--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The call to self-emptying will always be…" description: "\"“The call to self-emptying will always be unpopular to those whose pockets and closets are full. What”\" — Kevin J. Vanhoozer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/kevin-j-vanhoozer-57668_unpopular_the-call-to-self-emptying-will-always-be_3136919.jpg" --- # The call to self-emptying will always be unpopular to… ![“The call to self-emptying will always be unpopular to those whose pockets and closets are full. What” quote by Kevin J. Vanhoozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/kevin-j-vanhoozer-57668_unpopular_the-call-to-self-emptying-will-always-be_3136919.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/kevin-j-vanhoozer-57668_unpopular_the-call-to-self-emptying-will-always-be_3136919.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/kevin-j-vanhoozer-57668_unpopular_the-call-to-self-emptying-will-always-be_3136919.jpg) > ““The call to self-emptying will always be unpopular to those whose pockets and closets are full. What”” [Kevin J. Vanhoozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-vanhoozer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self-emptying (humility) is unpopular among those who are materialistic and comfortable; it challenges ego-driven lifestyles. **In simple terms:** Humility is unpopular with materialistic people. Key Takeaway Practice humility despite societal pressure. Themes humility materialism ego spirituality Mood thoughtful challenging Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - church leadership - ethical decision making - public speaking Key Concepts theology self-denial social critique Questions to Reflect On - What does self-emptying look like in daily life? - How can communities support humility? A Different Perspective May be too abstract for practical application. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Emptying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emptying-726937/) [Emptying Unpopular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emptying-unpopular-5572576/) [Self Emptying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-emptying-5572578/) [Unpopular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpopular/) [Unpopular Pockets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpopular-pockets-5572577/) ## Related quotes > [Humility is a priceless virtue; however, it takes a lot of self-emptying to cultivate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ugwu-eneja/humility-is-a-priceless-virtue-however-it-takes-a-lot-of-self/) [Michael Ugwu Eneja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ugwu-eneja/) > [What can be sustained and repeated without emptying out?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-peacock/what-can-be-sustained-and-repeated-without-emptying-out/) [Jan Peacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-peacock/) > [If ever you feel God is taking away something from your hand, don't get sad. He is only emptying it so you can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-ever-you-feel-god-is-taking-away-something-from-your-hand-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The sage governs by emptying senses and filling bellies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-sage-governs-by-emptying-senses-and-filling-bellies/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“Satisfaction comes from emptying ourselves into things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/satisfaction-comes-from-emptying-ourselves-into-things/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [we learn the process of emptying out, cleaning house, both within and without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-shoshanna/we-learn-the-process-of-emptying-out-cleaning-house-both-within-and/) [Brenda Shoshanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-shoshanna/) > [Fullness of joy is discovered only in the emptying of will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/fullness-of-joy-is-discovered-only-in-the-emptying-of-will/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“emptying out of my mother's belly was my first act of disappearance learning to shrink for a family who likes their daughters invisible was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/emptying-out-of-my-mother-s-belly-was-my-first-act-of-disappearance/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [I literally do not pick up my phone until I have done my full routine for myself, because if I start catering and emptying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doechii/i-literally-do-not-pick-up-my-phone-until-i-have-done-my-full-routine/) [Doechii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doechii/) > [“As we trust the Lord, we start “emptying” ourselves with things that tie us or entangle us in order to be filled by God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yilda-rivera/as-we-trust-the-lord-we-start-emptying-ourselves-with-things-that-tie/) [Yilda Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yilda-rivera/) > [“The soft-spoken words fell off the side of the bed, emptying to the floor like powder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/the-soft-spoken-words-fell-off-the-side-of-the-bed-emptying-to-the/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [She was not one for emptying her face of expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-was-not-one-for-emptying-her-face-of-expression/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Emptying yourself of your best work isn’t just about checking off tasks on your to-do list; it’s about making steady, critical progress each day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-henry/emptying-yourself-of-your-best-work-isn-t-just-about-checking-off/) [Todd Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-henry/) > [“Only by emptying ourselves out before God will we find fullness within ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-deturris-poust/only-by-emptying-ourselves-out-before-god-will-we-find-fullness/) [Mary DeTurris Poust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-deturris-poust/) > [My new work deals with emptying my body: 'Boat emptying, stream entering.' This means that you have to empty the body/boat to the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/my-new-work-deals-with-emptying-my-body-boat-emptying-stream-entering/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) ## More by Kevin J. Vanhoozer > [“It is well known that Pentecost reverses Babel. The people