182 Quotes by Bob Goff

Quit waiting for a plan; just go love everybody. (Quote Meaning)

Stand up like a mountain; have faith like a rock; love like an avalanche (Meaning)

Every day God invites us on the same kind of adventure. It's not a trip where He sends us a rigid itinerary, He simply invites us. God asks what it is He's made us to love, what it is that captures our attention, what feeds that deep indescribable need of our souls to experience the richness of the world He made. And then, leaning over us, He whispers, "Let's go do that together.

Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won't have a title until much later.

Don't let not knowing how it'll end keep you from beginning. Uncertainty chases us out into the open where God is waiting.

God never said He'd eliminate all of the chaos from our lives; He just said He'd bring meaning to it.

Selfless love is always costly; fear can't afford it, pride doesn't understand it and friends never forget it.

Being engaged is a way of doing life, a way of living and loving. (Quote Meaning)

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No one leads people to Jesus; He leads people to Himself. All the pressure's off; just go love everybody without agenda.

Instead of closing our eyes and bowing our heads, sometimes God wants us to keep our eyes open for people in need, do something about it, and bow our whole lives to Him instead.

We won't be distracted by comparison if we are captivated with purpose. (Meaning)

The way we love people we disagree with is the best evidence of what we really believe.

That's what love does - it pursues blindly, unflinchingly, and without end. When you go after something you love, you'll do anything it takes to get it, even if it costs everything.

I once heard somebody say that God had closed a door on an opportunity they had hoped for. But I've always wondered if when we want to do something that we know is right and good, God places that desire deep in our hearts because He wants it for us and it honors Him. Maybe there are times when we think a door has been closed and, instead of misinterpreting the circumstances, God wants us to kick it down. Or perhaps just sit outside of it long enough until somebody tells us we can come in.

God pursues us into whatever dark place we've landed and behind whatever locked door holds us in. He holds our unwashed and dirty hands and models how He wants us to pursue each other And He says to ordinary people like me and you that instead of closing our eyes and bowing our heads, sometimes God wants us to keep our eyes open for people in need, do something about it, and bow our whole lives to Him instead.

Courage doesn't mean we're not afraid anymore, it just means our actions aren't controlled by our doubts.

The teachers I've learned the most from, didn't think they were teaching me; they just thought we were friends.

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Failure is just part of the process, and it's not just okay; it's better than okay. God doesn't want failure to shut us down. God didn't make it a three-strikes-and-you're-out sort of thing. It's more about how God helps us dust ourselves off so we can swing for the fences again. And all of this without keeping a meticulous record of our screw-ups.

Figure out what fuels your joy, then do lots of that

We can't always see people's pain; they can always feel our love.

Day turned to night, His friends scattered and death thought it had won. But heaven just started counting to three

People need love and acceptance a lot more than they need advice. (Quote Meaning)

It will be the people with the greatest love, not the most information, who will influence us to change.

Something happens when you feel ownership. You no longer act like a spectator or consumer, because you're an owner. Faith is at its best when it's that way too. It's best lived when it's owned.

God doesn't break things so He can fix them; He fixes broken things so He can use them.

Don't save up love like you're trying to retire on it; give it away like you're made of it.

It has always seemed to me that broken things, just like broken people, get used more; it's probably because God has more pieces to work with.

Most of our decisions are driven by either love or fear. Figure out who's doing the talking, then decide what you'll do.

We determine how much influence we'll have, when we decide how available we'll be.

Stop doing what you're able to do and figure out what you were made to do - then do lots of that.

I think God’s hope and plan for us is pretty simple to figure out. For those who resonate with formulas, here it is: add your whole life, your loves, your passions, and your interests together with what God said He wants us to be about, and that’s your answer.

God isn't trying to make our lives easier; He wants to make them more meaningful.

People who want to manipulate you will fear your joy, because it's not easily controlled.

Love like there's no tomorrow; live like there's no yesterday. We're forgiven; now go love people like we believe it

See people for who they're becoming. Not who they were.

Loving people the way Jesus did, means living a life of constant interruptions. Bring it.

No book is a chapter, no chapter tells the whole story, no mistake defines who we are. Hope makes our lives page turners.

Stop telling people how far they have left to go. Instead tell them how far they’ve come.

