--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we set our hearts on power, we…" description: "\"“When we set our hearts on power, we become hardened predators. We become like what we worship.94”\" — Timothy J. Keller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/timothy-j-keller-3733_predators_when-we-set-our-hearts-on-power-we-becom_3126545.jpg" --- # When we set our hearts on power, we become hardened… ![“When we set our hearts on power, we become hardened predators. We become like what we worship.94” quote by Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/timothy-j-keller-3733_predators_when-we-set-our-hearts-on-power-we-becom_3126545.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/timothy-j-keller-3733_predators_when-we-set-our-hearts-on-power-we-becom_3126545.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/timothy-j-keller-3733_predators_when-we-set-our-hearts-on-power-we-becom_3126545.jpg) > ““When we set our hearts on power, we become hardened predators. We become like what we worship.94”” [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pursuing power turns people into ruthless beings, mirroring what they idolize. **In simple terms:** Power corrupts and shapes us like our idols. Key Takeaway Beware of letting power define you. Themes power corruption identity morality Mood cautionary reflective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - politics - corporate leadership - personal ambition - spiritual growth Key Concepts psychology ethics human nature Questions to Reflect On - What values do you worship? - How does power change your behavior? A Different Perspective Power can also be used responsibly, not just corruptingly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hardened Predators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardened-predators-5512255/) [Like Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-worship-984968/) [Power Hardened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-hardened-5512256/) [Predators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predators/) [Predators Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predators-like-2452585/) ## Related quotes > [sexual predators were like cockroaches. For every one you saw, there were twenty more hiding behind the walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/sexual-predators-were-like-cockroaches-for-every-one-you-saw-there/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [Violent predators are not like the rest of us. They kill for fun, for sport, for the sake of it. To compare them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-estrich/violent-predators-are-not-like-the-rest-of-us-they-kill-for-fun-for/) [Susan Estrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-estrich/) > [“Cats, as any rational person knows, are solitary, opportunistic, ambush predators, much like spiders, but with fewer legs and a better fan club.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-l-howard/cats-as-any-rational-person-knows-are-solitary-opportunistic-ambush/) [Jonathan L. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-l-howard/) > ['Spiritual' sounds like you worship the grass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-lahren/spiritual-sounds-like-you-worship-the-grass/) [Tomi Lahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-lahren/) > [“We still worship what we want our lives to feel like more than we worship Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steele/we-still-worship-what-we-want-our-lives-to-feel-like-more-than-we/) [Mark Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steele/) > [“we become like that which we worship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-beale/we-become-like-that-which-we-worship/) [G.K. Beale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-beale/) > [We always become like the one we worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/we-always-become-like-the-one-we-worship/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [My music has a very spiritual background, a sanctity that is almost like worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/my-music-has-a-very-spiritual-background-a-sanctity-that-is-almost/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [I'm not a universalist, and the way I talk about final loss is this: People worship idols - money, whatever. Their humanness gets reshaped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/i-m-not-a-universalist-and-the-way-i-talk-about-final-loss-is-this/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [If we go into white congregations, non-whites will sometimes say it felt like worship never started. It was sort of dead and didn't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/if-we-go-into-white-congregations-non-whites-will-sometimes-say-it/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [“There is no question that spending time with God changes our desires. We always become like the one we worship. But it’s not because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/there-is-no-question-that-spending-time-with-god-changes-our-desires/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-become-like-what-you-worship-when-you-gaze-in-awe-admiration-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We must let God be Himself in us. This means that we must let Him be Himself in others too. We ought not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/we-must-let-god-be-himself-in-us-this-means-that-we-must-let-him-be/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [“When human beings give their heartfelt allegiance to and worship that which is not God, they progressively cease to reflect the image of God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/when-human-beings-give-their-heartfelt-allegiance-to-and-worship-that/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [I really like worship music. It settles my soul. Gets me back on track. The lyrics are almost like a prayer, so it's my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-benson/i-really-like-worship-music-it-settles-my-soul-gets-me-back-on-track/) [Jodi Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-benson/) ## More by Timothy J. Keller > [“The choice is ours. If we want to be sure to experience this vision by sight hereafter, we must know it by faith now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-choice-is-ours-if-we-want-to-be-sure-to-experience-this-vision-by/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“It is worth asking ourselves: Where am I saying “I can’t” but God is saying “You won’t”? Israel’s failure to obey was based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/it-is-worth-asking-ourselves-where-am-i-saying-i-can-t-but-god-is/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“The same sun that melts wax hardens clay.” In other words, what makes a life “good” is not a particular set of circumstances, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-same-sun-that-melts-wax-hardens-clay-in-other-words-what-makes-a/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Tremendous freedom comes when we can laugh at ourselves and whisper to him, "So! It's been you all along!" In some ways that day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/tremendous-freedom-comes-when-we-can-laugh-at-ourselves-and-whisper/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Is there anyone or anything that can separate me from Christ’s love for me? And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/is-there-anyone-or-anything-that-can-separate-me-from-christ-s-love/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Then, suddenly, the defense comes in with a new witness who