Agony Quote by C. S. Lewis
“Both good and evil, when they are full grown, become retrospective...That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporary suffering, 'No future bliss can make up for it,' not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. And of some sinful pleasure they say 'Let me but have this and I'll take the consequences': little dreaming how damnation will spread back and back into their past and contaminate the pleasure of the sin.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Great Divorce, 1945
Suffering and pleasure are transformed over time; future divine perspective can redeem present pain and sin.
In simple terms: Future heaven can turn pain into glory.
Key Takeaway
Trust in eventual redemption.
Themes
redemption
ufferinguffering
theology
Mood
contemplative
serious
Type
theological
inspirational
When to use this quote
- life crises
- addiction recovery
- moral dilemmas
- grief processing
Key Concepts
afterlife
spiritual growth
consequence
Questions to Reflect On
- How might present suffering shape future character?
- Can pleasure be truly redeemed?
A Different Perspective
Not all suffering leads to redemption; outcomes are uncertain.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