I've learned that God sometimes allows us to find ourselves in a place where we want something so bad that we can't see past it. Sometimes we can't even see God because of it. When we want something that bad, it's easy to mistake what we truly need for the thing we really want. When this sort of thing happens, and it seems to happen to everyone, I've found it's because what God has for us is obscured from view, just around another bend in the road.

The way we deal with uncertainty says a lot about whether Jesus is ahead of us leading, or behind us just carrying our stuff.

What I've learned the more time I've spent following Jesus is that God delights in answering our impossible prayers.

Too often we are posers. Don't be afraid. Be you. Live a life worthy of the calling YOU'VE received.

Love does whatever it takes to multiply itself and somehow along the way everyone becomes a part of it.

Love God. Love people. And do stuff. That's my punch list everyday.

Grace means we can put the chalk away and stop keeping score!

But the kind of love that God created and demonstrated is a costly one because it involves sacrifice and presence. It's a love that operates more like a sign language than being spoken outright.

God often waits until we're out of ideas before He lets us know His plans. He competes for our hearts, not our attention.

Whatever you're aiming for, God's better.

Every time we see people as ordinary, we turn the wine back into water.

The real game of Bigger and Better that Jesus is playing with us usually isn't about money or possessions or even our hopes. It's about our pride. He asks if we'll give up that thing we're so proud of, that thing we believe causes us to matter in the eyes of the world, and give it up to follow Him. He's asking us, 'Will you take what you think defines you, leave it behind, and let Me define who you are instead?'

I don't know every step I'm supposed to take. I think Jesus just wants me to take the next step.

The most beautiful scenery in the world is when our friends come into view.

We won't figure out what's sacred in life if we settle for what's safe.

I used to think God guided us by opening and closing doors, but now I know sometimes God wants us to kick some doors down.

I used to think being loved was the greatest thing to think about, but now I know love is never satisfied just thinking about it.

The words we speak to each other should leave stretch marks, not bruises. Love is always picky about what it says.

People who take huge risks aren't afraid to fail. In fact, they love to fail. It's because failing means they found the edge.

Go be the next humblest version of yourself.

I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me.

Jesus always pointed people towards a better version of themselves - particularly when they'd failed.

We can be the light of the world without leaving our high beams on and annoying everybody.

You don't need a plan; you just need to be present. (Meaning)

God made beauty so we'd know how He felt about us.

I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I'm more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter. (Quote Meaning)

God's big plan: go love everybody, always!

I don't think anyone aims to be typical, really. Most people even vow to themselves some time in high school or college not to be typical. But still, they just kind of loop back to it somehow. Like the circular rails of a train at an amusement park, the scripts we know offer a brand of security, of predictability, of safety for us. But the problem is, they only take us where we've already been. They loop us back to places where everyone can easily go, not necessarily where we were made to go. Living a different kind of life takes some guts and grit and a new way of seeing things.

Live a life of conspicuous grace and courageous resolve.

Cynicism is fear posing as confidence; joy is hope let off the leash.

Courageous people feel the same fear everyone else does, they just decide to not be afraid anymore.

We keep asking for answers; God keeps sending us people.

Jesus modelled that we don’t need to talk about everything we’ve done. It’s like He’s saying, what if we were just to do awesome, incredible stuff together while we’re here on earth and the fact that only He knew would be enough? If we did, we wouldn’t get confused about who was really making things happen. Not surprisingly, we’d get a lot more done too, because we wouldn’t care who’s looking or taking credit. All that energy would be funnelled into awesomeness.

Words people say not only have a shelf life but have the ability to shape life.

Insecurity wants us to keep track of our failures; grace doesn't even write them down.

I want to go barefoot because it’s holy ground; I want to be running because time is short and none of us has as much runway as we think we do; and I want it to be a fight because that’s where we can make a difference. That’s what love does.

Don't let who you were talk you out of who you are becoming.

Jesus lets us be real with our life and our faith.

What distracts us will begin to define us. We don't need to swing at every pitch.

Be ambitious about things that last.

Nobody turns down an invitation to the White House, but I’ve seen plenty of people turn down an invitation to fully live.

Whimsy doesn't care if you are the driver or the passenger; all that matters is that you are on your way.

God finds us in the holes we dig for ourselves. We see failures; He sees foundations.

