--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I begin with confession not in order to…" description: "\"I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable, rather to call to mind a reality I often ignore. When I acknowledge where I stand before a perf..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/philip-yancey-840_acknowledge_i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to_86286.png" --- # I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable… ![“I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable, rather to call to mind a reality I often ignore. When I acknowledge where I stand before a perfect God, it restores the true state of the universe. Confession simply establishes the proper ground rules of creatures relating to their creator.” quote by Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/philip-yancey-840_acknowledge_i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to_86286.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/philip-yancey-840_acknowledge_i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to_86286.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/philip-yancey-840_acknowledge_i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to_86286.png) > “I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable, rather to call to mind a reality I often ignore. When I acknowledge where I stand before a perfect God, it restores the true state of the universe. Confession simply establishes the proper ground rules of creatures relating to their creator.” [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that honest self‑examination before a higher authority restores alignment with reality and establishes proper relational foundations. **In simple terms:** Confession resets perspective. Key Takeaway Honesty with God reorients life. Themes spirituality humility self‑awareness theology truth Mood reverence reflection peace Type theological insight reflective quote When to use this quote - sermons - spiritual retreats - personal journaling - theological studies Key Concepts confession relationship with creator cosmic order Practical Applications - guiding believers toward authentic prayer - teaching the value of self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does "true state of the universe" imply for daily living? - How does confession differ from mere regret? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/) [Creator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creator/) [Ground rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ground-rules/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [Christianity did not begin with a confession. It began with an invitation into friendship, into creating a new community, into forming relationships based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-butler-bass/christianity-did-not-begin-with-a-confession-it-began-with-an/) [Diana Butler Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-butler-bass/) > [To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/to-all-my-nonbelieving-sort-of-believing-and-used-to-be-believing/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [I don't care if you're playing backyard football, having a dinner party or dropping off the kids at your Mom's house, there have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/i-don-t-care-if-you-re-playing-backyard-football-having-a-dinner/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [No citizen of this nation is worthy of the name unless he bears unswerving loyalty to the system under which he lives, the system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-citizen-of-this-nation-is-worthy-of-the-name-unless-he-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Oh, I should probably set a few ground rules before we do this.” “Oh?” I turn at the waist and look at him curiously.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/oh-i-should-probably-set-a-few-ground-rules-before-we-do-this-oh-i/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) > [Our global institutional arrangements - the basic ground rules that govern our world economy - are human-made. They don't exist naturally, nor are they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/our-global-institutional-arrangements-the-basic-ground-rules-that/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [What we say here every day is that our success is really based on our members' success, our community's success. We've created an infrastructure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-omidyar/what-we-say-here-every-day-is-that-our-success-is-really-based-on-our/) [Pierre Omidyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-omidyar/) > [Revision has its own peculiar pleasures and its own peculiar frustrations. The ground rules are already established; the characters already exist. You don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-seth/revision-has-its-own-peculiar-pleasures-and-its-own-peculiar/) [Vikram Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-seth/) > [Parents must lay down ground rules for their children to help them to grow up and to learn responsibility for their actions. They must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rae/parents-must-lay-down-ground-rules-for-their-children-to-help-them-to/) [Charlotte Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rae/) > [Though editorialists at The New York Times and The Washington Post still don't get it, most Democrats in Congress finally do: Today's trade disputes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/though-editorialists-at-the-new-york-times-and-the-washington-post/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [Usually when reporting on powerful public figures, the press advisor and I would have had a conversation that established what journalists call 'ground rules,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/usually-when-reporting-on-powerful-public-figures-the-press-advisor/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [I use the rules to frustrate the law. But I didn't set up the ground rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lee-bailey/i-use-the-rules-to-frustrate-the-law-but-i-didn-t-set-up-the-ground/) [F. Lee Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lee-bailey/) > [I learned that if you're going to move in with a friend, it's important to establish ground rules immediately so there aren't any misunderstandings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinsley-mortimer/i-learned-that-if-you-re-going-to-move-in-with-a-friend-it-s/) [Tinsley Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinsley-mortimer/) > [Professionalism is environmental. Amateurism is anti environmental. Professionalism merges the individual into patterns of total environment. Amateurism seeks the development of the total awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/professionalism-is-environmental-amateurism-is-anti-environmental-2/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Even if we remain flexible, we need ground rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horst-seehofer/even-if-we-remain-flexible-we-need-ground-rules/) [Horst Seehofer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horst-seehofer/) ## More by Philip Yancey > [“God reproduces and lives out His image in millions of ordinary people like us. It is a supreme mystery. We are called to bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/god-reproduces-and-lives-out-his-image-in-millions-of-ordinary-people/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Love deems this world worth rescuing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/love-deems-this-world-worth-rescuing/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [People instinctively know the difference between something done with a profit motive and something done with a love motive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/people-instinctively-know-the-difference-between-something-done-with/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [In a nutshell, the Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22 tells the story of a God reckless with desire to get his family back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/in-a-nutshell-the-bible-from-genesis-3-to-revelation-22-tells-the/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [You