50 Practice What You Preach Quotes For Keeping It Real

Check out our practice what you preach quotes and discover how we are all mirrors to one another. 

People say the phrase, practice what you preach all of the time, but where does it come from, and what does it mean?

Learn more about the interesting meaning and history of this phrase with our practice what you preach quotes. 

What does it mean to practice what you preach?

When someone tells someone else to practice what they preach, they are reminding the person to put their own advice into practice. 

People tell others to practice what they preach when:

• They witness another break a religious law. 
• They believe someone is being a hypocrite. 
• They feel they have witnessed a double standard. 

Why does the phrase practice what you preach come from?

Many idioms in the English language are challenging to place.

Practice what you preach has been around for a long time.

The phrase appears in the Christian Bible, and there are examples from Shakespeare where similar sentiments are shared, albeit worded differently. 

Why should I practice what I preach?

The whole idea behind the phrase is that it is unwise to tell others how to behave in the first place.

The phrase reminds us that our children are the only people we should advise on how to behave. 

However, if you insist on telling others how to behave, you should also stick to the parameters you set for others to follow. 

In the past, some religious leaders and devout followers have used their positions and beliefs to dictate the behaviors of others.

When it is revealed that they, too, have been engaging in behaviors they admonish others not to do, we see the hypocrisy and, hence the phrase, practice what you preach! 

Today, the term has grown to apply to almost all situations and does not just apply to religious leaders. 

Did Barry White invent the phrase practice what you preach?

Barry White has done a lot of unbelievable accomplishments under his belt. 

However, creating the phrase practice what you preach is not one of them.

Fortunately, he created a fantastic song called Practice What You Preach, and, before you ask, it is incredible. 

To learn more, check out our practice what you preach quotes. 

Short practice what you preach quotes 

Let’s start our list with these short and sweet practice what you preach quotes. 

1. “Practice what you preach. Don’t preach faithful girls then go and practice on hoes.” — Raghib Clitso

2. “Always practice what you preach. Otherwise, you be nothin’ more than a hypocrite.” — Crimson Renegade

3. “I may not practice what I preach, but God forbid I should preach what I practice.” — Gilbert K Chesterton

4. “If you’re asking your kids to exercise, then you better do it, too. Practice what you preach.” — Bruce Jenner

5. “People of integrity and honesty not only practice what they preach, they are what they preach.”— David A. Bednar

6. “Practice yourself what you preach.” — Plautus

7. “I don’t practice what I preach. I preach what I practice.” — Charles Capps

8. “I do practice what I preach when it comes to nutrition.” — Mehmet Oz

9. “I give in to sin because I like to practice what I preach.”— Depeche Mode

10. “Did they preach one thing and practice another, these men of God?” — Roald Dahl

The top practice what you preach quotes for walking the walk

Check out these inspirational practice what you preach quotes. 

11. “Live your message: practice what you preach. That’s where credibility comes from.” — John C Maxwell 

12. “Let’s practice what we preach, and with the acceptance that we expect from others.” — Gillian Anderson

13. “Always practice what you preach, or what you preach may fall on deaf ears.” — Eugene Nathaniel Butler

14. “Practice what you preach. Don’t be a staggering image of the same shame you place upon others. Live, love, be free. Most of all be real.” — LaNina King

15. “If it hurts so much to be talked about behind your back, why do you do it to everybody and then try to act innocent? Practice what you preach.” — Lanu

16. “I think it’s so important to practice what you preach.” — Gigi Hadid

17. “Do not let your deeds belie your words, lest when you speak in church, someone may say to himself, “Why do you not practice what you preach?” — St. Jerome

18. “If you don’t practice what you preach, then you have no right to teach!” — Akil Victor

19. “That we should practice what we preach is generally admitted.” — Logan Pearsall Smith

20. “Practice what you preach before you try to teach it to someone else.” — Demontray Tekle

The best practice what you preach or change your speech quotes

If you aren’t going to walk the walk, there is no need to talk the talk. 

21. “I preached as never sure to preach again, And as a dying man to dying men.” — Richard Baxter

22. “The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice we give to others.” — Mother Teresa

23. “Back in the day, the statement would have been “practice what you preach.” — Mormon Mavens 

24. “Anyone who preaches what he and his hearers practice must incur the gravest moral disapprobation.” — Logan Pearsall Smith

25. “A famous quote, ‘Practice before you preach. I say, ‘Preach only when your practice is right and without any loopholes.’” — Nufaizha

26. “Oh, baby, practice what you preach!” — Barry White, Practice What You Preach

27. “Don’t be a hypocrite, practice what you preach.” — Killer Mike

28. “To accomplish anything, you have a goal, challenge yourself, and work until you accomplish that goal. Practice what you preach.” — Jack LaLanne

29. “We have, in fact, two kinds of morality side by side; one which we preach but do not practice, and another which we practice but seldom preach.” — Bertrand Russell

30. “Actually, we have misdefined “hypocrisy.” Hypocrisy is not the failure to practice what you preach but the failure to believe it. Hypocrisy is propaganda.” — Peter Kreeft

Famous practice what you preach quotes from the Bible

Check out these Biblical scriptures addressing how Christianity perceives practicing what you preach. 

31. “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18 

32. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” — James 1:22 

32. “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” — Matthew 6:14-15

34. “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” — Matthew 7:12

35. “So practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach but do not practice.” — Matthew 23:3 

36. “You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?” — Romans 2:21

37. “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” — Romans 4:5

38. “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” — 2 Timothy 4:2 

39. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” — 2 Timothy 2:15 

40. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16 

Practice what you preach quotes and sayings about life

We close with these practice what you preach quotes to live by. 

41. “Practice what you preach and watch how life starts to work in your favor” ― Robin S. Baker

42. “Well, I’m still waiting, practice what you preach.’ — Barry White, Practice What You Preach

43. “Here I am, girl, practice on me, I’m saying this because it’s a fact.” — Barry White, Practice What You Preach

44. “Humor must not professedly teach, and it must not professedly preach, but it must do both if it would live forever.” — Mark Twain

45. “The number of people who believe in religious teachings far outweighs that of those who practice them.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

46. “You say there’s a lesson that you want to teach well, here I am, baby, practice what you preach.” — Barry White, Practice What You Preach

47. “And telling the fake holy man to practice what he preach.” — Styles P

48. “Practice what you preach, or them boys gonna rob you.” — Project Pat

49. “And that’s when he told the young man to practice what he preached.” — GZA

50. “There is a lesson that I’m gonna teach girl, I’m still waiting; practice what you preach. I’m saying this because it’s a fact. Is it?” — Barry White, Practice What You Preach

Play some Barry White and practice what you preach

When we walk with our heads held high and stand on our integrity, it is easy to practice what we preach. 

Do you have a favorite practice what you preach quote?

Be sure to let us know in the comments.