can be proved to have been at the scene of the crime! The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/then-suddenly-the-defense-comes-in-with-a-new-witness-who-can-be/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“God’s call to his people (then and now) is to combine spirituality with bravery. True discipleship is radical and risk-taking, because true disciples rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/god-s-call-to-his-people-then-and-now-is-to-combine-spirituality-with/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“It needs to be said that faith-journeys are never simply intellectual exercises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/it-needs-to-be-said-that-faith-journeys-are-never-simply-intellectual/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“The only way to doubt Christianity rightly and fairly is to discern the alternate belief under each of your doubts and then to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-only-way-to-doubt-christianity-rightly-and-fairly-is-to-discern/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Paul is not saying that I must have nothing to do with the people and things of the world. Ironically, if I must have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/paul-is-not-saying-that-i-must-have-nothing-to-do-with-the-people-and/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Religion is not the place where the problem of man’s egotism is automatically solved. Rather, it is there that the ultimate battle between human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/religion-is-not-the-place-where-the-problem-of-man-s-egotism-is/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Atheists and agnostics ask for this kind of “proof” for God, but are not alone in holding to strong rationalism. Many Christians claim that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/atheists-and-agnostics-ask-for-this-kind-of-proof-for-god-but-are-not/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Without socially shared discovered meaning we have no basis for saying to somebody else: “You need to stop doing that!” Created meanings cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/without-socially-shared-discovered-meaning-we-have-no-basis-for/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Christianity does not agree with the optimistic thinkers who say, “We can fix things if we try hard enough.” Nor does it agree with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/christianity-does-not-agree-with-the-optimistic-thinkers-who-say-we/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Everything we know in this world is “contingent,” has a cause outside of itself. Therefore the universe, which is just a huge pile of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/everything-we-know-in-this-world-is-contingent-has-a-cause-outside-of/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) [Explore all 119 Timothy J. Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) ## More Predators quotes > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [“Predators seem beautifully 'designed' to catch prey animals, while the prey animals seem equally beautifully 'designed' to escape them. Whose side is God on?66”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/predators-seem-beautifully-designed-to-catch-prey-animals-while-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Heartless though it may seem to some, among the least harmful things to eat are sustainably culled wild animals. In the absence of natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristram-stuart/heartless-though-it-may-seem-to-some-among-the-least-harmful-things/) [Tristram Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristram-stuart/) > [“Predators the two were equals on different fronts. Alpha, and beta; wolves fed, fucked, and bled hard, and they lived up to the name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sai-marie-johnson/predators-the-two-were-equals-on-different-fronts-alpha-and-beta/) [Sai Marie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sai-marie-johnson/) > [“Deer needed predators to trim their numbers and keep them from destroying their environment, he said. To do away with predators such as wolves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-hampton/deer-needed-predators-to-trim-their-numbers-and-keep-them-from/) [Bruce Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-hampton/) > [Remove the predators, and the whole ecosystem begins to crash like a house of cards. As the sharks disappear, the predator-prey balance dramatically shifts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-skerry/remove-the-predators-and-the-whole-ecosystem-begins-to-crash-like-a/) [Brian Skerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-skerry/) > [Lawyers are predators in grey worsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-holt/lawyers-are-predators-in-grey-worsted/) [Tom Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-holt/) > [“If nothing else, I was a predator - and predators could sense fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jus-accardo/if-nothing-else-i-was-a-predator-and-predators-could-sense-fear/) [Jus Accardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jus-accardo/) > [When you hunt predators, the best camouflage is weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-vachss/when-you-hunt-predators-the-best-camouflage-is-weakness/) [Andrew Vachss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-vachss/) > [“Wolves attack the hindquarters of prey first, biting into the animal's meaty rump or ham. They stay away from the tendons near the hooves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-t-coleman/wolves-attack-the-hindquarters-of-prey-first-biting-into-the-animal-s/) [Jon T. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-t-coleman/) > [You can't imagine anything like nature as we know it without predators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/you-can-t-imagine-anything-like-nature-as-we-know-it-without-predators/) [Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/) > [“It is a maxim among carnivore biologists that the main reason big predators now die is because people kill them. People run them over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stolzenburg/it-is-a-maxim-among-carnivore-biologists-that-the-main-reason-big/) [William Stolzenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stolzenburg/) > [“All those postage-stamp front yards we used to have were reminders that we like clear spaces to see predators coming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-wilson/all-those-postage-stamp-front-yards-we-used-to-have-were-reminders/) [Daniel H. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-wilson/) > [“COVID-19 is the most feared of the human predators.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/covid-19-is-the-most-feared-of-the-human-predators/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“If you're outmatched, out-numbered, out-skilled, you'll run and live to fight another day." Lucky stopped jogging and pulled her close to him. He gently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-brumfield/if-you-re-outmatched-out-numbered-out-skilled-you-ll-run-and-live-to/) [Jami Brumfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-brumfield/) [Browse all 130 Predators quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predators/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When we set our hearts on power, we become hardened predators. We become like what we worship.94”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy J. 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