How's Your Soul? Quotes

“The more we live from heaven to earth—that is, the more we orient and adjust our lives to take eternity into account—the healthier and happier our souls will be.”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You

“Do you want to live an effective life? It’s not as complicated as some might say it is. First, yield to God, your Creator and your Father. Turn over control of your ways and your days to him. And second, receive from the community that God puts around you. It’s that simple. Stay surrendered and stay surrounded.”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You

“The problem isn’t lack of love. It’s impossible expectations. It’s the belief that our souls can find ultimate satisfaction and strength by anchoring themselves to another human soul. But person after person lets us down because their souls are hurting too. We tie ourselves to each other, then we both end up nearly drowned by the storms of life. We squabble and complain, “Why haven’t you saved me yet?” And the other yells back, “I don’t know! I thought you were going to help me!”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You

“If God started a work in you, you can be sure he intends to complete it. Your hang-ups and mess-ups don’t take him by surprise. At no point in the process does he say, “This is more than I expected. You are in worse shape than I thought. I’d better cut my losses and give up on you.”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You

“We aren't Christians because we live like Christians; we are Christians because we have accepted the gift of salvation. We have come to know God on an experiential, authentic level.”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything That Matters Starts With the Inside You

“In the journey of life, emotions make great companions but terrible leaders. But”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You

“But it doesn’t work that way. No matter how hard we study or work, no matter how early we wake up or how late we go to bed, ultimately time and chance happen to us all. We can’t guarantee anything. But God can. And only God can. When we remember that, a peace that passes understanding floods our souls. Quietness and rest are found not in control but in surrender.”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You

“An effective life is first and foremost a surrendered life.”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You

“So here are my questions and my appeal to you as we talk about a healthy soul. Are you intentional about your friends? Are they helping you? Do you fit together? Yes, I think we should live big. We should draw big circles, be inclusive, be forgiving, and be kind—but we can’t be intimate friends with all seven billion people on this planet. We can’t be close friends with a few thousand people. Probably not even a few hundred people. Realistically, we might be close, intimate friends with only a dozen people. Maybe a few more or a few less, depending on our individual capacities and personalities. So we had better choose those people intentionally, carefully, and prayerfully.”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You

“It’s far too easy to make life all about the outside me, the external me, the physical me. We fall into the trap that if we can be healthy, wealthy, popular, productive, and influential, then life will be good. So we throw ourselves into the chase, thinking that internal happiness will come from external success. If we just try hard enough, if we just wait long enough, if we just reach the next level, we will feel at peace.”
― Judah Smith, How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You