--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The choice before us is plain: Christ or…" description: "\"The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration.\" — Peter Marshall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/peter-marshall-10172_chaos_the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or_1894095.jpg" --- # The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction… ![“The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration.” quote by Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/peter-marshall-10172_chaos_the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or_1894095.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/peter-marshall-10172_chaos_the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or_1894095.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/peter-marshall-10172_chaos_the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or_1894095.jpg) > “The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration.” [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote frames moral choices as stark binaries, urging decisive commitment to order and faith. **In simple terms:** Choose clearly between order and chaos. Key Takeaway Commit to disciplined values over compromise. Themes morality choice discipline Mood serious inspirational Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - politics - personal life - leadership Key Concepts ethics spirituality decision theory Questions to Reflect On - What does “discipline” mean to you? - Can compromise coexist with conviction? A Different Perspective It ignores nuanced middle grounds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chaos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaos/) [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choice Plain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice-plain-2755302/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christ Chaos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-chaos-2345979/) [Compromise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise/) [Compromise Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise-discipline-2755303/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Disintegration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disintegration/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Plain Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plain-christ-2755301/) [Revival in america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revival-in-america/) ## Related quotes > [It is either Christ or chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lloyd-george/it-is-either-christ-or-chaos/) [David Lloyd George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lloyd-george/) > [The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about our rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or-chaos-conviction-or/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [Satan laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-chadwick/satan-laughs-at-our-toil-mocks-at-our-wisdom-but-trembles-when-we-pray/) [Samuel Chadwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-chadwick/) > [Whole days and weeks have I spent prostrate on the ground in silent or vocal prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-whitefield/whole-days-and-weeks-have-i-spent-prostrate-on-the-ground-in-silent/) [George Whitefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-whitefield/) > [If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-murray-m-cheyne/if-i-could-hear-christ-praying-for-me-in-the-next-room-i-would-not/) [Robert Murray M'Cheyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-murray-m-cheyne/) > [God's cause is committed to men; God commits Himself to men. Praying men are the vice-regents of God; they do His work and carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/god-s-cause-is-committed-to-men-god-commits-himself-to-men-praying/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [The Word of God represents all the possibilities of God as at the disposal of true prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-tappan-pierson/the-word-of-god-represents-all-the-possibilities-of-god-as-at-the/) [Arthur Tappan Pierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-tappan-pierson/) > [The greatest thing anyone can do for God or man is pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-d-gordon/the-greatest-thing-anyone-can-do-for-god-or-man-is-pray/) [S. D Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-d-gordon/) > [Oh brother, pray; in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer; rather neglect friends than not pray; rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bonar/oh-brother-pray-in-spite-of-satan-pray-spend-hours-in-prayer-rather/) [Andrew Bonar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bonar/) > [Out of a very intimate acquaintance with D.L. Moody, I wish to testify that he was a far greater pray-er than he was preacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-torrey/out-of-a-very-intimate-acquaintance-with-d-l-moody-i-wish-to-testify/) [R. A. Torrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-torrey/) > [Listening to God is far more important than giving Him your ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-laubach/listening-to-god-is-far-more-important-than-giving-him-your-ideas/) [Frank Laubach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-laubach/) > [Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ, if sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies; and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/oh-my-brothers-and-sisters-in-christ-if-sinners-will-be-damned-at/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Prayer is not a painful effort to gain from God help in the varying needs of life. Prayer is the desire to possess God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhu-sundar-singh/prayer-is-not-a-painful-effort-to-gain-from-god-help-in-the-varying/) [Sadhu Sundar Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhu-sundar-singh/) > [Our prayers lay the track down which God's power can come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/our-prayers-lay-the-track-down-which-god-s-power-can-come/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [Don't pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/don-t-pray-when-you-feel-like-it-have-an-appointment-with-the-lord/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) ## More by Peter Marshall > [Anarchism as a political philosophy seeks to dissolve all forms of authority and power, and if possible, wishes their complete abolition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/anarchism-as-a-political-philosophy-seeks-to-dissolve-all-forms-of/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [The true minister is in his pulpit not because he has chosen that profession as an easy means of livelihood, but because he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/the-true-minister-is-in-his-pulpit-not-because-he-has-chosen-that/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/small-deeds-done-are-better-than-great-deeds-planned/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [I am growing more and more aware that all