In the Bible Jesus states, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”, in John 14:6. He also states in John8:12, “I am the light of the world”. John further writes, arguably one of his most notable Bible verses, in 1 John 4:8, “God is love”. So today’s quote is perfectly in line with the Bible, or is it Not?

“God is life, truth, light. He is love.”  - Mahatma Gandhi

From a Christian perspective today’s quote is true and Biblical – yes God is life, yes God is truth, yes God is light and yes God is love. We see Him as the creator of the universe and the giver of life. We recognize Him as one and only true God, full of grace and truth. We do believe that Jesus is the Light of the world, that “in Him was life and the life was the light of men”. And lastly, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to take away the sin of the world.

So what’s the problem?

While Gandhi was a great man, and a man who changed the world through peace and love, when he refers to God he is not referring to the one true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Jesus Christ the Holy One of Israel. Gandhi was raised in a predominantly Hindu and Muslim county and tended toward Hinduism. He also adopted the philosophy of Jainism and developed an appreciation of the teachings of Jesus. In the end, he was a strong advocate and peaceful fighter for religious tolerance and accepted all people of all faiths.

So when Gandhi refers to God, he refers to whichever God you happen to believe in. But, when you consider the God of the Bible, then Gandhi’s quote rings true.

Here’s a good article on Gandhi from the BBC.

Here are some more Gandhi quotes.

Great sketch by Sagarpuro.

Mahatma Gandhi

What type of person are you? One who takes initiative and makes things happen, or one who blows with the wind allowing the circumstances of life to direct your course? Do you live life, or do you let life live you? We can find plenty of self-help authors writing about the value of being proactive and positive in our lives, but is it Biblical? Yes…and no.

We have been given free will by God, to act, and not to be acted upon. We can choose to accept life and liberty through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or we can choose death and captivity outside of God’s grace typified by a life of sin. That is the ultimate. But what about the everyday things? Not only the decisions and choices we make, and the paths we take, but the way in which we make and take them. Let’s consider the following.

Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you. - Psalm 32:9 (New King James Version)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – 2 Timothy 1:7 (New King James Version)

The Bible teaches us to not be like animals which are led around by the nose, but that we should have understanding and direct ourselves. Being bridled by the circumstances of life you may allow others to decide your course, thus forfeiting your God-given freedom. Yes, it is wise to take counsel from the wise, our course should be directed by the Holy Spirit. Not a passive act, but rather proactively engaging God and pursuing our heart’s desires.

Furthermore, God has given us the power to act for ourselves without fear. So we can and should take initiative and direct our lives proactively. The caveat, we must do it in faith according to the will of God.

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will[g] go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’.” – James 4:13-15 NKJV

Live life, don’t let life live you. Just remember who gave you that life to live, and live it by faith.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.