--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God doesn't want our efforts at…" description: "\"“God doesn't want our efforts at self-improvement. He wants our trust in his kindness toward us in Christ.”\" — Lydia Brownback" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/lydia-brownback-30988_kindness_god-doesn-t-want-our-efforts-at-self-imp_327741.jpg" --- # God doesn't want our efforts at self-improvement. He wants… ![“God doesn't want our efforts at self-improvement. He wants our trust in his kindness toward us in Christ.” quote by Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/lydia-brownback-30988_kindness_god-doesn-t-want-our-efforts-at-self-imp_327741.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/lydia-brownback-30988_kindness_god-doesn-t-want-our-efforts-at-self-imp_327741.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/lydia-brownback-30988_kindness_god-doesn-t-want-our-efforts-at-self-imp_327741.jpg) > ““God doesn't want our efforts at self-improvement. He wants our trust in his kindness toward us in Christ.”” [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) ## 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 trust in His kindness over personal self-improvement efforts. **In simple terms:** Trust God, not self-improvement. Key Takeaway Rely on divine kindness. Themes faith trust spirituality Mood hopeful reflective Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - spiritual doubt - seeking comfort Key Concepts Christian doctrine grace dependence Questions to Reflect On - How can trust and self-improvement coexist? - What does kindness mean in practice? A Different Perspective Self-improvement can be beneficial; trust alone may neglect growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Self improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-improvement/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [“Respect, trust, kindness the ingredients of a good relationship Freewheeling to Love”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-ire-o-leary/respect-trust-kindness-the-ingredients-of-a-good-relationship/) Máire O' Leary > [One day it's all going to be clear. It's all going to make sense. You're going to be able to say, "So that's why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/one-day-it-s-all-going-to-be-clear-it-s-all-going-to-make-sense-you/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/god-raised-us-up-with-christ-and-seated-us-with-him-in-the-heavenly/) [Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/) > [“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/but-god-being-rich-in-mercy-because-of-the-great-love-with-which-he/) [Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/) > [Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines him to bestow benefits upon the undeserving. It is a self-existent principle inherent in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/grace-is-the-good-pleasure-of-god-that-inclines-him-to-bestow-2/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [The kindness of Christmas is the kindness of Christ. To know that God so loved us as to give us His Son for our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maltbie-davenport-babcock/the-kindness-of-christmas-is-the-kindness-of-christ-to-know-that-god/) [Maltbie Davenport Babcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maltbie-davenport-babcock/) > [God wants you to trust him enough to be happy, even if it doesn't happen your way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-wants-you-to-trust-him-enough-to-be-happy-even-if-it-doesn-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only one thing I always wants to get is trust.,because it is year to earn than love and frienship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/the-only-one-thing-i-always-wants-to-get-is-trust-because-it-is-year/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [“The man who wants you to trust him is the one you must fear the most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-man-who-wants-you-to-trust-him-is-the-one-you-must-fear-the-most/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [When a guy is away from his girl,all he wants is her trust but on the girl's part,all she needs is his loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bakare/when-a-guy-is-away-from-his-girl-all-he-wants-is-her-trust-but-on-the/) [Bakare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bakare/) > [“Do you trust Arman, Highness?' 'Yes, but--' 'No buts. Either you trust Him or you don't.' Achan shifted in his chair. 'Maybe I don't,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-williamson/do-you-trust-arman-highness-yes-but-no-buts-either-you-trust-him-or/) [Jill Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-williamson/) > [It's not easy to trust in a God you can't see. That's why so many want God to prove himself so we can trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/it-s-not-easy-to-trust-in-a-god-you-can-t-see-that-s-why-so-many-want/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [“We don't always know why God allows trials. We do know He wants us to trust Him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-eileen-smith/we-don-t-always-know-why-god-allows-trials-we-do-know-he-wants-us-to/) Jill Eileen Smith > [“For whatever it's worth, I believe we're born imperfect, and perfection, whatever that may be, is unattainable by us mere humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-m-wiemer/for-whatever-it-s-worth-i-believe-we-re-born-imperfect-and-perfection/) [Liza M. Wiemer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-m-wiemer/) > [God's extravagant generosity toward us compels us to be extravagantly generous toward others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/god-s-extravagant-generosity-toward-us-compels-us-to-be-extravagantly/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) ## More by Lydia Brownback > [“Lord, I think I made a mess of things. So I am placing the whole situation in your hands. Do with it what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/lord-i-think-i-made-a-mess-of-things-so-i-am-placing-the-whole/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“We may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can change the way we think about them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/we-may-not-be-able-to-change-our-circumstances-but-we-can-change-the/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“Real trust isn't believing that God will