Top 300 Charles R. Swindoll Quotes (2025 Update)
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101. “Man is the only animal that when you pat him on the head, his head swells up.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

102. “The best tests of my Christian growth occur in the mainstream of life, not in the quietness of my study.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

103. “Battles are won in the trenches, in the grit and grime of courageous determination; they are won day by day in the arena of life.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

104. “When you accept the fact that sometimes seasons are dry and times are hard and that God is in control of both, you will discover a sense of divine refuge, because the hope then is in God and not in yourself.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

105. “The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it’s a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

106. “The glory of God is a man fully alive, and the life of a man consists in beholding God.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

107. “Sometimes I wake up before dawn, and I love sitting up in the middle of the bed with all the lights off, pitch-black dark, and talking to the Father, with no interruptions and nothing that reminds me that there’s anything in life but me and Him.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

108. “To be used of God. Is there anything more encouraging, more fulfilling? Perhaps not, but there is something more basic: to meet with God.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

109. “You and I can become so dedicated to the will of God, we can be so driven by a false sense of purpose, that we might inadvertently take matters into our own hands and leave God completely out of the loop.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

110. “When you are giving people the gospel, you are giving them something to believe, and you have to set the stage for that. You don’t just drive up and dump the truck and drive off.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

111. “If God’s people are to be living examples of one thing, that thing ought to be – it must be – compassion.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

112. “It is a pity that many Christians have the TV schedule better memorized than a single chapter for God’s precious Word.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

113. “One of the worst things you can give to your people is someone you’re not.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

114. “Do you want to be wise? Choose wise friends.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

115. “Trusting God doesn’t alter our circumstances. Perfect trust in Him changes us.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

116. “The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent of how I react to it. And so it is with you. we are in charge of our attitudes.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

117. “I think it is important to begin with a statement in your speech that grabs the attention of the audience. I try to make my opening line 15 words or less.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

118. “Part of the thrill of guiding children into adulthood is the release. But it’s also a parent’s greatest act of surrender. Still, you have to let them go. Start now.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

119. “There is only one you. God wanted you to be you. Don’t you dare change just because you’re outnumbered!”

— Charles R. Swindoll

120. “Prayer is an investment. The time you dedicate to prayer isn’t lost; it will return dividends far greater than what a few moments spent on a task ever could. If we fail to cultivate this discipline, prayer winds up being our last resort rather than our first response.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

121. “No pressure is greater than God’s power.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

122. “God’s heavenly plan doesn’t always make earthly sense.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

123. “Any idol, regardless of its beauty or usefulness or original purpose, is to be set aside so that Christ might reign supreme, without a single competitor.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

124. “If God awarded us medals, as they do in the Olympics, love would win the gold, joy the silver, and peace the bronze.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

125. “Adversity is a good test of our resiliency, our ability to cope, to stand back up, to recover from misfortune. Adversity is a painful pedagogue.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

126. “I let people see the cracks in my life. We can’t be phony. We’ve got to keep it real.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

127. “We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn’t come naturally. It’s a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

128. “We aren’t just thrown on this earth like dice tossed across a table. We are lovingly placed here for a purpose.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

129. “Refuse to let your situation determine your attitude.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

130. “Cults use our vocabulary, but they don’t use our dictionary.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

131. “No marriage is “too dead” for the Lord to restore.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

132. “A. W. Tozer says, “A true and safe leader is likely one who has no desire to lead, but is forced into a position of leadership by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit and by the press of the external situation.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

133. “Love has been called the most effective motivational force in all the world. When love is at work in us, it is remarkable how giving and forgiving, understanding and tolerant we can be.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

134. “Don’t seek more days in your life but more life in your days.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

135. “Faith is like lighting the torch that passes from one person to the next. You can’t light the torch of another if yours isn’t burning.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

136. “God doesn’t work on our timetable. He has a plan that He will execute perfectly and for the highest, greatest good of all, and for His ultimate glory.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

137. “I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

138. “Every one of us can blame somebody for something that has happened in our lives. But don’t waste your time. What we need most is a steady stream of love flowing among us. Love that quickly forgives, willingly overlooks, and refuses to take offense.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

139. “Don’t get older; get better: Live realistically. Give generously. Adapt willingly. Trust fearlessly. Rejoice daily.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

140. “Please, put aside all excuses and ask yourself, “What should I be doing?” Yes, you alone can make a difference. The question is, will you?”

— Charles R. Swindoll

141. “Grace releases and affirms. It doesn’t smother. Grace values the dignity of individuals. It doesn’t destroy. Grace supports and encourages. It isn’t jealous or suspicious.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

142. “Vision encompasses vast vistas outside the realm of the predictable, the safe, the expected.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

143. “Wouldn’t you like to contribute to an event that is part of Christ’s own prediction, “I will build my church”?”

— Charles R. Swindoll

144. “When I think of vision, I have in mind the ability to see above and beyond the majority.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

145. “You can choose to be a drag and a burden, or an inspiration and encouragement.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

146. “If you never get criticized, chances are you aren’t getting anything done.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

147. “Confidence brings joy when we let God be God.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

148. “Acceptance is taking from God’s hand absolutely anything He gives, looking into His face in trust and thanksgiving.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

149. “If you want to stop an argument, close your mouth.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

150. “The beautiful thing about encouragement is that anybody can do it.”

— Charles R. Swindoll