--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God, give us grace to accept with…" description: "\"God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_accepting_god-give-us-grace-to-accept-with-serenit_1734018.jpg" --- # God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that… ![“God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. This prayer was first printed in a monthly bulletin of the Federal Council of Churches and has become enormously…” quote by Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_accepting_god-give-us-grace-to-accept-with-serenit_1734018.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_accepting_god-give-us-grace-to-accept-with-serenit_1734018.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_accepting_god-give-us-grace-to-accept-with-serenit_1734018.jpg) > “God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. This prayer was first printed in a monthly bulletin of the Federal Council of Churches and has become enormously popular. It has been circulated in millions of copies.” [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A request for divine help to accept unchangeable circumstances, act on changeable ones, and gain discernment between them. **In simple terms:** Ask for acceptance, courage, and wisdom. Key Takeaway Seek balance between acceptance and action. Themes acceptance courage wisdom discernment Mood reflective hopeful Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - personal crisis - grief counseling - decision making - stress management Key Concepts theology psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - What situations require acceptance versus action? - How can you develop discernment? A Different Perspective May overlook the role of personal agency in change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage to change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-to-change/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Popularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Serenity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serenity/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-give-us-grace-to-accept-with-serenity-the-things-that-cannot-be-3/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that can be changed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-give-us-grace-to-accept-with-serenity-the-things-that-cannot-be-2/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-give-me-grace-to-accept-with-serenity-the-things-that-cannot-be/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [God, give us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-give-us-the-grace-to-accept-with-serenity-the-things-that-cannot/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [“Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/lord-grant-me-the-strength-to-accept-the-things-i-cannot-change-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-grant-me-the-serenity-to-accept-the-things-i-cannot-change-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [“God grant me the serenity to accept the things i can't change,the courage to change the things i can and the wisdom to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-schuller/god-grant-me-the-serenity-to-accept-the-things-i-can-t-change-the/) [Robert Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-schuller/) > [God grant me the strength to accept the things I can't change and the courage to change the things I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-grant-me-the-strength-to-accept-the-things-i-can-t-change-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; & wisdom to know the difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-grant-me-the-strength-to-accept-the-things-i-cannot-change/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It often takes more courage to change one's opinion than to keep it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willy-brandt/it-often-takes-more-courage-to-change-one-s-opinion-than-to-keep-it/) [Willy Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willy-brandt/) > [Pause and remember - Change will happen the moment you have the courage to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-young/pause-and-remember-change-will-happen-the-moment-you-have-the-courage/) [Jennifer Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-young/) > [“God, grant me the serenity to, accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serenity-prayer/god-grant-me-the-serenity-to-accept-the-things-i-cannot-change-2/) Serenity Prayer > [All it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage to change your life. - Benjamin Mee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/we-bought-a-zoo/all-it-takes-is-20-seconds-of-insane-courage-to-change-your-life/) We Bought A Zoo > [God grant me the serenity to except the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can & the wisdom to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-araujo-lil-p/god-grant-me-the-serenity-to-except-the-things-i-cannot-change/) Luis Araujo Lil-p > [“Happiness wasn't something you found, happiness was something you made-by living in the moment, by cherishing the people in your life right now, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kaye/happiness-wasn-t-something-you-found-happiness-was-something-you-made/) [Laura Kaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kaye/) ## More by Reinhold Niebuhr > [There are evidently limits to the achievements of science; and there are irresolvable contradictions both between prosperity and virtue, and between happiness and ''the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/there-are-evidently-limits-to-the-achievements-of-science-and-there/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Perhapsthemost sublimeinsights oftheJewishprophets and the Christian gospel is the knowledge that since perfection is love, the apprehension of perfection is at once the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/perhapsthemost-sublimeinsights-ofthejewishprophets-and-the-christian/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The essence of man is his freedom. Sin is committed in that freedom. Sin can therefore not be attributed to a defect in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-essence-of-man-is-his-freedom-sin-is-committed-in-that-freedom/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Liberalism makes this mistake in regard to private property and Marxism makes it in regard to socialized property... The Marxist illusion is partly derived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/liberalism-makes-this-mistake-in-regard-to-private-property-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Human beings are endowed by nature with both selfish and unselfish impulses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/human-beings-are-endowed-by-nature-with-both-selfish-and-unselfish/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [There are historic situations in which refusal to defend the inheritance of a civilization, however imperfect, against tyranny and aggression may result in consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/there-are-historic-situations-in-which-refusal-to-defend-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-grant-me-the-serenity-to-accept-the-things-i-cannot-change/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Freedom is necessary for two reasons. It's necessary for the individual, because the individual, no matter how good the society is, every individual has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/freedom-is-necessary-for-two-reasons-it-s-necessary-for-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The pretensions of final truth are always partlyan effort to obscure a darkly felt consciousness of the limits of human knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-pretensions-of-final-truth-are-always-partlyan-effort-to-obscure/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale-than-the-most-intimate/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Man is always worse than most people suspect, but also generally better than most people dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/man-is-always-worse-than-most-people-suspect-but-also-generally/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [When a church reaches up beyond its group and tries to enforce its standards upon a society that doesn't accept these standards, and perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/when-a-church-reaches-up-beyond-its-group-and-tries-to-enforce-its/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [...(I)ndividual selfhood is expressed in the self's capacity for self-transcendence and not in its rational capacity for conceptual and analytic procedures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/i-ndividual-selfhood-is-expressed-in-the-self-s-capacity-for-self/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The whole art of politics consists in directing rationally the irrationalities of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-whole-art-of-politics-consists-in-directing-rationally-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Religion is so frequently a source of confusion in political life, and so frequently dangerous to democracy, precisely because it introduces absolutes into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/religion-is-so-frequently-a-source-of-confusion-in-political-life-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) [Explore all 200 Reinhold Niebuhr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. This prayer was first printed in a monthly bulletin of the Federal Council of Churches and has become enormously popular. 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