do things as we expect he should; it is, rather, believing that whatever he does is good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/real-trust-isn-t-believing-that-god-will-do-things-as-we-expect-he/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“We will never find contentment—freedom from that angry feeling of unfairness—by getting the things that are rightfully ours. We will find it by letting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/we-will-never-find-contentment-freedom-from-that-angry-feeling-of/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“If we’re frustrated when the Internet is slow or excessively irritated by the full-basketed shopper in the express lane, then it’s pretty likely that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/if-we-re-frustrated-when-the-internet-is-slow-or-excessively/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“The only way to joy is to interpret our circumstances by God's Word rather than to judge God by our circumstances.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/the-only-way-to-joy-is-to-interpret-our-circumstances-by-god-s-word/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“Men and women have been hardwired with distinctive gender traits that, when working together, serve the human race and display the glory of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/men-and-women-have-been-hardwired-with-distinctive-gender-traits-that/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“When we turn life’s little pleasures into remedies for life’s troubles, we are setting up idols in our hearts, which actually push God aside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/when-we-turn-life-s-little-pleasures-into-remedies-for-life-s/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“Contentment does not lie around the next corner. It is not waiting for us on the other side of today’s difficulty, nor is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/contentment-does-not-lie-around-the-next-corner-it-is-not-waiting-for/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“God is glorified not by calling strong women but by giving His strength to weak women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/god-is-glorified-not-by-calling-strong-women-but-by-giving-his/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“Quit looking at your inability. Nothing is impossible with God, and you will find a clear path ahead if you look at him instead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/quit-looking-at-your-inability-nothing-is-impossible-with-god-and-you/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“However Santa is handled in your home, it provides an opportunity to teach children about wise words as they are exposed to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/however-santa-is-handled-in-your-home-it-provides-an-opportunity-to/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“We aren't going to choose paths of wisdom if we don't trust the One who has marked out those paths for us. Fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/we-aren-t-going-to-choose-paths-of-wisdom-if-we-don-t-trust-the-one/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“Our problem really isn’t that we need something we don’t have; our problem is that we don’t find God to be enough for us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/our-problem-really-isn-t-that-we-need-something-we-don-t-have-our/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) > [“Happiness, or contentment, comes from where we look and what we believe, not from what we have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-brownback/happiness-or-contentment-comes-from-where-we-look-and-what-we-believe/) [Lydia Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) [Explore all 17 Lydia Brownback quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-brownback/) ## More Kindness quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Each of our acts makes a statement as to our purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/each-of-our-acts-makes-a-statement-as-to-our-purpose/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father's eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/liesel-observed-the-strangeness-of-her-foster-father-s-eyes-they-were/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [Kindness unlocks doors that were thought to be closed forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/kindness-unlocks-doors-that-were-thought-to-be-closed-forever/) Unkown > [“You are very kind and very intelligent and those elements are not always found together. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-are-very-kind-and-very-intelligent-and-those-elements-are-not/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Grace is the wonderful spirit that imbues every fiber of our being when we practice the fruits of the spirit: kindness, patience, understanding, forgiveness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cayce/grace-is-the-wonderful-spirit-that-imbues-every-fiber-of-our-being/) [Edgar Cayce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cayce/) > [Praise will come to those whose kindness leaves you without debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-finn/praise-will-come-to-those-whose-kindness-leaves-you-without-debt/) [Neil Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-finn/) > [“A little bit of kindness goes a long way with women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/a-little-bit-of-kindness-goes-a-long-way-with-women/) [Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/) > [The smartest people are the ones who can bring a little bit of heaven to earth by using there kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isiahnunn/the-smartest-people-are-the-ones-who-can-bring-a-little-bit-of-heaven/) IsiahNunn > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) Talib al Habib > [“A man full of warm, speculative benevolence may wish his society otherwise constituted than he finds it; but a good patriot, and a true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-man-full-of-warm-speculative-benevolence-may-wish-his-society/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-f-we-are-going-to-be-kind-let-it-be-out-of-simple-generosity-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 6,600 Kindness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“God doesn't want our efforts at self-improvement. 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