--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that is what the God experience…" description: "\"I believe that is what the God experience does for us. It calls us beyond our limits into the fullness of life - into a capacity to love people we are ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/john-shelby-spong-1488_ability_i-believe-that-is-what-the-god-experienc_572964.jpg" --- # I believe that is what the God experience does for us. It… ![“I believe that is what the God experience does for us. It calls us beyond our limits into the fullness of life - into a capacity to love people we are not taught to love - and into an ability to be who we are.” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/john-shelby-spong-1488_ability_i-believe-that-is-what-the-god-experienc_572964.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/john-shelby-spong-1488_ability_i-believe-that-is-what-the-god-experienc_572964.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/john-shelby-spong-1488_ability_i-believe-that-is-what-the-god-experienc_572964.jpg) > “I believe that is what the God experience does for us. It calls us beyond our limits into the fullness of life - into a capacity to love people we are not taught to love - and into an ability to be who we are.” [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Spiritual experience expands beyond limits, enabling love for all and authentic self‑realization. **In simple terms:** Faith pushes us to love beyond taught limits. Key Takeaway Embrace experiences that broaden love and self‑understanding. Themes spirituality love self‑actualization Mood hopeful inspirational Type religious philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - community building - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts Transcendence capacity for love Questions to Reflect On - What limits does your faith challenge? - How can you love those you find difficult? A Different Perspective Experiences may be misinterpreted as divine. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Capacity to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity-to-love/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Fullness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fullness/) [Fullness of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fullness-of-life/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Faith is more important to me than life itself because without it there would be no fullness of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/faith-is-more-important-to-me-than-life-itself-because-without-it/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Without fullness of experience, length of days is nothing. When fullness of life has been achieved, shortness of days is nothing. That is perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/without-fullness-of-experience-length-of-days-is-nothing-when/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [The fullness of life is incubated in its messy places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-dickinson/the-fullness-of-life-is-incubated-in-its-messy-places/) [Amy Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-dickinson/) > [I came to a clear conclusion, and it is a universal one: To live, to struggle, to be in love with life--in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/i-came-to-a-clear-conclusion-and-it-is-a-universal-one-to-live-to/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. 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It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/gratitude-unlocks-the-fullness-of-life-it-turns-what-we-have-into-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pray for and work for fullness of life above every thing; full red blood in the body; full honesty and truth in the mind;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/pray-for-and-work-for-fullness-of-life-above-every-thing-full-red/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [“May God grant your a great grace to live the fullness of life in the coming year.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/may-god-grant-your-a-great-grace-to-live-the-fullness-of-life-in-the/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Giving Thanks unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have, no matter how little, into more than enough. It turns denial into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-d-longoria-jr/giving-thanks-unlocks-the-fullness-of-life-it-turns-what-we-have-no/) [Raymond D. Longoria Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-d-longoria-jr/) > [Gratitude unlocks fullness of life. It imparts a sense of satisfaction and appreciation. In the meantime one should not forget that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/gratitude-unlocks-fullness-of-life-it-imparts-a-sense-of-satisfaction/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [But we have only begun to love the earth. We have only begun to imagine the fullness of life. How could we tire of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-levertov/but-we-have-only-begun-to-love-the-earth-we-have-only-begun-to/) [Denise Levertov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-levertov/) > [The fullness of life comes from an identity built on giving and on joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-fullness-of-life-comes-from-an-identity-built-on-giving-and-on-joy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/gratitude-unlocks-the-fullness-of-life-it-turns-what-we-have-into/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [Only gratefulness, in the form of limitless openness for surprise, lays hold of the fullness of life in hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steindl-rast/only-gratefulness-in-the-form-of-limitless-openness-for-surprise-lays/) [David Steindl-Rast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steindl-rast/) > [Gratefulness is that fullness of life for which we are all thirsting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steindl-rast/gratefulness-is-that-fullness-of-life-for-which-we-are-all-thirsting/) [David Steindl-Rast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steindl-rast/) ## More by John Shelby Spong > [The way that I see Christianity is that its role is to enhance the life of every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-way-that-i-see-christianity-is-that-its-role-is-to-enhance-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“When a human life is open to all that humanity can be, humanity and divinity flow together as one. It was and is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/when-a-human-life-is-open-to-all-that-humanity-can-be-humanity-and/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I don't see Jesus as rescuing the fallen; I see Jesus as expanding the potential of life. 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Does it build up or does it tear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/my-basis-of-morality-is-this-does-this-action-enhance-life-or-does-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I want the traditional family upheld, but I don't want it upheld to the detriment of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-want-the-traditional-family-upheld-but-i-don-t-want-it-upheld-to/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-live-in-a-very-pluralistic-society-today-there-are-buddhists/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Bible was written between 3,000 and 2,000 years ago, and it's filled with the knowledge that people had in that period of time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-was-written-between-3-000-and-2-000-years-ago-and-it-s/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We are in a survival mentality, and that's hard-wired into our humanity, because we are the winners of an evolutionary struggle of millions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-are-in-a-survival-mentality-and-that-s-hard-wired-into-our/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Some people think prayer stops bullets or rockets or land mines. It doesn't. That's magic, that's not God. Sometimes, you're just in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/some-people-think-prayer-stops-bullets-or-rockets-or-land-mines-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I know Jerry \[Falwell\] fairly well, and he's probably not bright enough to recognize all of the implications of what he said. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-know-jerry-falwell-fairly-well-and-he-s-probably-not-bright-enough/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Benedict XVI kept saying that homosexuals are deviant. They're not deviant. 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