It seems to me more important actually to share someones distress than to use smooth words about it.

Jesus himself did not try to convert the two thieves on the cross; he waited until one of them turned to him.

The gift of Christ is not the Christian religion, but the grace and love of God which culminate in the cross.

In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.

And if we ask how are we to know where our hearts are, the answer is just as simple - everything which hinders us from loving God above all things and acts as a barrier between ourselves and our obedience to Jesus is our treasure, and the place where our heart is.

If the heart is devoted to the mirage of the world, to the creature instead of the Creator, the disciple is lost... However urgently Jesus may call us, His call fails to find access to our hearts... for they have already been given to another.

Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening.