--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we ask God to move a mountain, God…" description: "\"When we ask God to move a mountain, God may give us a shovel.\" — Shane Claiborne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/shane-claiborne-960_giving_when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-m_1458951.png" --- # When we ask God to move a mountain, God may give us a… ![“When we ask God to move a mountain, God may give us a shovel.” quote by Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/shane-claiborne-960_giving_when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-m_1458951.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/shane-claiborne-960_giving_when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-m_1458951.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/shane-claiborne-960_giving_when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-m_1458951.png) > “When we ask God to move a mountain, God may give us a shovel.” [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine assistance often arrives as practical tools rather than miracles. **In simple terms:** God gives us means, not just miracles. Key Takeaway Seek practical help, not just miracles. Themes faith practicality humility Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - personal crisis - community projects - spiritual growth Key Concepts theology grace resourcefulness Questions to Reflect On - What practical steps can you take today? - How do you recognize a 'shovel' in your life? A Different Perspective May overlook the need for personal effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ## Related quotes > [“The oddity of our existence is that we are capable of digging holes deeper than we are capable of getting ourselves out of. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-oddity-of-our-existence-is-that-we-are-capable-of-digging-holes/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Lions and Lambs, love and force, light and fire, good and evil: all things climb the same mountain, the mountain of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/lions-and-lambs-love-and-force-light-and-fire-good-and-evil-all/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [“Our problems could be higher than the mountain but the God we serve is the most high God, in Him all things are possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/our-problems-could-be-higher-than-the-mountain-but-the-god-we-serve/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [God is not remote from us. He is at the point of my pen, my (pick) shovel, my paint brush, my (sewing) needle -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/god-is-not-remote-from-us-he-is-at-the-point-of-my-pen-my-pick-shovel/) [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/) > [No matter who you are, you will be put abed at last with a shovel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/no-matter-who-you-are-you-will-be-put-abed-at-last-with-a-shovel/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [The shovel is the brother to the gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/the-shovel-is-the-brother-to-the-gun/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [That's what a story must feel like to me. It's not, "I want to write about a gravedigger." But you're walking along and -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/that-s-what-a-story-must-feel-like-to-me-it-s-not-i-want-to-write/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [If someone says "You're not doing that right," hand him the shovel, sit and watch. That's the right way to garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-macunovich/if-someone-says-you-re-not-doing-that-right-hand-him-the-shovel-sit/) [Janet Macunovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-macunovich/) > [Never doubt or question the power of love or one woman with a shovel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-newcomer/never-doubt-or-question-the-power-of-love-or-one-woman-with-a-shovel/) [Carrie Newcomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-newcomer/) > [Let every man shovel out his own snow and the whole city will be passable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/let-every-man-shovel-out-his-own-snow-and-the-whole-city-will-be/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Stick a shovel into the ground almost anywhere and some horrible thing or other will come to light. Good for trade, we thrive on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/stick-a-shovel-into-the-ground-almost-anywhere-and-some-horrible/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Leaders don't pray to God to fill their potholes. They ask God for shovels so they can do it by His grace. Pray practically.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-don-t-pray-to-god-to-fill-their-potholes-they-ask-god-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Sure the shovel and tongs To each other belongs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-lover/sure-the-shovel-and-tongs-to-each-other-belongs/) [Samuel Lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-lover/) > [Trudeau valued performance above image. He Knew he could give me a shovel if there was a mess to clean up, and he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-chretien/trudeau-valued-performance-above-image-he-knew-he-could-give-me-a/) [Jean Chretien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-chretien/) > [For 3 Million you could give everyone in Scotland a shovel, and we could dig a hole so deep we could hand her over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/for-3-million-you-could-give-everyone-in-scotland-a-shovel-and-we/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) ## More by Shane Claiborne > [“we can live without sex, but we cant live without love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-can-live-without-sex-but-we-cant-live-without-love/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We're not church planters. We are community planters and, as we work in our communities, we join local churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-re-not-church-planters-we-are-community-planters-and-as-we-work-in/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [There are some - called 'death fatigue' - people who just grow so tired of death, so they don't want to keep perpetuating death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/there-are-some-called-death-fatigue-people-who-just-grow-so-tired-of/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Every 70-year-old needs a young person in their lives to mentor, and every 20-year-old needs a senior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/every-70-year-old-needs-a-young-person-in-their-lives-to-mentor-and/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [I just have a more holistic sense of what it means to be for life, knowing that life does not just begin at conception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/i-just-have-a-more-holistic-sense-of-what-it-means-to-be-for-life/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [It's not that hard to say slavery is wrong after we've abolished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/it-s-not-that-hard-to-say-slavery-is-wrong-after-we-ve-abolished-it/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We think of justice sometimes as getting what you deserve, you know - what crime was committed and what is the punishment for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-think-of-justice-sometimes-as-getting-what-you-deserve-you-know/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Mother Theresa said it is not how much we give that is important but how much love you put into doing it. So it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/mother-theresa-said-it-is-not-how-much-we-give-that-is-important-but/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [No one has seen God, but as we love one another, God lives in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/no-one-has-seen-god-but-as-we-love-one-another-god-lives-in-us/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [“If you find yourself climbing the ladder of success, be careful or else on your way up you might pass Jesus on his way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/if-you-find-yourself-climbing-the-ladder-of-success-be-careful-or/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We need good laws, but no law can change a human heart - only God can do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-need-good-laws-but-no-law-can-change-a-human-heart-only-god-can-do/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We're remembering each other's heroes, too. We are learning each other's songs. We are reminding ourselves that we are a global family praying together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-re-remembering-each-other-s-heroes-too-we-are-learning-each-other/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [There is a certain power when old and young come together - we can do more together than we can on our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/there-is-a-certain-power-when-old-and-young-come-together-we-can-do/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [You can't really learn God's hope like you learn the logic of an argument or the details of a story. It's more like learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/you-can-t-really-learn-god-s-hope-like-you-learn-the-logic-of-an/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [“Clarence Jordan, co-founder of Koinonia Farm, wrote, “The Good News of the resurrection is not that we shall die and go home with him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/clarence-jordan-co-founder-of-koinonia-farm-wrote-the-good-news-of/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) [Explore all 319 Shane Claiborne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) ## More Giving quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [You've touched people and known it. You've touched people and never may know it. Either way, you have something to give. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/you-ve-touched-people-and-known-it-you-ve-touched-people-and-never/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [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/) > [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 > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I don't think my relationship with the idea of womanhood is that attached to giving birth... like, I'm fully aware that I'll never give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-harrison/i-don-t-think-my-relationship-with-the-idea-of-womanhood-is-that/) [Patti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-harrison/) [Browse all 39,303 Giving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we ask God to move a mountain, God may give us a shovel.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shane Claiborne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-may-give-us-a-shovel/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Giving" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-may-give-us-a-shovel/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/shane-claiborne-960_giving_when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-m_1458951.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/shane-claiborne-960_giving_when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-m_1458951.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/shane-claiborne-960_giving_when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-m_1458951.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When we ask God to move a mountain, God may give us a shovel.” — Shane Claiborne", "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": "Shane Claiborne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When we ask God to move...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-may-give-us-a-shovel/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/when-we-ask-god-to-move-a-mountain-god-may-give-us-a-shovel/#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 } } ] } ```