--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are three stages to every great…" description: "\"“There are three stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.”\" — Hudson Taylor" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/hudson-taylor-5026_difficult_there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-wo_1992172.png" --- # There are three stages to every great work of God; first… ![“There are three stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.” quote by Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/hudson-taylor-5026_difficult_there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-wo_1992172.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/hudson-taylor-5026_difficult_there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-wo_1992172.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/hudson-taylor-5026_difficult_there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-wo_1992172.png) > ““There are three stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.”” [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great tasks progress from impossibility to difficulty to completion, reflecting divine process. **In simple terms:** Hard work becomes possible over time. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges as steps toward success. Themes faith perseverance growth Mood inspirational reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - missionary work - personal projects - team goals Key Concepts spiritual development process determination Questions to Reflect On - What seems impossible now can become achievable? - How do you persist through difficulty? A Different Perspective Progress may be slow and require patience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [God first](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-first/) [God Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-impossible/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Impossible Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible-difficult-741261/) [Work God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-god/) ## Related quotes > [I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/i-have-found-that-there-are-three-stages-in-every-great-work-of-god/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [I have found there are three stages to every great work of God: first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-found-there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-work-of-god-first/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are three stages in the work of God: impossible, difficult,done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-three-stages-in-the-work-of-god-impossible-difficult-done/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trust God for the impossible-miracles are His department. Our job is to do our best, letting the Lord do the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/trust-god-for-the-impossible-miracles-are-his-department-our-job-is/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [The word impossible seems to be most difficult thing. But it is nothing without the power of your negative thoughts. Think positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/the-word-impossible-seems-to-be-most-difficult-thing-but-it-is/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“Ah, it is impossible." "No, it is only very difficult - so very difficult that I shall be sure to accomplish it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-d-e-n-southworth/ah-it-is-impossible-no-it-is-only-very-difficult-so-very-difficult/) [E.D.E.N. Southworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-d-e-n-southworth/) > [The Lord never asks the impossible. Often the difficult, but never the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-haight/the-lord-never-asks-the-impossible-often-the-difficult-but-never-the/) [David B. Haight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-haight/) > [Teaching literature is impossible; that is why it is difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/teaching-literature-is-impossible-that-is-why-it-is-difficult/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Avoid losers. If you hear someone use the words 'impossible', 'never', 'too difficult' too often, drop him or her from your social network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/avoid-losers-if-you-hear-someone-use-the-words-impossible-never-too/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [In this day of wonders no one will say that a thing or an idea is worthless because it is new. To say it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/in-this-day-of-wonders-no-one-will-say-that-a-thing-or-an-idea-is/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Men are generally idle, and ready to satisfy themselves, and intimidate the industry of others, by calling that impossible which is only difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/men-are-generally-idle-and-ready-to-satisfy-themselves-and-intimidate/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Too often we attempt to work for God to the limit of our incompetency, rather than to the limit of God's omnipotency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/too-often-we-attempt-to-work-for-god-to-the-limit-of-our-incompetency/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [“God's work done in God's way will never lack God's provision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/god-s-work-done-in-god-s-way-will-never-lack-god-s-provision/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [Let us see that we keep God before our eyes; that we walk in His ways and seek to please and glorify Him in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/let-us-see-that-we-keep-god-before-our-eyes-that-we-walk-in-his-ways/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [God's work done God's way will never lack God's supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/god-s-work-done-god-s-way-will-never-lack-god-s-supply/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) ## More by Hudson Taylor > [Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/do-not-have-your-concert-first-and-then-tune-your-instrument/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [So if God should place me in serious perplexity, must He not give me much guidance; in places of great difficulty, much grace; in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/so-if-god-should-place-me-in-serious-perplexity-must-he-not-give-me/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [We have heard of many people who trusted God too little, but have you ever heard of anyone who trusted Him too much?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/we-have-heard-of-many-people-who-trusted-god-too-little-but-have-you/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [God's work is not man working for God; it is God's own work, though often wrought through man's hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/god-s-work-is-not-man-working-for-god-it-is-god-s-own-work-though/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [Brother, if you would enter that Province, you must go forward on your knees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/brother-if-you-would-enter-that-province-you-must-go-forward-on-your/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [In Shansi I found Chinese Christians who were accustomed to spend time in fasting and prayer. They recognized that this fasting, which so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/in-shansi-i-found-chinese-christians-who-were-accustomed-to-spend/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [I often think that God must have been looking for someone small enough and weak enough for Him to use, and that He found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/i-often-think-that-god-must-have-been-looking-for-someone-small/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking God to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/i-used-to-ask-god-to-help-me-then-i-asked-if-i-might-help-him-i-ended/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [Satan may build a hedge about us and fence us in and hinder our movements, but he cannot roof us in and prevent our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/satan-may-build-a-hedge-about-us-and-fence-us-in-and-hinder-our/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [God means just what He says and He will do all that He has promised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/god-means-just-what-he-says-and-he-will-do-all-that-he-has-promised/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/unless-there-is-an-element-of-risk-in-our-exploits-for-god-there-is/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [If we are faithful to God in little things, we shall gain experience and strength that will be helpful to us in the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/if-we-are-faithful-to-god-in-little-things-we-shall-gain-experience/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs--an easygoing one for easygoing Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/fruit-bearing-involves-cross-bearing-there-are-not-two-christs-an/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [As a rule, prayer is answered and funds come in, but if we are kept waiting, the spiritual blessing that is the outcome is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/as-a-rule-prayer-is-answered-and-funds-come-in-but-if-we-are-kept/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [“God's work done in God's way will never lack God's provision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/god-s-work-done-in-god-s-way-will-never-lack-god-s-provision/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) [Explore all 104 Hudson Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) ## More Difficult quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [It is extremely difficult to do anything constructive, let alone deep, on daily commercial television, especially on a talk show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/it-is-extremely-difficult-to-do-anything-constructive-let-alone-deep/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... 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She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) [Browse all 13,132 Difficult quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are three stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hudson Taylor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-work-of-god-first-it-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Difficult" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-work-of-god-first-it-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/hudson-taylor-5026_difficult_there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-wo_1992172.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/hudson-taylor-5026_difficult_there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-wo_1992172.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/hudson-taylor-5026_difficult_there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-wo_1992172.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are three stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is…” — Hudson Taylor", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Hudson Taylor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There are three stages to every...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-work-of-god-first-it-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/there-are-three-stages-to-every-great-work-of-god-first-it-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```