--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Flight from God always leads downward. It…" description: "\"“Flight from God always leads downward. It culminates not in the vivacious life we imagined but in what amounts only to stagnant sleep. It's why so man..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/tullian-tchividjian-1105_downward_flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it_2908917.jpg" --- # Flight from God always leads downward. It culminates not… ![“Flight from God always leads downward. It culminates not in the vivacious life we imagined but in what amounts only to stagnant sleep. It's why so many people seem to exist without ever really living. In fact, they aren't really living; they're only going through the motions—rarely if ever…” quote by Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/tullian-tchividjian-1105_downward_flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it_2908917.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/tullian-tchividjian-1105_downward_flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it_2908917.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/tullian-tchividjian-1105_downward_flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it_2908917.jpg) > ““Flight from God always leads downward. It culminates not in the vivacious life we imagined but in what amounts only to stagnant sleep. It's why so many people seem to exist without ever really living. In fact, they aren't really living; they're only going through the motions—rarely if ever experiencing the internal shalom they were designed to enjoy from God, because they're running from him.”” [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fleeing God leads to a stagnant, unfulfilling life lacking true inner peace. **In simple terms:** Running from God causes emptiness. Key Takeaway Seek God to find true peace. Themes spirituality purpose stagnation Mood contemplative hopeful Type motivational spiritual When to use this quote - daily routine - spiritual crisis - search for meaning Key Concepts theology existential emptiness Questions to Reflect On - What does “internal shalom” mean to you? - How might you confront fear of divine intimacy? A Different Perspective Living without God can still feel empty; faith alone isn’t a cure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Inspirational-religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-religious/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) ## Related quotes > [Mock the devil, and he will flee from thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/mock-the-devil-and-he-will-flee-from-thee/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-the-apostle/do-not-be-conformed-to-this-world-but-be-transformed-by-the-renewing-2/) [Paul the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-the-apostle/) > [Meekness is marked by silence in the face of abuse and infamy, by submission to God's way, which is higher than our way as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-raymond-edman/meekness-is-marked-by-silence-in-the-face-of-abuse-and-infamy-by/) [V. Raymond Edman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-raymond-edman/) > [In as much as Christ's mission was to bring all things into submission to God, and to restore not only humanity, but also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-walford/in-as-much-as-christ-s-mission-was-to-bring-all-things-into/) [John Walford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-walford/) > [As you submit your life to God, you will understand His will and walk in supernatural wisdom in every area of your life!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammykabyemera/as-you-submit-your-life-to-god-you-will-understand-his-will-and-walk/) [Sammykabyemera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammykabyemera/) > [Islam is nothing but man's exclusive and total submission to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abul-a-la-maududi/islam-is-nothing-but-man-s-exclusive-and-total-submission-to-god/) [Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abul-a-la-maududi/) > [There are no opposing forces of darkness or anything that would come against God's will for your life .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammykabyemera/there-are-no-opposing-forces-of-darkness-or-anything-that-would-come/) [Sammykabyemera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammykabyemera/) > [Submission to the Scriptures is submission to God. Rebellion against the Scriptures is rebellion against God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/submission-to-the-scriptures-is-submission-to-god-rebellion-against/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [People sometimes ask me if I do not feel lonely on holidays. How can I feel lonely when I live in the constant awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/people-sometimes-ask-me-if-i-do-not-feel-lonely-on-holidays-how-can-i/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [Sometimes I just sit still and enjoy God's presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/sometimes-i-just-sit-still-and-enjoy-god-s-presence/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [There is no better way to enjoy God's abundance than to share a meal together with people you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-osteen/there-is-no-better-way-to-enjoy-god-s-abundance-than-to-share-a-meal/) [Victoria Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-osteen/) > [The more we enjoy of God, the more we are ravished with delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/the-more-we-enjoy-of-god-the-more-we-are-ravished-with-delight/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/god-is-the-highest-good-of-the-reasonable-creature-the-enjoyment-of/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [“Our life should be enjoyed and we need to learn to find our calling and purpose, so that we can live it joyfully. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-robert-payne/our-life-should-be-enjoyed-and-we-need-to-learn-to-find-our-calling/) Matthew Robert Payne > [“God is the highest good of the reasonable creature, and the enjoyment of him is the only happiness with which our souls can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/god-is-the-highest-good-of-the-reasonable-creature-and-the-enjoyment/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) ## More by Tullian Tchividjian > [Grace is upside-down, to-do-list wrecking, scandalous and way-too free. It's one-way love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/grace-is-upside-down-to-do-list-wrecking-scandalous-and-way-too-free/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [“There is but one good,” C. S. Lewis writes in The Great Divorce; “that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/there-is-but-one-good-c-s-lewis-writes-in-the-great-divorce-that-is/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Once God saves us He doesn't move us beyond the gospel, but He moves us more deeply into the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/once-god-saves-us-he-doesn-t-move-us-beyond-the-gospel-but-he-moves/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [“An institution theoretically devoted to providing comfort to those in need (the church) is in trouble because it has embraced the same pressure cooker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/an-institution-theoretically-devoted-to-providing-comfort-to-those-in/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [A preacher who doesn't believe he's that bad will attract people who don't think they're that bad. And that's bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/a-preacher-who-doesn-t-believe-he-s-that-bad-will-attract-people-who/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Our assurance is anchored in the love and grace of God expressed in the glorious exchange: our sin for His righteousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/our-assurance-is-anchored-in-the-love-and-grace-of-god-expressed-in/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [I think for far too long the Church has concluded that Christians don't need the