--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those kids would have accepted My Little…" description: "\"“Those kids would have accepted My Little Pony into their heart that day if it would have ended the chain saw sin massacre. The emotion they learned, t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/jon-acuff-8706_fear_those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little_675821.jpg" --- # Those kids would have accepted My Little Pony into their… ![“Those kids would have accepted My Little Pony into their heart that day if it would have ended the chain saw sin massacre. The emotion they learned, the threshold they had to cross that led to God, was raw fear. He’s terrifying. He wants to hurt you. He wants to cut you in half to remove your sin…” quote by Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/jon-acuff-8706_fear_those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little_675821.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/jon-acuff-8706_fear_those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little_675821.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/jon-acuff-8706_fear_those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little_675821.jpg) > ““Those kids would have accepted My Little Pony into their heart that day if it would have ended the chain saw sin massacre. The emotion they learned, the threshold they had to cross that led to God, was raw fear. He’s terrifying. He wants to hurt you. He wants to cut you in half to remove your sin. I think sometimes this happens because we want to take a shortcut to salvation for someone. We want them to be saved right this second and right this moment, and love can feel like it’s taking too long. Love is messy and slow. It unravels at God’s speed, not ours. Shame is faster. Fear is faster. And if the goal is to get them in the door, then fear becomes a pretty good method. To tell you the truth, terrifying someone into a relationship with God is also easier. Love makes us vulnerable. I have to throw myself out there and be honest and naked and open to getting rejected if love is what I give to you. But fear doesn’t require any of that. I can yell and scream and try to intimidate you without getting hurt or taking any real risks. Love is harder because it demands that I get personally involved in your life. Fear doesn’t carry those same requirements.”” [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage contrasts love and fear as methods of influencing belief, arguing that love requires vulnerability and patience while fear offers a quick, coercive shortcut to conversion. **In simple terms:** Love needs honesty and time; fear is fast and coercive. Key Takeaway Choose love over fear for lasting change. Themes faith relationships vulnerability conversion ethics Mood reflective serious Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - evangelism - counseling - personal growth - community building Key Concepts theology psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster genuine love in spiritual outreach? - What risks arise from using fear as a motivator? A Different Perspective Fear may achieve immediate results but often leads to resentment and shallow commitment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faster Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faster-fear-548440/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Faster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-faster-5356014/) [Getting hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-hurt/) [Long love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-love/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-fear/) [Pretty good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty-good/) [Relationship God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-god/) [Relationship with god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-with-god/) [Too long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-long/) ## Related quotes > [“Self-doubt can cripple a person faster than fear ever will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-perez/self-doubt-can-cripple-a-person-faster-than-fear-ever-will/) [Kathryn Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-perez/) > [I want to live faster, faster, faster! ... I fear that this desire to live always at high pressure is the presage of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-bashkirtseff/i-want-to-live-faster-faster-faster-i-fear-that-this-desire-to-live/) [Marie Bashkirtseff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-bashkirtseff/) > [Live a life with a long love and good health...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axeefec/live-a-life-with-a-long-love-and-good-health/) [Axeefec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axeefec/) > [As long as in love there is "you" and "me," love is not fully kindled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazrat-inayat-khan/as-long-as-in-love-there-is-you-and-me-love-is-not-fully-kindled/) [Hazrat Inayat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazrat-inayat-khan/) > [No one knows how long that love will last. its no ones fault if it ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-knows-how-long-that-love-will-last-its-no-ones-fault-if-it-ends/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is difficult to suddenly give up a long love. Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catullus/it-is-difficult-to-suddenly-give-up-a-long-love-difficile-est-longum/) [Catullus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catullus/) > [I'll live as long as you love me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/i-ll-live-as-long-as-you-love-me/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [You were never poor as long as you had something to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-were-never-poor-as-long-as-you-had-something-to-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume. The sweetest honey Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/these-violent-delights-have-violent-ends-and-in-their-triumph-die/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [For me, the cooking life has been a long love affair, with moments both sublime and ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/for-me-the-cooking-life-has-been-a-long-love-affair-with-moments-both/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [Whether humanity will consciously follow the law of love, I do not know. But that need not disturb me. The law will work just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whether-humanity-will-consciously-follow-the-law-of-love-i-do-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love no one but you, I have discovered, but you are far away and I am here alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-love-no-one-but-you-i-have-discovered-but-you-are-far-away-and-i-am/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [I wish sex could last as long as love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-willard/i-wish-sex-could-last-as-long-as-love/) [Fred Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-willard/) > [I don't care if its complicated, as long as we love each other, I'm content