who built the tower of Babel sought to make a name, and a unity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-j-vanhoozer/it-is-well-known-that-pentecost-reverses-babel-the-people-who-built/) [Kevin J. Vanhoozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-vanhoozer/) > [“Public theology is first and foremost a reaction against the tendency to privatize the faith, restricting it to the question of an individual’s salvation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-j-vanhoozer/public-theology-is-first-and-foremost-a-reaction-against-the-tendency/) [Kevin J. Vanhoozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-vanhoozer/) > [“Pastor-theologians should not have to choose between a “social” and a “spiritual” gospel, for there is only one gospel (Gal. 1:6–7), “an eternal gospel”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-j-vanhoozer/pastor-theologians-should-not-have-to-choose-between-a-social-and-a/) [Kevin J. Vanhoozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-vanhoozer/) > [“The truth is that there is a world of difference between looking beautiful and being beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-j-vanhoozer/the-truth-is-that-there-is-a-world-of-difference-between-looking/) [Kevin J. Vanhoozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-vanhoozer/) > [“For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Rom. 13:1). God”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-j-vanhoozer/for-there-is-no-authority-except-from-god-and-those-that-exist-have/) [Kevin J. Vanhoozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-vanhoozer/) [Explore all 6 Kevin J. Vanhoozer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-vanhoozer/) ## More Unpopular quotes > [People who are not prepared to do unpopular things and defy the clamor of the multitude are not fit to be ministers in time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/people-who-are-not-prepared-to-do-unpopular-things-and-defy-the/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Well I think that what we're seeing now is that the people feel like they, the people in Congress don't have their consent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/well-i-think-that-what-we-re-seeing-now-is-that-the-people-feel-like/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I think that people who stand up for what they believe in, no matter how unpopular, should be celebrated, not cast aside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-lancaster/i-think-that-people-who-stand-up-for-what-they-believe-in-no-matter/) [Craig Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-lancaster/) > [I am not concerned about getting reelected. I can make the unpopular but necessary decision. Your focus from day one is on your legacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benigno-aquino-iii/i-am-not-concerned-about-getting-reelected-i-can-make-the-unpopular/) [Benigno Aquino III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benigno-aquino-iii/) > [The more unpopular politicians are, the better people think it is to have a monarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bradford/the-more-unpopular-politicians-are-the-better-people-think-it-is-to/) [Sarah Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bradford/) > [Trump in particular was such an unpopular candidate, because he's so anti communities of color, and we're a minority majority state, are you kidding?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-lujan-grisham/trump-in-particular-was-such-an-unpopular-candidate-because-he-s-so/) [Michelle Lujan Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-lujan-grisham/) > [I figured it is always better to be unpopular by your own choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-upton/i-figured-it-is-always-better-to-be-unpopular-by-your-own-choice/) [Tom Upton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-upton/) > [Without question the most unpopular medium of musical sound in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/without-question-the-most-unpopular-medium-of-musical-sound-in-the/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I make unpopular versions of popular things. I make a horror film and it's not a horror film. None of my genre movies function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/i-make-unpopular-versions-of-popular-things-i-make-a-horror-film-and/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [“I don't usually read popular books. Because I know how powerful promotion can be. Most of the time, the great books are hidden from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/i-don-t-usually-read-popular-books-because-i-know-how-powerful/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [A society in which people feel they have a legitimate right to stop someone expressing their views on campus simply because they are unfashionable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-gyimah/a-society-in-which-people-feel-they-have-a-legitimate-right-to-stop/) [Sam Gyimah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-gyimah/) > [I didn't mind being unpopular at school, because everyone else was a heathen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-didn-t-mind-being-unpopular-at-school-because-everyone-else-was-a/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I was incredibly unpopular in high school but also extremely notorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grimes/i-was-incredibly-unpopular-in-high-school-but-also-extremely-notorious/) [Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grimes/) > [I am not eccentric. It's just that I am more alive than most people. I am an unpopular electric eel set in a pond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-sitwell/i-am-not-eccentric-it-s-just-that-i-am-more-alive-than-most-people-i/) [Edith Sitwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-sitwell/) > [The Founding Fathers provided a way to reverse unpopular Supreme Court decisions: a constitutional amendment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-baucus/the-founding-fathers-provided-a-way-to-reverse-unpopular-supreme/) [Max Baucus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-baucus/) [Browse all 209 Unpopular quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpopular/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The call to self-emptying will always be unpopular to those whose pockets and closets are full. What”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kevin J. 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