God and Soul Care Quotes

“A theologian of glory, he explained, “prefers works to suffering, glory to the cross, strength to weakness, wisdom to folly, and, in general, good to evil” (in Lull, p. 58); that is, he or she still desires worldly fame and success, just hidden under the cloak of religion. A theologian of the cross, by contrast, recognizes that “God can be found only in suffering and the cross” (p. 58). Luther knew from personal experience that sin’s deceptiveness is such that it comes to take up residence in our best thoughts and deeds, even in our pursuit of God and his glory.”
― Eric L. Johnson, God and Soul Care: The Therapeutic Resources of the Christian Faith

“From these sources we find out that he is the greatest being there is: transcendent and supremely majestic, perfectly loving and perfectly righteous, the unlimited, all-knowing, and all-powerful Creator and Redeemer, the unfathomable source of goodness, truth, beauty, and love. The corollary of this revelation is, of course, that we are not this being. We can look pretty important, compared to rocks, trees, and cows. But compared to the greatest being there is—and the source of all that is other than himself—we realize that we are actually profoundly insignificant, situated in one place and time, with extremely limited abilities and skills, and vulnerable to sickness, injury, and eventual death. Perspective is so important.”
― Eric L. Johnson, God and Soul Care: The Therapeutic Resources of the Christian Faith