gospel, it's simple what non-Christian people need in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/i-think-for-far-too-long-the-church-has-concluded-that-christians-don/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [While our sin reaches far, God's grace reaches farther. God came after us not to strip away our freedom but to strip away our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/while-our-sin-reaches-far-god-s-grace-reaches-farther-god-came-after/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Jesus has done everything for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/jesus-has-done-everything-for-you/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [If you have suffered the loss of a family member to chronic disease, if you suffer debilitating seasons of depression, if you have lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/if-you-have-suffered-the-loss-of-a-family-member-to-chronic-disease/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Sanctification consists of the daily realization that in Christ we have died, and in Christ we have been raised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/sanctification-consists-of-the-daily-realization-that-in-christ-we/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [The ironic thing about legalism is that it not only doesn't make people work harder, it makes them give up. Moralism doesn't produce morality;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/the-ironic-thing-about-legalism-is-that-it-not-only-doesn-t-make/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [The good news of suffering is that it brings us to the end of ourselves - a purpose it has certainly served in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/the-good-news-of-suffering-is-that-it-brings-us-to-the-end-of/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [The Gospel is not ultimately a defense from pain, it is the message of God's rescue through pain. In fact, it allows us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/the-gospel-is-not-ultimately-a-defense-from-pain-it-is-the-message-of/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [God is inviting you today to appropriately grieve your pains and losses and to acknowledge the world is seriously broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/god-is-inviting-you-today-to-appropriately-grieve-your-pains-and/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) [Explore all 292 Tullian Tchividjian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) ## More Downward quotes > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [We have been so long in a downward spin, the angels are calling us up. We are meant to fly and with our spirits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/we-have-been-so-long-in-a-downward-spin-the-angels-are-calling-us-up/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Being against other people's policies eventually puts you in a downward spiral. It's fine to be principled and oppose views that you don't agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/being-against-other-people-s-policies-eventually-puts-you-in-a/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [Through incarnations, some beings do go down. That is to say, they forget. The soul falls into an eclipse of itself and there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/through-incarnations-some-beings-do-go-down-that-is-to-say-they/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [There was no time anymore to be quiet or still or pray. So, in many ways, that's what led to my downward spin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/there-was-no-time-anymore-to-be-quiet-or-still-or-pray-so-in-many/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [“do not fear the one who is up but for the downward for he stands a better chance of getting up and the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojoquotes/do-not-fear-the-one-who-is-up-but-for-the-downward-for-he-stands-a/) JojoQuotes > [No one can afford to look downward for his enjoyments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/no-one-can-afford-to-look-downward-for-his-enjoyments/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) > [“The basic principle is that the very things that can be your downfall in life can be used to raise yourself. If you simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/the-basic-principle-is-that-the-very-things-that-can-be-your-downfall/) [Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/) > [In actual life a downward movement may sometimes be made the beginning of an ascent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/in-actual-life-a-downward-movement-may-sometimes-be-made-the/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [So whether you do your first downward dog at 14 or 44, it’s not your history but your presence on your mat that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-pattabhi-jois/so-whether-you-do-your-first-downward-dog-at-14-or-44-it-s-not-your/) [K. Pattabhi Jois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-pattabhi-jois/) > [The point of conservatism is not that it prevents movement forward and upward, but that it prevents movement backward and downward, into chaotic darkness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/the-point-of-conservatism-is-not-that-it-prevents-movement-forward/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Comedy is a downward slicing sword sometimes, looking down and laughing at people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/comedy-is-a-downward-slicing-sword-sometimes-looking-down-and/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [From forty to fifty a man must move upward, or the natural falling off in the vigor of life will carry him rapidly downward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/from-forty-to-fifty-a-man-must-move-upward-or-the-natural-falling-off/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [“The way upward and the way downward are the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heraclitus/the-way-upward-and-the-way-downward-are-the-same/) [Heraclitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heraclitus/) > [Life is most delightful on the downward slope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/life-is-most-delightful-on-the-downward-slope/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) Browse all 57 Downward quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Flight from God always leads downward. It culminates not in the vivacious life we imagined but in what amounts only to stagnant sleep. It's why so many people seem to exist without ever really living. In fact, they aren't really living; they're only going through the motions—rarely if ever experiencing the internal shalom they were designed to enjoy from God, because they're running from him.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tullian Tchividjian" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it-culminates-not-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Downward" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it-culminates-not-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/tullian-tchividjian-1105_downward_flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it_2908917.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/tullian-tchividjian-1105_downward_flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it_2908917.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/tullian-tchividjian-1105_downward_flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it_2908917.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Flight from God always leads downward. It culminates not in the vivacious life we imagined but in what…” — Tullian Tchividjian", "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": "Tullian Tchividjian", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Flight from God always leads downward....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it-culminates-not-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/flight-from-god-always-leads-downward-it-culminates-not-in-the/#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 } } ] } ```