The Three Ordinary Voices of God Quotes

“We allow ourselves to become confused and distracted by all the other voices in this world. These other voices drown out the quiet voice within us that God uses to direct the daily activity of our lives if we agree to follow his lead.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Death comes to us all, sooner or later. We don’t know when, but we know for certain that it will come. And when it comes it will care nothing for your fame, wealth, education, achievements, possessions, connections, or power.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“On the other hand, when we encounter the underbelly of humanity and life, we yearn to share our pain and suffering. When we are touched by hardship, violence, betrayal, illness, natural disaster, loneliness, addiction—we don’t want someone to tell us what we should have done differently, or the mistakes we have made, or recount the times we ignored their advice. What we desire is to be able to sit down with a friend, or perhaps a small group of companions, to share with them the way that evil has touched or encroached upon our life this day. All we seek in return is for that person or people to say, “We see you. We hear you. We are with you. We care. You are worthy.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Your feelings aren’t good or bad, they are just messengers. Learning to listen to these messages is a powerful way to increase knowledge of self and improve relationships. Take fear, for example. Fear is a very useful emotion. God speaks to us through it primarily to keep us safe. God speaks to us through fear when we get too close to a steep fall. Anger is a very useful emotion too. It may be God pointing out an injustice. Your emotional needs are vast and varied, and they change in different seasons of your life. They include friendship, community, intimacy, and opportunities to love and be loved.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“The first ordinary voice of God is: need. If you don’t eat, you will die. It may take a few days, but if you don’t eat you will soon die. You have a legitimate need for food. Who gave you that need? If you don’t breathe, you will die even faster. You have a legitimate need for air to breathe. Who gave you that need? If you don’t sleep, you will go crazy. Literally insane. Who gave you that need? These are the simplest ways to understand that we all have legitimate needs.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“God, which talent do you want me to focus on in this season of my life?”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“You can mis-live your life. Most people never consider it as a possibility, but it’s true. We assume that all lives are well-lived. It isn’t true. We deceive ourselves. The disturbing truth is you don’t even need to do something significantly egregious. You can do it in the most mundane and ordinary ways. All it takes is the consistent application of mediocrity, laziness, procrastination, self-centeredness, and materialism.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“People often ask, “What do you think I should do with my life?” We almost always ask the wrong person. It is a question best directed toward God in prayer.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“People who don’t know what they want are dangerous. People who want everything are dangerous. People who want the wrong things are dangerous. And people who want the right things for the wrong reasons are dangerous. The world needs people who want the right things for the right reasons.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Yes, there are desires that emerge within us unbidden, but once they emerge, we get to choose what comes next.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Here’s another example. What do you love about your body? If you ask most people this question, they will first think about what they don’t like about their body, and then to answer the question they will say my eye color, my height, my curves, my face, my smile, etc. But what are any of these compared to the ability to see? Or the ability to feel?”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Many people believe they have no talents. It isn’t true. The first truth is: You have abundant talents. The reality is that God has given you so many talents that you cannot fully exercise even one of your talents in this lifetime. Fully exercise. Not even one. In your lifetime. That’s why it’s essential that we turn to God from time to time and say, “Hey, God. What talent do you want me to focus on now? This year? For this stage or season of my life?”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Loving Father, I invite you into my life today and make myself available to you. Help me to become the-best-version-of-myself by seeking your will and becoming a living example of your love in the world. Open my heart to the areas of my life that need to change in order for me to carry out the mission and experience the joy you have imagined for my life. Inspire me to live the Catholic faith in ways that are dynamic and engaging. Show me how to best get involved in the life of my parish. Make our community hungry for best practices and continuous learning. Give me courage when I am afraid, hope when I am discouraged, and clarity in times of decision. Teach me to enjoy uncertainty and lead your Church to become all you imagined it would be for the people of our times. Amen.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Emotional starvation, while not life threatening, does have symptoms. For some of us, emotional starvation can lead to radical mood swings, for others to general lethargy, for others yet, to anger, bitterness, and resentment. The heart suffers and the body cries out. Most of all, emotional starvation leads to distortions in our character and prevents us from becoming the-best-version-of-ourselves.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“The best way to explore the scope of our needs is through the four aspects of the human person: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“We make horrible decisions: big ones, small ones, and medium-size horrible decisions too. Why? It’s not because we are stupid or incapable of making good choices. It’s because we don’t live in the wisdom we have already acquired. Once we wander away from that wisdom, we get stuck in the quicksand of selfishness and the fear of missing out. The other reason we make poor choices is because we don’t engage God in the conversation. Once we exclude our principal advisor and wisest counselor, it’s too easy to get dragged down by the quagmire of everyone else’s feelings. And once we start making decisions based on our feelings or other people’s feelings, we are without a doubt the man who built his house on sand.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Our true humanity is realized through acts of kindness, empathy, compassion, generosity and service to others. Only by exploring our profound interconnectedness are we able to fully experience what it means to be human.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“God goes to heroic lengths to guide, warn, coach, and direct his children. Not just in the past, but here and now, today.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Listening to God is an act of hopeful expectation. Listening to God requires an open heart…Listening to God is an act of surrender: Will you listen?”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“1. Find the right setting for the conversation. 2. Face the speaker and maintain regular eye contact. 3. Let go of your agenda. 4. Don’t interrupt. 5. Listen without judging. 6. Don’t try to guess what the other person is going to say. 7. Resist the temptation to reach a conclusion before the person is finished. 8. Don’t start planning what to say next while the other person is still speaking. 9. Don’t impose your opinions. 10. Listen to the whole person by being aware of non-verbal cues. 11. Stay focused. 12. Ask questions.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Who am I? What am I here for? Where am I going? What matters most? What matters least?”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“You’re the thirteen-year-old girl thinking of doing something that will alter her life in ways she cannot begin to imagine. It will reshape how she thinks about herself, it will change the way she speaks to herself, it will impact her mental health and her physical health—but she is too young to see any of that.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“God speaks to every single person every single day using three ordinary voices: needs, talents, and desires. He speaks to us in the depths of our souls.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“Your life speaks whether you let it or not. Your actions speak and your inaction speaks. The only choice you have in this matter surrounds this question: What is your life saying to the world?”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God

“You can mis-live your life. The disturbing truth is you don’t even need to do something significantly egregious. You don’t need to become a drug addict or murder someone to mis-live your life. You can do it in the most mundane and ordinary ways. It can happen so subtly that the people around you wouldn’t even notice, because you have most likely surrounded yourself with people mis-living their lives in exactly the same ways. All it takes is the consistent application of mediocrity, laziness, procrastination, obsession with material possessions, and self-centeredness.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Three Ordinary Voices of God