Dietrich Bonhoeffer Quotes

Only the man who follows the command of Jesus single-mindedly, and unresistingly lets his yoke rest upon him, finds his burden easy, and under its gentle pressure receives the power to persevere in the right way. The command of Jesus is hard, unutterably hard, for those who try to resist it. But for those who willingly submit, the yoke is easy, and the burden is light.

Every day I get a choice. I can choose to go God's way or I can choose to go my own way or Satan's way or if I walk out of this door I don't know that I blame myself if my choice. .. because the bottom line is I want what I want what I want. ... People ask me what the greatest sin is. I feel the greatest sin is to want to be God: Pride, I want my own way. What it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ - give as much of yourself as you understand to as much of Jesus as you understand at that moment.

The bottom line in the Christian life is obedience and most people don't even like the word.

We should be recklessly abandoned to Jesus, and just turn it over to Him. Through the support I think the sacrifices will be made and we'll all be cool with it.

May it please Christ our Lord to grant us true humility and abnegation of will and judgment, so that we may deserve to begin to be His disciples.

Conversion is a complete surrender to Jesus. It's a willingness to do what he wants you to do.

Laying my will down for Jesus was laying my life down for others.

It never cost a disciple anything to follow Jesus; to talk about cost when you are in love with anyone is an insult.

The question each of us must answer is ... What shall I do with Jesus? He Himself has provided us the answer: "Follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do"

I belong to Jesus. He must have the right to use me without consulting me.

We are at Jesus' disposal. If he wants you to be sick in bed, if he wants you to proclaim His work in the street, if he wants you to clean the toilets all day, that's all right, everything is all right. We must say, "I belong to you. You can do whatever you like." And this ..is our strength, and this is the joy of the Lord.

My prayer for you is that you come to understand and have the courage to answer Jesus' call to you with the simple word 'yes'.

Jesus does not demand great actions from us, but simply surrender and gratitude.

Jesus says if you want to have me, you must give up that other thing that has you.

Carrying the cross does mean following in Jesus' footsteps. And in His footsteps are rejection, brokenheartedness, persecution and death. There are not two Christs - an easy going one for easy going Christians, and a suffering one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are we willing to follow His lead?

To follow Jesus implies that we enter into a way of life that is given character and shape and direction by the one who calls us. To follow Jesus means picking up rhythms and ways of doing things that are often unsaid but always derivative from Jesus, formed by the influence of Jesus. To follow Jesus means that we can't separate what Jesus is saying from what Jesus is doing and the way that he is doing it. To follow Jesus is as much, or maybe even more, about feet as it is about ears and eyes" (The Way of Jesus, Eugene H. Peterson, 22).

God clarifies in the midst of obedience, not beforehand.

When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden.

Be still, and know that I am God. We must not interpret that 'Be still' in a sentimental manner. Some regard it as a kind of exhortation to us to be silent; but it is nothing of the sort. It means, 'Give up -or 'Give in' and admit I am God'. God is addressing people who are opposed to Him.

Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.

To allow God to be God we must follow Him for who He is and what He intends, and not for what we want and what we prefer.

Jesus' call to commitment is clear: He wants all or nothing.

Being in command means making tough decisions. Not being in command means shutting up and doing what you're told. --Artemis Fowl

As you submit your wills to God, you are giving Him the only thing you can actually give Him that is really yours to give. Don't wait too long to find the altar or to begin to place the gift of your wills upon it! No need to wait for a receipt; the Lord has His own special ways of acknowledging.

Sometimes God allows us to explore the 'whys' of His instructions. Other times He wants us to obey 'because He said so.' Has God asked you to obey in a specific matter that still awaits your obedient response?