I used to think that real love involved falling for someone; but now I think it usually involves standing for someone.

Fix your eyes on Jesus; it's ok to stare.

I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes.

We need to make our faith our very own love story. (Meaning)

We'll fill our lives with what we cultivate the most. Plant grace by the acre.

We're part of God's much bigger plan for the whole world. Just like God's Son arrived here, so did you. And after Jesus arrived, God whispered to all of humanity “It's your move.

Grace works that way. It's a kind word from a gentle person with an impossible prayer. It's a force sometimes transmitted best hand to hand in a dark place.

Here's our job as believers, love everybody ALWAYS!

Do what lasts, get around to everything else.

I'm all for getting together with men and women in small groups around Scripture and letting it just wash over us, but for me, I've been meeting with the same ten guys for like 15 years now, but we don't have a Bible study every Friday, we have a Bible doing.

I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them.

Don't let uncertainty talk you into pursuing a backup plan instead of your purpose.

That's one of the things about love. It doesn't recognize boundaries and never obeys the rules we try to give it.

Living a life fully engaged and full of whimsy and the kind of things that love does is something most people plan to do, but along the way they just kind of forget. Their dreams become one of those "we'll go there next time" deferrals. The sad thing is, for many there is no "next time" because passing on the chance to cross over is an overall attitude toward life rather than a single decision.

Our failures can leave behind pavement or potholes. Our ability to receive grace determines which it will be.

Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's just deciding that fear isn't calling the shots anymore

Love one another. We don't need more instructions; we need more examples.

Live your life like you're exactly who Jesus thinks you are.

Don't let other people decide who you are.

God's grace comes in all shapes, sizes, and circumstances as God continues to unfold something magnificent in me.

Extravagant love is never wasted.

Living a life of following Christ means constant interruptions.

Faith isn't figuring out what we're able to do, it's deciding what we're going to do - even when we think we can't.

Small streams don't plan to be mighty rivers. We just move in a direction; God decides what He'll have us become.

We need to stop plotting the course and instead just land the plane on our plans to make a difference by getting to the "do" part of faith. (Meaning)

Grace means we don't need to airbrush our lives to make them look like they're working.

We'll become whoever we trust the most says we are. (Meaning)

Do one heroic thing today; big or small doesn't matter because it defines who you are and what you really believe

When you love people like Jesus, you get messy. But messy looks good on you!

Grace draws a circle around everyone and says they're in.

Love God, love your neighbors, and do stuff!

Love finds us where we are, not where we were.

If you’re following God and haven’t lost much of what you’ve been holding on to - follow a little closer.

Surround yourself with prompts that remind you who Jesus is.

The world will figure out what we really believe, by watching what we actually do.

There's a lot to be concerned about; there's more to be hopeful for.

We keep telling God our opinions; He keeps asking us about our hearts. We'll grow the most when we have the right conversations.

The thing I love about God is He intentionally guides people into failure.

Love has the kind of power criticism only wishes it had.

Love doesn't just keep thinking about it or keep planning for it... Simply put: Love does!

Sometimes the things we think are the impediments are actually the path.

Love is never stationary. (Quote Meaning)

We'll never honor Christ if we forget how to honor each other.

God isn't afraid of our doubts; He's way more concerned when we fake it.

Simply put: love does.

Living a life fully engaged in full of whimsy and the kind of things that love does is something most people plan to do, but along the way they just kind of forget.

The way we treat people we disagree with most is a report card on what we've learned about love.

Fear will give us a reason not to try; hope will give us a reason not to listen.

There are lots of things we're able to do, but I'd like to land on the one thing I was MADE to do.

The battle for our hearts is fought on the pages of our calendar.

The shallow end of hope is usually the deep end of grace.

I used to think JESUS motivated us with ultimatums, but now I know He pursues us in LOVE.

Great love leaves little doubt.

It's easy to confuse a lot of activity with a purposeful life. Do what lasts; let the rest fall away.

When you are in high school, you don't give much thought to what you can't do. For most people, that gets learned later, and for still fewer, gets unlearned for the rest of life.

We all want to have a place where we can dream and escape anything that wraps steel bands around our imagination and creativity.

That's one of those things about love. It always assumes it can find a way to express itself.

