--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On the one hand we must never imagine…" description: "\"“On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next twenty-four hours as 'decent' pe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e82/c-s-lewis-121_quote_on-the-one-hand-we-must-never-imagine-th_108092.jpg" --- # On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided… ![“On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next twenty-four hours as 'decent' people. If He does not support us, not one of us is safe from some gross sin. On the other hand, no possible degree of holiness or heroism which has…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e82/c-s-lewis-121_quote_on-the-one-hand-we-must-never-imagine-th_108092.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e82/c-s-lewis-121_quote_on-the-one-hand-we-must-never-imagine-th_108092.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e82/c-s-lewis-121_quote_on-the-one-hand-we-must-never-imagine-th_108092.jpg) > ““On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next twenty-four hours as 'decent' people. If He does not support us, not one of us is safe from some gross sin. On the other hand, no possible degree of holiness or heroism which has ever been recorded of the greatest saints is beyond what He is determined to produce in each one of us in the end.”” [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human effort alone is insufficient; divine support is essential, yet God's capacity exceeds any human achievement, promising ultimate holiness. **In simple terms:** We need God’s help; He can achieve more than we can. Key Takeaway Divine aid surpasses human limits. Themes faith humility spirituality Mood reflective hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - prayer during crisis - seeking moral guidance Key Concepts theology soteriology Practical Applications - spiritual mentorship - community worship Questions to Reflect On - How does reliance on divine aid affect personal responsibility? - What role does humility play in spiritual growth? A Different Perspective Relies on belief in a deity; non‑theistic perspectives may reject premise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heroism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroism/) [Holiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holiness/) ## Related quotes > [It is in our darkest cultures that the greatest saints rise, stand, and lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hart/it-is-in-our-darkest-cultures-that-the-greatest-saints-rise-stand-and/) [Mark Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hart/) > [The greatest saints, those richest in grace and virtue will be the most assiduous in praying to the most Blessed Virgin, looking up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-montfort/the-greatest-saints-those-richest-in-grace-and-virtue-will-be-the/) [Louis de Montfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-montfort/) > [For centuries the leaders of Christian thought spoke of women as a necessary evil, and the greatest saints of the Church are those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/for-centuries-the-leaders-of-christian-thought-spoke-of-women-as-a/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [When someone puts you down and treats you badly, just remember that there is something wrong with them, not you. 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It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-emil-frankl/you-may-of-course-ask-whether-we-really-need-to-refer-to-saints/) [Viktor Emil Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-emil-frankl/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I guess the only thing to do now is meet his parents. I'm sure they're decent people. I mean they gotta be if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/i-guess-the-only-thing-to-do-now-is-meet-his-parents-i-m-sure-they-re/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) ## More by C.S. Lewis > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) [Explore all 1,165 C.S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More Decent people quotes > [I guess the only thing to do now is meet his parents. I'm sure they're decent people. I mean they gotta be if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/i-guess-the-only-thing-to-do-now-is-meet-his-parents-i-m-sure-they-re/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“You may of course ask whether we really need to refer to "saints". Wouldn't it suffice just to refer to decent people? 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Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [I have a treasure trove of Baker memories, all of which reinforce my sense of Howard Baker as one of the most decent people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yarmuth/i-have-a-treasure-trove-of-baker-memories-all-of-which-reinforce-my/) [John Yarmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yarmuth/) > [Certain types of loudmouthism should be a capital offense among decent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/certain-types-of-loudmouthism-should-be-a-capital-offense-among/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ineos is a friendly organisation. Very few people leave. It's collegiate. There's not much politics, and we like decent people. We don't like arrogance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ratcliffe/ineos-is-a-friendly-organisation-very-few-people-leave-it-s/) [Jim Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ratcliffe/) > [Don't try to be fancy. 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