Book Quote by Max Lucado
““I believe in brevity. I believe that you, the reader, entrust me, the writer, with your most valued commodity—your time. I shouldn’t take more than my share. For that reason, I love the short sentence. Big-time game it is. Hiding in the jungle of circular construction and six-syllable canyons. As I write, I hunt. And when I find, I shoot. Then I drag the treasure out of the trees and marvel. Not all of my prey make their way into chapters. So what becomes of them? I save them. But I can’t keep them to myself. So, may I invite you to see my trophy case? What follows are cuts from this book and a couple of others. Keep the ones you like. Forgive the ones you don’t. Share them when you can. But if you do, keep it brief. Pray all the time. If necessary, use words. Sacrilege is to feel guilt for sins forgiven. God forgets the past. Imitate him. Greed I’ve often regretted. Generosity—never. Never miss a chance to read a child a story. Pursue forgiveness, not innocence. Be doubly kind to the people who bring your food or park your car. In buying a gift for your wife, practicality can be more expensive than extravagance. Don’t ask God to do what you want. Ask God to do what is right. Nails didn’t hold God to a cross. Love did.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Personal Reflections on Writing, 2023
Brevity respects the reader’s time, making communication clear and impactful.
In simple terms: Short writing respects time.
Write concisely, value readers.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- Emails
- social media posts
- teaching
- public speaking
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- When is detail more important than brevity?
- How can you balance depth and conciseness?
Too much brevity may oversimplify complex ideas.