Parents learn the uses of power and its limits. They can insist on certain outward behavior but cannot change inner attitudes. They can require obedience but not goodness - and certainly not love.
Philip YanceyWhen I am tempted to complain about God's lack of presence, I remind myself that God has much more reason to complain about my lack of presence.
Philip YanceyOften, it seems, we're [Christians] perceived more as guilt dispensers than as grace dispensers.
Philip YanceyThe things, good Lord, that we pray for, give us the grace to labour for', as Sir Thomas More expressed it. The inner voice of prayer expresses itself naturally in action, just as the inner voice of my brain guides all my bodily actions.
Philip YanceyChristians fail to communicate to others because we ignore basic principles in relationship. When we make condescending judgments or proclaim lofty words that don't translate into action, or simply speak without first listening, we fail to love - and thus deter a thirsty world from Living Water. The good news about God's grace goes unheard.
Philip Yancey