Does the church have all kinds of problems? You bet, because it's made up of people like me, so I get that part too. But all I need to know about the church is that Jesus picked her.

We need to wash the feet of our enemies.

We're all amateurs when it comes to love. Don't be too hard on each other.

God keeps telling us to be not afraid, to go big

God makes confetti out of our titles and accomplishments to celebrate the poor and the humble.

If we only do what we're familiar with, we might miss what we've been made for.

We won't be like Jesus if it's more important to us to be like each other. God doesn't compare what he creates.

I used to hope the things I did would work; now I hope they last.

Jesus won't try to speak over the noise in our lives; love whispers so we won't be confused about who's doing the talking.

God's never as nervous about our future, or as concerned about our past, as we are.

When we love people but don't make it about us, we're exchanging currency we can use for a while for currency we can use forever.

You can quit anything on a Thursday.

Our opinions are what we'll be known for; our love is what we'll be remembered for

It will be more love, not more information, that will change our hearts.

Love doesn't try to be efficient; when it is most extravagant, it is least wasted.

When you trust someone, you don't need to know everything.

I don't think success is what we've made of ourselves; I think it's what we've made of others.

Jesus never told His friends to play it safe.

Most of us have all the information we need. What we need is more passion.

God delights in answering our impossible prayers.

Jesus is nuts about kids. He doesn't seem to think much of lawyers which really lands close to home, but He's nuts about kids and loves justice.

What Jesus said we could do is leave typical behind.

Next to grace, I bet God thinks making us need each other was one of His best ideas.

When love is a theory, it's safe, it's free of risk. But love in the brain changes nothing.

I know that sounds so circular, but for you, what you were made to do, is different than what I was made to do. But instead of spending all of our time having Bible studies about what we were made to do, go do stuff and you'll figure out what you were made to do, because you'll be great at some things and you'll be terrible at others.

Sometimes we ask God for help and God gives us hope, not because it's different, but because it's the same.

We plant sod where God wants 2 plant seed. He's more interested in growing our character than having us look finished.

We get to be God's plan for the whole world by pointing people toward Him.

Do less of what you're terrible at and more of what you're good at. I don't know if that sounds too simple, but it's been working for me.

We don't really make friends, they make us.

We spend a lot of energy remembering failures God spent a lot of love saying we could forget.

Start from scratch with Jesus every day and then be picky about what you add to your life.

Do one thing that's heroic for you today - big or small - and fear won't define you anymore.

Fear calls out our doubts; God calls out our names.

We might be known for what we believed, but we're certain to be remembered for what we did about it.

I learned that faith isn’t about knowing all of the right stuff or obeying a list of rules. It’s something more, something more costly because it involves being present and making a sacrifice.

If we pick recognition over influence we'll be known for all the wrong stuff.

When it feels like we need to choose between being right and being humble- pick both

There's a difference between a caper and a prank. A prank is like playing Ding-Dong-Ditch, you know, you ring the doorbell and then run and hide in the ditch. That's a prank. It has no shelf life, like reassembling the principal's car up on the roof of the gym. It's cute and everything but there's no shelf-life, and it can actually be kind of destructive. But a caper is different. It's something where everybody has made it in.

If you get a no from somebody, don't say, 'I'm going to take this as some big cosmic signal.' No, you just got a no, deal with it. Just go to the next step.

I think of the church as this bride of Christ, who is incredibly capable of doing amazing things. And so where we see injustice, we come, not with fists clenched but with palms up.

When you identify with an organization and you want to do stuff [but] you get this inexplicable 'no' - a lot of people get off the end and think, Well, God must have said no to me. No! The organization just said no to you. Find what it is that you were made to do and get on it! Go do what you were made to do.

One thing I do is (and I realize this might sound nuts), every month or so, I try to take like an Etch-a-sketch [so to speak], and I clear my faith. I go to zero, clear the deck. And I start adding things back to my faith, one at a time. What would be the first thing I'd add back? Jesus. It sounds a little bit like a Sunday school answer, but that's what I do. Then what's the next thing? And I'd say, well, loving people. And then the next.

That's all the information I need to know about the church, Jesus picked it. And so instead of me telling the church how she would really look better if she had this in her hair, or that over there, I think I'm just respecting the Groom's pick.

I never know what all of the steps are but I do know the next step.