--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am only one, but I am one. I can't do…" description: "\"I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/edward-everett-hale-13883_god_i-am-only-one-but-i-am-one-i-can-t-do-ev_44845.jpg" --- # I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I… ![“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.” quote by Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/edward-everett-hale-13883_god_i-am-only-one-but-i-am-one-i-can-t-do-ev_44845.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/edward-everett-hale-13883_god_i-am-only-one-but-i-am-one-i-can-t-do-ev_44845.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/edward-everett-hale-13883_god_i-am-only-one-but-i-am-one-i-can-t-do-ev_44845.jpg) > “I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.” [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A reminder that individual agency matters; even limited capacity can be directed toward meaningful action with divine support. **In simple terms:** Individual responsibility and faith. Key Takeaway Small actions matter. Themes Responsibility Faith Agency Purpose Humility Mood Hopeful Determined Reflective Type Inspirational Spiritual Motivational When to use this quote - Personal decision‑making - Community service - Overcoming paralysis - Spiritual reflection Key Concepts Self-efficacy Divine providence Moral duty Practical Applications - Motivational speaking - Faith‑based counseling Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take today? - How does belief shape your sense of duty? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Grace of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace-of-god/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do, I ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sound-of-america-e-hale/i-am-only-one-but-i-am-one-i-cannot-do-everything-but-i-can-do/) Sound of America (E.Hale > [I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/i-am-only-one-but-i-am-one-i-cannot-do-everything-but-i-can-do-2/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [“THE GRACE OF GOD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-grace-of-god/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The gift of God is grace. The grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-gift-of-god-is-grace-the-grace-of-god-is-eternal-life-in-christ/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“By the grace of god I feel you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truth-devour/by-the-grace-of-god-i-feel-you/) Truth Devour > [The grace of God is the thing that is needful. One should pray for the grace of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarada-devi/the-grace-of-god-is-the-thing-that-is-needful-one-should-pray-for-the/) [Sarada Devi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarada-devi/) > [“Do not take the grace of God for granted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/do-not-take-the-grace-of-god-for-granted/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [With God, I can do all things! But with God and you, and the people who you can interest, by the grace of God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-semple-mcpherson/with-god-i-can-do-all-things-but-with-god-and-you-and-the-people-who/) [Aimee Semple McPherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-semple-mcpherson/) > [“Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/let-circumstances-take-you-where-they-will-but-keep-drawing-on-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Let them no more say, God must do all, we can do nothing, and so encourage themselves to live in a careless neglect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/increase-mather/let-them-no-more-say-god-must-do-all-we-can-do-nothing-and-so/) Increase Mather > [If God has given graces to some good women, revealing to them something holy and good through His Holy Scriptures, should they, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-dentiere/if-god-has-given-graces-to-some-good-women-revealing-to-them/) Marie Dentiere > [Oh what people of God we ought to be; and grace can make us so!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-asbury/oh-what-people-of-god-we-ought-to-be-and-grace-can-make-us-so/) [Francis Asbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-asbury/) > [The will of God will never take you, where the grace of God cannot keep you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-will-of-god-will-never-take-you-where-the-grace-of-god-cannot/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As we draw on the grace of God He increases voluntary poverty all along the line. Always give the best you have got every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/as-we-draw-on-the-grace-of-god-he-increases-voluntary-poverty-all/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [When problems are big and you are not in the positon to copeup anymore , you do not need to give up rather let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/when-problems-are-big-and-you-are-not-in-the-positon-to-copeup/) [Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/) ## More by Edward Everett Hale > [Life seeks life and loves life. The opening of a catkin of a willow, in the flight of the butterfly, in the chirping of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/life-seeks-life-and-loves-life-the-opening-of-a-catkin-of-a-willow-in/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [Behind all these men you have to do with, behind officers, and government, and people even, there is the country herself, your country, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/behind-all-these-men-you-have-to-do-with-behind-officers-and/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [The making of friends, who are real friends, is the best token we have of a man's success in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/the-making-of-friends-who-are-real-friends-is-the-best-token-we-have/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [Never bear more than one kind of trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds of trouble - the ones they've had, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/never-bear-more-than-one-kind-of-trouble-at-a-time-some-people-bear/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [I will not refuse to do the something I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/i-will-not-refuse-to-do-the-something-i-can-do/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [The church itself has got to go outside of its own borders and carry the gospel to ev'ry creature, or it is no church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/the-church-itself-has-got-to-go-outside-of-its-own-borders-and-carry/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [“Look up and not down; look out and not in; look forward and not back, and lend a hand.” But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/look-up-and-not-down-look-out-and-not-in-look-forward-and-not-back/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [You and I must not complain if our plans break down if we have done our part. That probably means that the plans of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/you-and-i-must-not-complain-if-our-plans-break-down-if-we-have-done/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [ \[I\]t is easy to regard the mind and the body as two slaves trained to obey the imperial soul… \[I\]n this trinity of soul,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/i-t-is-easy-to-regard-the-mind-and-the-body-as-two-slaves-trained-to/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [You may take this as a general and central principle in criticism: that all science, literature or song, which recognizes conscious life as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/you-may-take-this-as-a-general-and-central-principle-in-criticism/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [Gentlemen and ladies are sure of their ground. They pretend to nothing that they are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/gentlemen-and-ladies-are-sure-of-their-ground-they-pretend-to-nothing/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [He loved his country as no other man has loved her, but no man deserved less at her hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/he-loved-his-country-as-no-other-man-has-loved-her-but-no-man/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [Wrong fails because it is wrong. The wrongs, the untruths, are inconsistent with each other. They clash against each other and confute each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/wrong-fails-because-it-is-wrong-the-wrongs-the-untruths-are/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/i-am-only-one-but-i-am-one-i-cannot-do-everything-but-i-can-do-2/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) > [In the pure mathematics we contemplate absolute truths which existed in the divine mind before the morning stars sang together, and which will continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/in-the-pure-mathematics-we-contemplate-absolute-truths-which-existed/) [Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) [Explore all 48 Edward Everett Hale quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/) ## More God quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [What would God have me do with my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/what-would-god-have-me-do-with-my-life/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [God always gets the glory when Jesus comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-always-gets-the-glory-when-jesus-comes/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/do-all-the-good-you-can-by-all-the-means-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [You are a God Act like one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/you-are-a-god-act-like-one/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) [Browse all 37,707 God quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am only one, but I am one. 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