Comments by President Jimmy Carter
The faith of a person is expressed verbally and experientially in many ways. In the case of President Carter, he spoke of and showed his faith by actions.
“We should live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon.”
“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something… I’m free to choose what that something is, and the something I’ve chosen is my faith. Now, my faith goes beyond theology and religion and requires considerable work and effort. My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”
“God always answers prayers. Sometimes it’s “yes.” Sometimes the answer is “no.” Sometimes it’s “you gotta be kidding.”
“Earlier in my life I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I’ve grown older I’ve become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can’t see — the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are.”
“I believe that anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the environment within which we live. This is not based on measuring success by human competitiveness for wealth, possessions, influence, and fame, but adhering to God’s standards of truth, justice, humility, service, compassion, forgiveness, and love.”
In public he stated many times, “I am a born again Christian.”
“Piety alone isn’t sufficient- followers of Jesus must live out their convictions with acts of love.”
Following is an extract from a Carter biography entitled “His Very Best.”
One afternoon in late 1973 Carter called in Dr. Nelson Price, pastor of the ten-thousand-member Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, one of the first megachurches in the world. When he told Price he might run for president, Price replied that it was a good time for an evangelical Christian to run because large numbers of previously apolitical evangelicals were now planning to vote for the first time. The men got down on their knees in front of Carter’s desk and Price prayed. When they got up Price placed his hand of Carter’s shoulder and said, “My brother, get your life right because this might be what God has in mind for you.”
The next time the two prayed together was in the Oval Office in the White House.