life-it-s-hard-to-turn-around-you/) [Michael Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sweet/) > [In the face of nature's overwhelming forces, humans needed a God who would protect them from harm. When they felt that they had broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/in-the-face-of-nature-s-overwhelming-forces-humans-needed-a-god-who/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) ## More by John Ortberg > [“What do we do in the dark night? We do nothing. We wait. We remember that we are not God. We hold on. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/what-do-we-do-in-the-dark-night-we-do-nothing-we-wait-we-remember/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [If we are serious about loving God, we must begin with people, all people. And especially we must learn to love those that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/if-we-are-serious-about-loving-god-we-must-begin-with-people-all/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The greatest bloodbaths in the history of the human race were recorded in the twentieth century in countries that sought to eliminate God, worship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-greatest-bloodbaths-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-were/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/there-is-no-way-for-a-human-being-to-come-to-god-that-does-not/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Will you keep going when you don't know why? When you can't get any answers that would make the pain go away, will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/will-you-keep-going-when-you-don-t-know-why-when-you-can-t-get-any/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Death is the prerequisite to resurrection, the new life God intends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/death-is-the-prerequisite-to-resurrection-the-new-life-god-intends/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [From ancient times, the core idea of the soul is the soul is the capacity to integrate different functions into a single being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/from-ancient-times-the-core-idea-of-the-soul-is-the-soul-is-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/hurry-is-the-great-enemy-of-spiritual-life-in-our-day-you-must/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [In reality, each thought we have carries with it a little spiritual power, a tug toward or away from God. No thought is purely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/in-reality-each-thought-we-have-carries-with-it-a-little-spiritual/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The miracle of Sunday is that a dead man lives. The miracle of Saturday is that the eternal Son of God lies dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-miracle-of-sunday-is-that-a-dead-man-lives-the-miracle-of/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“The most important thing about you,” Dallas would often say, “is not the things that you achieve; it is the person that you become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-most-important-thing-about-you-dallas-would-often-say-is-not-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Jesus had a universal concern for those who suffered that transcended the rules of the ancient world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/jesus-had-a-universal-concern-for-those-who-suffered-that-transcended/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [God is a God of endless opportunities to do good; the God of the open door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/god-is-a-god-of-endless-opportunities-to-do-good-the-god-of-the-open/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [One of the most painful aspects of suffering is the loneliness of it. Others may offer support or empathy, but no one can walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/one-of-the-most-painful-aspects-of-suffering-is-the-loneliness-of-it/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) [Explore all 325 John Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/) [Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/) > [Lobbying is not a bad thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't have lobbyists or we shouldn't have lobbying to petition our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/lobbying-is-not-a-bad-thing-i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-shouldn-t/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It may be a very bad thing that I needed God to die for me, but it is a wonderful thing that God thinks I am worth dying for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ortberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed-god-to-die-for-me-but-it-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad thing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed-god-to-die-for-me-but-it-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/john-ortberg-932_bad-thing_it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed_472562.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/john-ortberg-932_bad-thing_it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed_472562.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/john-ortberg-932_bad-thing_it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed_472562.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It may be a very bad thing that I needed God to die for me, but it is a wonderful thing that God thinks I am…” — John Ortberg", "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": "John Ortberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It may be a very bad...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed-god-to-die-for-me-but-it-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/it-may-be-a-very-bad-thing-that-i-needed-god-to-die-for-me-but-it-is/#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 } } ] } ```