Bigs Quote by Richard J. Foster
“The truth of the matter is, we all come to prayer with a tangled mass of motives altruistic and selfish, merciful and hateful, loving and bitter. Frankly, this side of eternity we will never unravel the good from the bad, the pure from the impure. God is big enough to receive us with all our mixture.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster, 1978
Human motives are mixed, both good and bad, yet divine acceptance embraces all.
In simple terms: People have mixed motives but God accepts them all.
Key Takeaway
Accept yourself despite contradictions.
Themes
spirituality
self‑acceptance
duality
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
spiritual
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal prayer
- counseling
- conflict resolution
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
theology
human nature
grace
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you reconcile conflicting motives?
- Can you experience acceptance without belief in a deity?
A Different Perspective
Assumes all accept divine acceptance, which may not be universally believed.
![“These illustrations suggest four general maxims[...]. The first is: remember that your motives are not always as altruistic as they seem to yourself. The second is: don't over-estimate your own merits. The third is: don't expect others to take as much interest in you as you do yourself. And the…” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f03/bertrand-russell-69_desire_these-illustrations-suggest-four-general_3090726.jpg)
![“The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before going in with [Larry] Holmes. That would have made all the difference.” quote by Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d63/gerry-cooney-20863_bigs_the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-m_1534.jpg)
