I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Abraham LincolnRead
Certainly there is no contending against the Will of God; but still there is some difficulty in ascertaining, and applying it, to particular cases.
Interpretation
Understanding God's will can be challenging, especially in specific situations.
Abraham Lincoln reflects on the complexities of discerning and applying the Will of God in our lives. While he acknowledges the ultimate authority of divine will, he recognizes the difficulties inherent in interpreting that will for our individual circumstances and making sense of it amidst human experiences.
In practice
During a discussion on spirituality and decision-making, one might quote Lincoln to emphasize the challenges in aligning actions with divine intention.
I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.
For it has been said, all that a man hath will he give for his life; and while all contribute of their substance the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then is due to the soldier.
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
Men cannot be made good by the state, but they can easily be made bad. Morality depends on liberty.
It seems that fighting is a game where everybody is the loser.
Your idol is shattered in the dust to prove that God's dust is greater than your idol.
The iron bolt...mysteriously fastens the door of hope and holds our spirits in a gloomy prison.
All their life in this world and all their adventures had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.
It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God.
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