Top 300 Charles R. Swindoll Quotes (2026 Update)
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101. “The Lord delights to surprise us with His goodness, if only we will unlock the door of obedience with the key of faith – which He has given – and then push it open and walk through.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

102. “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

103. “Man is the only animal that when you pat him on the head, his head swells up.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

104. “You will find a common dichotomy in life. Those who don’t have vision or determination, and refuse to dream the impossible, are always in the majority.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

106. “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

107. “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

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

110. “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

111. “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

112. “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

113. “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

114. “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

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

119. “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

120. “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

121. “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

122. “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

123. “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

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

126. “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

127. “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

128. “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

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

130. “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

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

134. “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

135. “We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. 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 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

137. “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

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. “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

140. “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

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

142. “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

143. “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

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

145. “Allow me to offer a simple definition of wisdom. Wisdom is looking at life from God’s point of view.”

— Charles R. Swindoll

146. “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

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll

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

— Charles R. Swindoll