--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If God were our one and only desire we…" description: "\"If God were our one and only desire we would not be so easily upset when our opinions do not find outside acceptance.\" — Thomas a Kempis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/thomas-a-kempis-721_acceptance_if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-w_450098.png" --- # If God were our one and only desire we would not be so… ![“If God were our one and only desire we would not be so easily upset when our opinions do not find outside acceptance.” quote by Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/thomas-a-kempis-721_acceptance_if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-w_450098.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/thomas-a-kempis-721_acceptance_if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-w_450098.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/thomas-a-kempis-721_acceptance_if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-w_450098.png) > “If God were our one and only desire we would not be so easily upset when our opinions do not find outside acceptance.” [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If divine desire were our sole aim, external approval would matter less, reducing emotional turmoil over disagreement. **In simple terms:** God‑centered desire eases need for approval. Key Takeaway Prioritize spiritual goals over external validation. Themes faith humility inner peace Mood contemplative serene Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - prayer - meditation - ethical decisions - conflict resolution Key Concepts Divine focus ego reduction Questions to Reflect On - How does your faith shape your need for approval? - Can you find peace without external validation? A Different Perspective Human nature still seeks social acceptance; isolation risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Godly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godly/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) ## Related quotes > [For me, I never want anyone outside of my immediate family and outside of me to have the power to alter the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romany-malco/for-me-i-never-want-anyone-outside-of-my-immediate-family-and-outside/) [Romany Malco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romany-malco/) > [People's opinions outside of my direct group of friends means next to nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/people-s-opinions-outside-of-my-direct-group-of-friends-means-next-to/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [We change our opinions of ourselves so often. What the outside world thinks is only a small part of our image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-simon/we-change-our-opinions-of-ourselves-so-often-what-the-outside-world/) [Carly Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-simon/) > [“How often have you found yourself truly moved to change, to choose a better path or make something right, because someone on the internet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/how-often-have-you-found-yourself-truly-moved-to-change-to-choose-a/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [The love of God it's all I desire. Because when I have love, I have everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalyn/the-love-of-god-it-s-all-i-desire-because-when-i-have-love-i-have/) [Magdalyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalyn/) > [I have always been told that Atlantis is worth living for. But what they don't see is that God is behind that desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daegus-43rd-king-of-atlantis/i-have-always-been-told-that-atlantis-is-worth-living-for-but-what/) Daegus (43rd King Of Atlantis > [Only when we can accept God as he is can we give up the desire for spiritual experiences that we can feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keating/only-when-we-can-accept-god-as-he-is-can-we-give-up-the-desire-for/) [Thomas Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keating/) > [“But of God you can never have a sufficiency. The more you have of God, the more you desire. If you could ever have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/but-of-god-you-can-never-have-a-sufficiency-the-more-you-have-of-god/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) > [Man is a hungry being. But he is hungry for God. Behind all the hunger of our life is God. All desire is finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-schmemann/man-is-a-hungry-being-but-he-is-hungry-for-god-behind-all-the-hunger/) [Alexander Schmemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-schmemann/) > [“God is my desire”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tolstoy-leo/god-is-my-desire/) Tolstoy, Leo > [When you attack the roots of sin, fix your thought more on the God you desire than on the sin you abhor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-hilton/when-you-attack-the-roots-of-sin-fix-your-thought-more-on-the-god-you/) [Walter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-hilton/) > [“So often you blame God for the life you have, but you do not know what life you want. Certainly there is a dilemma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-raphael-mcmanus/so-often-you-blame-god-for-the-life-you-have-but-you-do-not-know-what/) [Erwin Raphael McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-raphael-mcmanus/) > [One cannot completely get rid of the six passions: lust, anger, greed, and the like. Therefore one should direct them to God. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramakrishna/one-cannot-completely-get-rid-of-the-six-passions-lust-anger-greed/) [Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramakrishna/) > [If you don't feel like praying, pray to God to give you the desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-don-t-feel-like-praying-pray-to-god-to-give-you-the-desire/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“it is God’s desire that a clear map of the Divine Love Path becomes freely available to help guide souls through some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-aon-prakasha/it-is-god-s-desire-that-a-clear-map-of-the-divine-love-path-becomes/) [Padma Aon Prakasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-aon-prakasha/) ## More by Thomas a Kempis > [Have therefore zeal to better thyself and then mayst thou have zeal to thy neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/have-therefore-zeal-to-better-thyself-and-then-mayst-thou-have-zeal/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [And if thy heart be straight with God then every creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/and-if-thy-heart-be-straight-with-god-then-every-creature-shall-be-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Patience is necessary in this life because so much of life is fraught with adversity. No matter how hard we try, our lives will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/patience-is-necessary-in-this-life-because-so-much-of-life-is-fraught/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [To take no account of oneself, but always to think well and highly of others is the highest wisdom and perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/to-take-no-account-of-oneself-but-always-to-think-well-and-highly-of/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [It is easier not to speak a word at all than to speak more words than we should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/it-is-easier-not-to-speak-a-word-at-all-than-to-speak-more-words-than/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Be Yourself -The man who is neither bent upon pleasing his fellows nor afraid of offending them will enjoy great peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/be-yourself-the-man-who-is-neither-bent-upon-pleasing-his-fellows-nor/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“0 true and heavenly grace, without which our own merits are nothing, and our natural gifts of no account! Neither arts nor riches, beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/0-true-and-heavenly-grace-without-which-our-own-merits-are-nothing/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-would-endeavor-like-men-of-courage-to-stand-in-the-battle/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“No man safely goeth abroad who loveth not to rest at home. No man safely talketh but he who loveth to hold his peace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/no-man-safely-goeth-abroad-who-loveth-not-to-rest-at-home-no-man/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“Nature has a relish for knowing secrets and hearing news. It wishes to appear abroad and to have sense experiences. It wishes to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/nature-has-a-relish-for-knowing-secrets-and-hearing-news-it-wishes-to/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Love is watchful. Sleeping, it does not slumber. Wearied, it is not tired. Pressed, it is not straitened. Alarmed, it is not confused, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/love-is-watchful-sleeping-it-does-not-slumber-wearied-it-is-not-tired/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you bear the cross gladly, it will bear you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-bear-the-cross-gladly-it-will-bear-you/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will be worthy to receive greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/be-thankful-for-the-smallest-blessing-and-you-will-be-worthy-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you cast away one cross, you will certainly find another, and perhaps a heavier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-cast-away-one-cross-you-will-certainly-find-another-and/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Dispose thyself to patience rather than to comfort, and to the bearing of the cross rather than to gladness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/dispose-thyself-to-patience-rather-than-to-comfort-and-to-the-bearing/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) [Explore all 387 Thomas a Kempis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [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/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [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/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If God were our one and only desire we would not be so easily upset when our opinions do not find outside acceptance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas a Kempis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-would-not-be-so-easily-upset/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-would-not-be-so-easily-upset/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/thomas-a-kempis-721_acceptance_if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-w_450098.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/thomas-a-kempis-721_acceptance_if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-w_450098.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/thomas-a-kempis-721_acceptance_if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-w_450098.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If God were our one and only desire we would not be so easily upset when our opinions do not find outside…” — Thomas a Kempis", "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": "Thomas a Kempis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If God were our one and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-would-not-be-so-easily-upset/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-god-were-our-one-and-only-desire-we-would-not-be-so-easily-upset/#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 } } ] } ```