--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can preach a better sermon with your…" description: "\"You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.\" — Oliver Goldsmith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/oliver-goldsmith-772_life_you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your_412297.png" --- # You can preach a better sermon with your life than with… ![“You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.” quote by Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/oliver-goldsmith-772_life_you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your_412297.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/oliver-goldsmith-772_life_you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your_412297.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/oliver-goldsmith-772_life_you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your_412297.png) > “You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.” [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living a virtuous life speaks louder than words. **In simple terms:** Actions convey moral lessons better than speech. Key Takeaway Model integrity through daily deeds. Themes morality behavior influence Mood thoughtful inspirational Type ethical practical When to use this quote - parenting - leadership - community service - politics - mentoring Key Concepts ethical philosophy leadership personal example Questions to Reflect On - What actions best reflect your values? - When is speaking more effective than acting? A Different Perspective Words still matter in certain contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lips/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sermon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermon/) ## Related quotes > [You preach a better sermon with your life than you do with your lips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your-life-than-you-do-with-your-lips/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, though he build his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-a-man-can-write-a-better-book-preach-a-better-sermon-or-make-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Sometimes I go back and listen to the very first day I went to church. I listen to that sermon all the time, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-covington/sometimes-i-go-back-and-listen-to-the-very-first-day-i-went-to-church/) [Robert Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-covington/) > [The sermon of your life in tough times ministers to people more powerfully than the most eloquent speaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bright/the-sermon-of-your-life-in-tough-times-ministers-to-people-more/) [Bill Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bright/) > [I feel like it's better to see a sermon lived than it is to hear one preached.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niecy-nash/i-feel-like-it-s-better-to-see-a-sermon-lived-than-it-is-to-hear-one/) [Niecy Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niecy-nash/) > [I want to live the next chapter in my life without my lips as my defining characteristic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-rinna/i-want-to-live-the-next-chapter-in-my-life-without-my-lips-as-my/) [Lisa Rinna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-rinna/) > [The sight of a drunkard is a better sermon against that vice than the best that was ever preached on that subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/the-sight-of-a-drunkard-is-a-better-sermon-against-that-vice-than-the/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [“Oh, Beloved, if we are called to preach, we must believe what we preach, or else we had better give it up!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haddon-spurgeon/oh-beloved-if-we-are-called-to-preach-we-must-believe-what-we-preach/) [Charles Haddon Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haddon-spurgeon/) > [Other men may preach the gospel better than I, but no man can preach a better gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-whitefield/other-men-may-preach-the-gospel-better-than-i-but-no-man-can-preach-a/) [George Whitefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-whitefield/) > [I know perfectly well that, wherever I go and preach, there are many better preachers ... than I am; all that I can say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-know-perfectly-well-that-wherever-i-go-and-preach-there-are-many/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [I believe that some of us who were kept by God a long while before we found Him love Him better perhaps than we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-believe-that-some-of-us-who-were-kept-by-god-a-long-while-before-we/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Practice what you preach, better yet, don't preach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/practice-what-you-preach-better-yet-don-t-preach/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man can preach no better than he prays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/a-man-can-preach-no-better-than-he-prays/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [“And when I kiss you, I swear I can taste the next sixty years of my life on your lips.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-e-parker/and-when-i-kiss-you-i-swear-i-can-taste-the-next-sixty-years-of-my/) [J.E. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-parker/) > [I have many problems in my life.. But, my lips doesnt know that.. It always smiles..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-have-many-problems-in-my-life-but-my-lips-doesnt-know-that-it/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## More by Oliver Goldsmith > [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [How happy he who crowns in shades like these, A youth of labour with an age of ease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/how-happy-he-who-crowns-in-shades-like-these-a-youth-of-labour-with/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [One man is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and the other with a wooden ladle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/one-man-is-born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-his-mouth-and-the-other-with-a/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack, For he knew when he pleas'd he could whistle them back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/he-cast-off-his-friends-as-a-huntsman-his-pack-for-he-knew-when-he/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Even children follow'd with endearing wile, And pluck'd his gown, to share the good man's smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/even-children-follow-d-with-endearing-wile-and-pluck-d-his-gown-to/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [The premises being thus settled, I proceed to observe that the concatenation of self-existence, proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate ratio, naturally produces a problematical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-premises-being-thus-settled-i-proceed-to-observe-that-the/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway, and fools, who came to scoff, remained to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/truth-from-his-lips-prevailed-with-double-sway-and-fools-who-came-to/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Politics resemble religion; attempting to divest either of ceremony is the most certain mode of bringing either into contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/politics-resemble-religion-attempting-to-divest-either-of-ceremony-is/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and convenience of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/to-what-fortuitous-occurrence-do-we-not-owe-every-pleasure-and/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Every acknowledgment of gratitude is a circumstance of humiliation; and some are found to submit to frequent mortifications of this kind, proclaiming what obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/every-acknowledgment-of-gratitude-is-a-circumstance-of-humiliation/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [ \[T\]here are depths of thousands of miles which are hidden from our inquiry. The only tidings we have from those unfathomable regions are by… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/t-here-are-depths-of-thousands-of-miles-which-are-hidden-from-our/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Like the bee, we should make our industry our amusement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/like-the-bee-we-should-make-our-industry-our-amusement/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Age, that lessens the enjoyment of life, increases our desire of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/age-that-lessens-the-enjoyment-of-life-increases-our-desire-of-living/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Thus let me hold thee to my heart, And every care resign: And we shall never, never part, My life-my all that's mine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/thus-let-me-hold-thee-to-my-heart-and-every-care-resign-and-we-shall/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Here lies David Garrick, describe me who can, An abridgment of all that was pleasant in man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/here-lies-david-garrick-describe-me-who-can-an-abridgment-of-all-that/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) [Explore all 375 Oliver Goldsmith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oliver Goldsmith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your-life-than-with-your-lips/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your-life-than-with-your-lips/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/oliver-goldsmith-772_life_you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your_412297.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/oliver-goldsmith-772_life_you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your_412297.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/oliver-goldsmith-772_life_you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your_412297.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.” — Oliver Goldsmith", "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": "Oliver Goldsmith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can preach a better sermon...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your-life-than-with-your-lips/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/you-can-preach-a-better-sermon-with-your-life-than-with-your-lips/#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 } } ] } ```