--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: #1. Spend more time considering evidences…" description: "\"“#1. Spend more time considering evidences of grace in other Christians than you do pondering their sins and weaknesses. You, as a Christian, probably ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/thomas-brooks-2757_charity_1-spend-more-time-considering-evidences_2218560.jpg" --- # #1. Spend more time considering evidences of grace in… ![“#1. Spend more time considering evidences of grace in other Christians than you do pondering their sins and weaknesses. You, as a Christian, probably have a much greater ability to see weakness in other believers than to see strength. It is as if you use a magnifying glass when looking for…” quote by Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/thomas-brooks-2757_charity_1-spend-more-time-considering-evidences_2218560.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/thomas-brooks-2757_charity_1-spend-more-time-considering-evidences_2218560.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/thomas-brooks-2757_charity_1-spend-more-time-considering-evidences_2218560.jpg) > ““#1. Spend more time considering evidences of grace in other Christians than you do pondering their sins and weaknesses. You, as a Christian, probably have a much greater ability to see weakness in other believers than to see strength. It is as if you use a magnifying glass when looking for weakness and a telescope when looking for grace. Brooks warns, "Sin is darkness, grace is light; sin is hell, grace is heaven; and what madness is it to look more at darkness than at light, more at hell than at heaven." Indeed.”” [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Christians tend to focus on others’ flaws rather than their virtues, missing the light of grace. **In simple terms:** Look for grace, not just sin. Key Takeaway Seek strengths, not weaknesses. Themes faith grace judgment spirituality Mood contemplative hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - church counseling - personal reflection - teaching Key Concepts moral perception humility Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance grace and truth? - What practices reveal others’ strengths? A Different Perspective May overlook necessary correction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Charity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charity/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Get your evidences of grace by pressing forward to the mark, and not by groping with a lantern after the boundary lines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/get-your-evidences-of-grace-by-pressing-forward-to-the-mark-and-not/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [“In cities we will also meet a lot of people who hold to other religions or to no religion who are wiser, kinder, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/in-cities-we-will-also-meet-a-lot-of-people-who-hold-to-other/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“It is charity only in the sense of the original meaning of the word, the one that comes from charis, or grace. And for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-c-heath/it-is-charity-only-in-the-sense-of-the-original-meaning-of-the-word/) [Emily C. Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-c-heath/) > [There may be circumstances in this life that God uses to keep bringing us back to Him, looking for His grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/there-may-be-circumstances-in-this-life-that-god-uses-to-keep/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [I used to think that one day I'd be able to resolve the different drives I have in different directions, the tensions between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/i-used-to-think-that-one-day-i-d-be-able-to-resolve-the-different/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [“The throw truck driver and car-lot owner stood there, peering at us. Hier voice came through, muffled by the glass. ''You find what you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/the-throw-truck-driver-and-car-lot-owner-stood-there-peering-at-us/) [maggie stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [The trick is to begin looking for the grace hidden beneath the struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-trick-is-to-begin-looking-for-the-grace-hidden-beneath-the/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“You are the grace of my life So tender, so undeserved Hard to believe you're my wife Even harder to put what I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-littrell/you-are-the-grace-of-my-life-so-tender-so-undeserved-hard-to-believe/) [Brian Littrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-littrell/) > [“He was old-fashioned looking, Grace decided. Not just the suit, which made him look as though he should be taking the air in one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarra-manning/he-was-old-fashioned-looking-grace-decided-not-just-the-suit-which/) [Sarra Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarra-manning/) > [“The car was on the FDR drive now and, turning her head, she glanced out at the bleak brown buildings of the projects that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/the-car-was-on-the-fdr-drive-now-and-turning-her-head-she-glanced-out/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [People think racist abuse stops on the football pitch, but that's just the beginning. When you go home, you are still confronted with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/people-think-racist-abuse-stops-on-the-football-pitch-but-that-s-just/) [Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/) > [A ship's engine far away on the water expands the summer-night horizon. Both joy and sorrow swell in the dew's magnifying glass. Without really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-transtromer/a-ship-s-engine-far-away-on-the-water-expands-the-summer-night/) [Tomas Transtromer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-transtromer/) > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) ## More by Thomas Brooks > [Our sins are debts that none can pay but Christ. It is not our tears, but His blood; it is not our sighs, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/our-sins-are-debts-that-none-can-pay-but-christ-it-is-not-our-tears/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [Remember this-all the sighing, mourning, sobbing, and complaining in the world, does not so undeniably evidence a man to be humble, as his overlooking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/remember-this-all-the-sighing-mourning-sobbing-and-complaining-in-the/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [It is not he who knows most, nor he who hears most, nor yet he who talks most, but he who exercises grace most,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/it-is-not-he-who-knows-most-nor-he-who-hears-most-nor-yet-he-who/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [If it is not strong upon your heart to practice what you read, to what end do you read? To increase your own condemnation?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/if-it-is-not-strong-upon-your-heart-to-practice-what-you-read-to-what/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [An idle life and a holy heart is a contradiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/an-idle-life-and-a-holy-heart-is-a-contradiction/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [The two poles could sooner meet, than the love of Christ and the love of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/the-two-poles-could-sooner-meet-than-the-love-of-christ-and-the-love/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [Grace and glory differ very little; the one is the seed, the other is the flower; grace is glory militant, glory is grace triumphant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/grace-and-glory-differ-very-little-the-one-is-the-seed-the-other-is/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [It is our wisest and our safest course to stand at the farthest distance from sin; not to go near the house of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/it-is-our-wisest-and-our-safest-course-to-stand-at-the-farthest/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [Saints spring and thrive most internally, when they are most externally afflicted. 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Heavenly doctrines should always be adorned with a heavenly life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/a-preacher-s-life-should-be-a-commentary-upon-his-doctrine-heavenly/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [It is not the bee's touching of the flower that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon the flower that draws out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/it-is-not-the-bee-s-touching-of-the-flower-that-gathers-honey-but-her/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [“Meditate on the unique relationship between Christians. Psalm 133:1 proclaims the goodness and pleasantness of dwelling together in unity; there are some things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/meditate-on-the-unique-relationship-between-christians-psalm-133-1/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [God hears no more than the heart speaks; and if the heart be dumb, God will certainly be deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/god-hears-no-more-than-the-heart-speaks-and-if-the-heart-be-dumb-god/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [Truth is mighty and will prevail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/truth-is-mighty-and-will-prevail/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) [Explore all 151 Thomas Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) ## More Charity quotes > [The greatest charity you can contribute to is yourself. 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Ask about the scale of their dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-next-time-you-re-looking-at-a-charity-don-t-ask-about-the-rate-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/) F. A. Harper > [I shall pray God to send charity into this hideous world, and sympathy for the weak, and love for the unhappy and unfortunate. 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