can know the law by heart without knowing the heart of it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/you-can-know-the-law-by-heart-without-knowing-the-heart-of-it/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“I have marveled at, and sometimes openly questioned, the self-restraint God has shown throughout history, allowing the Genghis Khans and the Hitlers and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-have-marveled-at-and-sometimes-openly-questioned-the-self-restraint/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [C. S. Lewis observed that almost all crimes of Christian history have come about when religion is confused with politics. Politics, which always runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/c-s-lewis-observed-that-almost-all-crimes-of-christian-history-have/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Having spent time around "sinners" and also around purported saints, I have a hunch why Jesus spent so much time with the former group:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/having-spent-time-around-sinners-and-also-around-purported-saints-i/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [We preach sermons, write books on apologetics, conduct city-wide evangelistic campaigns. For those alienated from the church, that approach no longer has the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/we-preach-sermons-write-books-on-apologetics-conduct-city-wide/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Jesus reserved his hardest words for the hidden sins of hypocrisy, pride, greed and legalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-reserved-his-hardest-words-for-the-hidden-sins-of-hypocrisy/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“What greater gift could Christians give to the world than the forming of a culture that upholds grace and forgiveness?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/what-greater-gift-could-christians-give-to-the-world-than-the-forming/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“For us who are Christians, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof positive that love is stronger than hate, that life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/for-us-who-are-christians-the-death-and-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [It's easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you've heard everything before and that you have nothing left to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/it-s-easy-to-fall-into-the-trap-of-feeling-like-you-ve-heard/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) [Explore all 351 Philip Yancey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) ## More Acknowledge quotes > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) Frank B. Wilderson III > [I'm a Christian because Christianity names and addresses sin. It acknowledges the reality that the evil we observe in the world is also present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-m-a-christian-because-christianity-names-and-addresses-sin-it/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [The only way to ease our fear and be truly happy is to acknowledge our fear and look deeply at its source. Instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-way-to-ease-our-fear-and-be-truly-happy-is-to-acknowledge/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/on-thanksgiving-day-we-acknowledge-our-dependence/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [You can't go into games with any fear. You can acknowledge a good team but you can't go in worrying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/you-can-t-go-into-games-with-any-fear-you-can-acknowledge-a-good-team/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [Conservative feminism is such an artificial term that doesn't mean much to me. For me conservatism means accepting reality. I acknowledge that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-schroder/conservative-feminism-is-such-an-artificial-term-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Kristina Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-schroder/) > [We must acknowledge that bearing and raising children is not some pesky, peripheral activity that we engage in, but the whole point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-maushart/we-must-acknowledge-that-bearing-and-raising-children-is-not-some/) [Susan Maushart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-maushart/) > [When we pray, we must begin by conceiving God in full and vigorous images, but we must go on to acknowledge the inadequacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-farrer/when-we-pray-we-must-begin-by-conceiving-god-in-full-and-vigorous/) [Austin Farrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-farrer/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Actually, when I look at my old notebooks, I think I have been a bit self-indulgent and have given myself too much time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/actually-when-i-look-at-my-old-notebooks-i-think-i-have-been-a-bit/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I would like, then, to end by putting in a good word for the non-industrious poor. At least they aren’t hurting anyone. Insofar as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/i-would-like-then-to-end-by-putting-in-a-good-word-for-the-non/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [No one seriously doubts Socrates' maxim: The unexamined life isn't worth living. Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-burton/no-one-seriously-doubts-socrates-maxim-the-unexamined-life-isn-t/) [Robert A. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-burton/) > [As objects of contemplation, images of the atrocious can answer to several different needs. To steel oneself against weakness. To make oneself more numb.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/as-objects-of-contemplation-images-of-the-atrocious-can-answer-to/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [It is in the measure that special methods acknowledge their common core in transcendental method, that norms common to all the sciences will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lonergan/it-is-in-the-measure-that-special-methods-acknowledge-their-common/) [Bernard Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lonergan/) > [I can hear of the brilliant accomplishments of any of my sex with pleasure and rejoice in that liberality of sentiment which acknowledges them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/i-can-hear-of-the-brilliant-accomplishments-of-any-of-my-sex-with/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) Browse all 1,475 Acknowledge quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable, rather to call to mind a reality I often ignore. When I acknowledge where I stand before a perfect God, it restores the true state of the universe. Confession simply establishes the proper ground rules of creatures relating to their creator.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Yancey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to-feel-miserable-rather-to-call/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acknowledge" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to-feel-miserable-rather-to-call/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/philip-yancey-840_acknowledge_i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to_86286.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/philip-yancey-840_acknowledge_i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to_86286.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/philip-yancey-840_acknowledge_i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to_86286.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable, rather to call to mind a reality I often ignore…” — Philip Yancey", "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": "Philip Yancey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I begin with confession not in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to-feel-miserable-rather-to-call/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to-feel-miserable-rather-to-call/#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 } } ] } ```