A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
The people with very hard problems are understood by God. He knows what wretched machines they are trying to drive. Some day he will fling them away and give those people new ones; then they may astonish everyone, for they learned their driving in a hard school. Some of the last will be first and some of the first will be last.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the struggles of individuals and suggests that their hardships are recognized by a higher power, leading to eventual transformation and success.
C. S. Lewis emphasizes the understanding that God has for those who face significant challenges in life. He suggests that these individuals, often seen as struggling or failing, are in a sense being prepared for greater things. Through their difficulties, they learn valuable lessons that will ultimately lead them to unexpected success and recognition. The mention of 'the last will be first' highlights the idea that societal perceptions of worth can be reversed, and those who have faced adversity may rise to prominence because of their experiences.
Themes
StruggleTransformationFaithUnderstandingAdversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes →I enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
C. S. LewisRead
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
C. S. LewisRead
Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
C. S. LewisRead
I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
C. S. LewisRead
The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
C. S. LewisRead
Similar quotes
Human satisfaction must ultimately come from within oneself.
Dalai LamaRead
Heartache forces us to embrace God out of desparate, urgent need. God is never closer than when your heart is aching.
Joni Eareckson TadaRead
There is a universal respect and even admiration for those who are humble and simple by nature, and who have absolute confidence in all human beings irrespective of their social status.
Nelson MandelaRead
It has been well said that no man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is, when tomorrow's burden is added to the burden of today, that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourselves so, my friends. If you find yourselves so loaded, at least remember this: it is your own doing, not God's. He begs you to leave the future to Him, and mind the present.
George MacdonaldRead
In vain I have looked for a single man capable of seeing his own faults and bringing the charge home against himself.
ConfuciusRead
You seem to me to be a pretty lucky young man; keep your eyes open to your mercies. That part of piety is eternal; and the man who forgets to be grateful has fallen asleep in life.
Robert Louis StevensonRead