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Cynicism creates a numbness toward life.
Cynicism creates a numbness toward life.
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The opposite of a childlike spirit is a cynical spirit.
The opposite of a childlike spirit is a cynical spirit.
Cynicism is, increasingly, the dominant spirit
of our age.
Personally, it is my greatest struggle in prayer.
If I get an answer to prayer, sometimes I’ll think,
It would have happened anyway.
Other times I’ll try to pray but wonder if it
makes any difference.
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Satan’s first recorded words are cynical.
Satan’s first recorded words are cynical.
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To be cynical is to be distant.
To be cynical is to be distant.
While offering a false intimacy of being
in the know, cynicism actually destroys intimacy.
It leads to a creeping bitterness that can
deaden and even destroy the spirit.
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Cynicism begins with the wry assurance that
Cynicism begins with the wry assurance that
everyone has an angle. Behind every
silver lining is a cloud. The cynic is always
observing, critiquing, but never engaged,
loving, and hoping.
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Cynicism is a perverse version of being
Cynicism is a perverse version of being
in the world, but not of the world.”
“[Cynicism] protects you from crushing
“[Cynicism] protects you from crushing
disappointment, but it paralyzes you
from doing anything.
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Cynicism and defeated weariness have
Cynicism and defeated weariness have
this in common: They both question the
active goodness of God on our behalf.
Left unchallenged, their low-level doubt
opens the door for bigger doubt.
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A praying life is just the opposite.
A praying life is just the opposite.
It engages evil. It doesn’t take no for an answer.
The psalmist was in God’s face,
hoping, dreaming, asking. Prayer is feisty.
Cynicism, on the other hand, merely critiques.
It is passive, cocooning itself from the passions
of the great cosmic battle we are engaged.
It is without hope.
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From Paul Miller's book: A Praying Life -
Connecting With God in a Distracting World
*
November, 2010
We now have a post up on a similar thread
from THE URANTIA BOOK, titled
"The Province of Prayer."
Check it here:
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http://maninthemaze.blogspot.com/2010/11/province-of-prayer.html.
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We're not a "sales" blog, but we've
had so many hits on this post I thought
it best to include a link to Amazon - the
reviews (over 60 of them) are interesting:
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