with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-care-if-its-complicated-as-long-as-we-love-each-other-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't care who you are,Where you from,As long as you love me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mks-vibz/i-don-t-care-who-you-are-where-you-from-as-long-as-you-love-me/) [Mks Vibz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mks-vibz/) ## More by Jon Acuff > [“The way you pass through the land of Learning is that you try a bunch of things. Fear would love for you to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/the-way-you-pass-through-the-land-of-learning-is-that-you-try-a-bunch/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“There is no in-between, just two extremes. That’s the land of noble obstacles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/there-is-no-in-between-just-two-extremes-that-s-the-land-of-noble/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“The real tragedy of a one-hit wonder is when someone succeeds once and then never tries again. No matter your circumstances, if you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/the-real-tragedy-of-a-one-hit-wonder-is-when-someone-succeeds-once/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“done, we will never work. There will always be one more amazing distraction. Our minds will do anything to avoid the challenge of focusing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/done-we-will-never-work-there-will-always-be-one-more-amazing/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“All you have to do is win more today than you did yesterday and repeat the whole thing tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/all-you-have-to-do-is-win-more-today-than-you-did-yesterday-and/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“In situations like that, all of your focus and energy need to be placed on the actions dial. You’ll have to dramatically increase your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/in-situations-like-that-all-of-your-focus-and-energy-need-to-be/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“If you’re watching Netflix every time it’s time for you to do X, that’s a hiding place. You’re afraid to face the fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/if-you-re-watching-netflix-every-time-it-s-time-for-you-to-do-x-that/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“To deal with our secret rules, we have to do three things: Identify them. Destroy them. Replace them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/to-deal-with-our-secret-rules-we-have-to-do-three-things-identify/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“perfectionism is a desperate attempt to live up to impossible standards. Perfectionism will do anything to protect those impossible standards. It can’t let you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/perfectionism-is-a-desperate-attempt-to-live-up-to-impossible/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“Cut your goal in half. Choose what you’ll bomb. Make it fun if you want it done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/cut-your-goal-in-half-choose-what-you-ll-bomb-make-it-fun-if-you-want/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“Your emotions cloud your judgment. They form a perfect smoke screen for denial, making your path in life feel murky and confusing. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/your-emotions-cloud-your-judgment-they-form-a-perfect-smoke-screen/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“Writers aren’t the only ones who use the first kind of noble obstacle. I know some guys who say they can’t work out until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/writers-aren-t-the-only-ones-who-use-the-first-kind-of-noble-obstacle/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“If you ever have to do a complicated, multistep explanation to say why what you’re doing is valuable, it probably isn’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/if-you-ever-have-to-do-a-complicated-multistep-explanation-to-say-why/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [Don't compare you beginning with someone Else's middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/don-t-compare-you-beginning-with-someone-else-s-middle/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“Hiding places are tricky like that. They make you feel like you’re doing well when in reality you’re not getting anywhere on your most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/hiding-places-are-tricky-like-that-they-make-you-feel-like-you-re/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) [Explore all 78 Jon Acuff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) [Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/) > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Those kids would have accepted My Little Pony into their heart that day if it would have ended the chain saw sin massacre. The emotion they learned, the threshold they had to cross that led to God, was raw fear. He’s terrifying. He wants to hurt you. He wants to cut you in half to remove your sin. I think sometimes this happens because we want to take a shortcut to salvation for someone. We want them to be saved right this second and right this moment, and love can feel like it’s taking too long. Love is messy and slow. It unravels at God’s speed, not ours. Shame is faster. Fear is faster. And if the goal is to get them in the door, then fear becomes a pretty good method. To tell you the truth, terrifying someone into a relationship with God is also easier. Love makes us vulnerable. I have to throw myself out there and be honest and naked and open to getting rejected if love is what I give to you. But fear doesn’t require any of that. I can yell and scream and try to intimidate you without getting hurt or taking any real risks. Love is harder because it demands that I get personally involved in your life. Fear doesn’t carry those same requirements.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Acuff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little-pony-into-their-heart-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fear" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little-pony-into-their-heart-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/jon-acuff-8706_fear_those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little_675821.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/jon-acuff-8706_fear_those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little_675821.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/jon-acuff-8706_fear_those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little_675821.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Those kids would have accepted My Little Pony into their heart that day if it would have ended the chain saw…” — Jon Acuff", "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": "Jon Acuff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Those kids would have accepted My...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little-pony-into-their-heart-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/those-kids-would-have-accepted-my-little-pony-into-their-heart-that/#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 } } ] } ```