too often we preachers aim at nothing and hit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/i-am-growing-more-and-more-aware-that-all-too-often-we-preachers-aim/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [Let us not fool ourselves - without Christianity, without Christian education, without the principles of Christ inculcated into young life, we are simply rearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/let-us-not-fool-ourselves-without-christianity-without-christian/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/may-we-think-of-freedom-not-as-the-right-to-do-as-we-please-but-as/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [Lord, where we are wrong, make us willing to change; where we are right, make us easy to live with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/lord-where-we-are-wrong-make-us-willing-to-change-where-we-are-right/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [I know that no business contract, no order or commercial consideration can ever be worth the happiness of one's home or the peace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/i-know-that-no-business-contract-no-order-or-commercial-consideration/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [Human nature must be changed if we are ever to have an end to war or to correct the wrong situations that make our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/human-nature-must-be-changed-if-we-are-ever-to-have-an-end-to-war-or/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [God does not leave us comfortless, but we have to be in dire need of comfort to know the truth of His promise. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/god-does-not-leave-us-comfortless-but-we-have-to-be-in-dire-need-of/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who have only interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/one-person-with-a-belief-is-equal-to-a-force-of-ninety-nine-who-have/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [“But," you may ask, "how can we forget the unkind things that are said...the cruel and unfair treatment one has received? How can we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/but-you-may-ask-how-can-we-forget-the-unkind-things-that-are-said-the/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [“longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: “that God governs in the affairs of man.” And if a sparrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/longer-i-live-the-more-convincing-proofs-i-see-of-this-truth-that-god/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [This is a day of little faith - of few convictions - a day when men seem to have no great causes and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/this-is-a-day-of-little-faith-of-few-convictions-a-day-when-men-seem/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [The measure of life is not its duration, but its donation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/the-measure-of-life-is-not-its-duration-but-its-donation/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) [Explore all 67 Peter Marshall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) ## More Chaos quotes > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [If I meet a wise person, I think, 'Yes, tell me more about parenting, about marriage, about how to stay in love. Tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/if-i-meet-a-wise-person-i-think-yes-tell-me-more-about-parenting/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [I love Derrick Brown for the surprise of one word waking up next to another. One moment tender, funny or romantic, the next, visceral,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/i-love-derrick-brown-for-the-surprise-of-one-word-waking-up-next-to/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/chaos-often-breeds-life-when-order-breeds-habit/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [There seems to be a kind of order in the universe…in the movement of the stars and the turning of the Earth and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/there-seems-to-be-a-kind-of-order-in-the-universe-in-the-movement-of/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [In the ring, there's not a lot of room for mistakes. You're in a place that is chaos, that is on fire. That ring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/in-the-ring-there-s-not-a-lot-of-room-for-mistakes-you-re-in-a-place/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“It was her chaos that made her beautiful. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atticus-poetry/it-was-her-chaos-that-made-her-beautiful/) [Atticus Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atticus-poetry/) > [What we should have done is kept the same team that played in the '95 World Series. Those trades (Eddie Murray & Carlos Baerga)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-belle/what-we-should-have-done-is-kept-the-same-team-that-played-in-the-95/) [Albert Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-belle/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Who’s to say that it takes something like a drug to mess with your perception of reality? How did Hitler deceive a nation? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/who-s-to-say-that-it-takes-something-like-a-drug-to-mess-with-your/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [And yet, I do believe there is ultimately meaning in the chaos, and also in the doldrums. What I resist is not the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/and-yet-i-do-believe-there-is-ultimately-meaning-in-the-chaos-and/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I came to think of myself, not as a dance and chaos of molecules, but as a brief and minute portion of that majestic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/i-came-to-think-of-myself-not-as-a-dance-and-chaos-of-molecules-but/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) [Browse all 2,640 Chaos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaos/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Marshall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or-chaos-conviction-or-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chaos" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or-chaos-conviction-or-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/peter-marshall-10172_chaos_the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or_1894095.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/peter-marshall-10172_chaos_the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or_1894095.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/peter-marshall-10172_chaos_the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or_1894095.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration.” — Peter Marshall", "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": "Peter Marshall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The choice before us is plain:...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or-chaos-conviction-or-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/the-choice-before-us-is-plain-christ-or-chaos-conviction-or-2/#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 } } ] } ```