--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have learned that faith means trusting…" description: "\"I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse.\" — Philip Yancey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/philip-yancey-840_faith_i-have-learned-that-faith-means-trusting_197584.png" --- # I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what… ![“I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse.” quote by Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/philip-yancey-840_faith_i-have-learned-that-faith-means-trusting_197584.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/philip-yancey-840_faith_i-have-learned-that-faith-means-trusting_197584.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/philip-yancey-840_faith_i-have-learned-that-faith-means-trusting_197584.png) > “I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse.” [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. Faith involves trusting future outcomes that only become clear when looking back. **In simple terms:** Faith is trusting ahead, even if only later it makes sense. Key Takeaway Trust the process, even without immediate clarity. Themes faith trust paradox spirituality Mood hopeful contemplative Type inspirational theological When to use this quote - personal decisions - life challenges - spiritual growth - uncertain projects Key Concepts theology psychology future orientation Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle uncertainty in faith? - When have you seen meaning emerge in hindsight? A Different Perspective Blind trust can lead to disappointment if outcomes are negative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-means/) [I have learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-have-learned/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Learned Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-faith-2005985/) [Make sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-sense/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Means Trusting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-trusting-644501/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Reverse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverse/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Trusting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trusting/) ## Related quotes > [I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will make sense only in reverse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-have-learned-that-faith-means-trusting-in-advance-what-will-make/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [I have learned to have more faith in the scientist than he does in himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sarnoff/i-have-learned-to-have-more-faith-in-the-scientist-than-he-does-in/) [David Sarnoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sarnoff/) > [Empowering women means trusting them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/empowering-women-means-trusting-them/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Fearless means trusting your instincts and clarity of thought. Once you have made up your mind, don't be scared of what if.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shastri/fearless-means-trusting-your-instincts-and-clarity-of-thought-once/) [Ravi Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shastri/) > [“Faith doesn’t mean checking your brain at the door of every church or throwing all you think you know out some stained-glass window. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-coffey/faith-doesn-t-mean-checking-your-brain-at-the-door-of-every-church-or/) [Billy Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-coffey/) > [“Sometimes love means trusting people to make their own decisions. In other words, shutting up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/sometimes-love-means-trusting-people-to-make-their-own-decisions-in/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“Faith means I chose not to know, which is different than ignorance which refuses to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/faith-means-i-chose-not-to-know-which-is-different-than-ignorance/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I was introduced to the church through my parents but I had to struggle and find it on my own. In the end I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carter-cash/i-was-introduced-to-the-church-through-my-parents-but-i-had-to/) [John Carter Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carter-cash/) > [I was wondering if any of my faith was real at all, and I started to let go of a lot of things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-mineo/i-was-wondering-if-any-of-my-faith-was-real-at-all-and-i-started-to/) [Andy Mineo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-mineo/) > [I learned that you have to have faith in the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-anderson/i-learned-that-you-have-to-have-faith-in-the-music/) [Christine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-anderson/) > [I learned that faith isn’t about knowing all of the right stuff or obeying a list of rules. 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It’s something more, something more costly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/i-learned-that-faith-isn-t-about-knowing-all-of-the-right-stuff-or-2/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [I learned that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaka/i-learned-that-it-is-faith-that-decides-whether-something-will-happen/) [Kaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaka/) > [“Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-will-only-make-sense-in-reverse/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [True self-reliance does not mean reliance on one's physical strength; it means reliance on something mightier, something which is less perishable... It means trusting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-paramananda/true-self-reliance-does-not-mean-reliance-on-one-s-physical-strength/) [Swami Paramananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-paramananda/) ## 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. 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When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/) [Matt Morris (1](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-morris-1/) > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. 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