--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are people who, when they encounter…" description: "\"There are people who, when they encounter inability to understand, do not ask the Lord. But one must immediately say, \"Lord, I am a sinful man and I do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/silouan-the-athonite-14548_asks_there-are-people-who-when-they-encounter_1340779.jpg" --- # There are people who, when they encounter inability to… ![“There are people who, when they encounter inability to understand, do not ask the Lord. But one must immediately say, "Lord, I am a sinful man and I don't understand as I should. But give me understanding, merciful One, as to how I must proceed." And the merciful Lord then inspires them as to what…” quote by Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/silouan-the-athonite-14548_asks_there-are-people-who-when-they-encounter_1340779.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/silouan-the-athonite-14548_asks_there-are-people-who-when-they-encounter_1340779.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/silouan-the-athonite-14548_asks_there-are-people-who-when-they-encounter_1340779.jpg) > “There are people who, when they encounter inability to understand, do not ask the Lord. But one must immediately say, "Lord, I am a sinful man and I don't understand as I should. But give me understanding, merciful One, as to how I must proceed." And the merciful Lord then inspires them as to what to do and what not to do.” [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When we cannot understand, we should ask God for humility and guidance. **In simple terms:** Ask God when confused. Key Takeaway Seek divine help for clarity. Themes faith humility seeking truth Mood contemplative devotional Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - theological study - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts prayer spiritual discernment Questions to Reflect On - Do you trust your own understanding? - How does humility change your learning? A Different Perspective Human effort alone may not reveal truth without divine grace. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Merciful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merciful/) [Orthodox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodox/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [My child, seek those things which make for peace. Cease to stir up the King against the Church, and urge upon him a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-child-seek-those-things-which-make-for-peace-cease-to-stir-up-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Through age after age, I am the servant of the Merciful Lord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-guru-granth-sahib/through-age-after-age-i-am-the-servant-of-the-merciful-lord/) [Sri Guru Granth Sahib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-guru-granth-sahib/) > [No one is as good and merciful as the Lord. But even He does not forgive the unrepentant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-eremita/no-one-is-as-good-and-merciful-as-the-lord-but-even-he-does-not/) [Marcus Eremita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-eremita/) > [“Man's inability to understand and appreciate the thought and viewpoint of another man would be a stumbling block which no amount of mechanical ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-d-simak/man-s-inability-to-understand-and-appreciate-the-thought-and/) [Clifford D. Simak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-d-simak/) > [As anyone who has ever been around a cat for any length of time well knows, cats have enormous patience with the limitations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleveland-amory/as-anyone-who-has-ever-been-around-a-cat-for-any-length-of-time-well-2/) [Cleveland Amory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleveland-amory/) > [Cats have enormous patience with the limitations of the human mind. They realize...that we have an infuriating inability to understand, let alone follow, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleveland-amory/cats-have-enormous-patience-with-the-limitations-of-the-human-mind/) [Cleveland Amory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleveland-amory/) > [“Show me the right path, O LORD;        point out the road for me to follow. 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,        for you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/show-me-the-right-path-o-lord-point-out-the-road-for-me-to-follow-5/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With all your power, ask the Lord for humility and brotherly love, because God freely gives His grace for love towards one's brother. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/with-all-your-power-ask-the-lord-for-humility-and-brotherly-love/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [I am pissed off at your insensitive inability to understand why I'm pissed off in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-yazawa/i-am-pissed-off-at-your-insensitive-inability-to-understand-why-i-m/) [Ai Yazawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-yazawa/) > [What perfect breath where my mind lay beside me and all I knew was what had overtaken me with no reason I am comforted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/as-i-lay-dying/what-perfect-breath-where-my-mind-lay-beside-me-and-all-i-knew-was/) As I Lay Dying > [The ability of nonintelligent people to understand the most complicated mechanisms and to use them has always been to me a cause of astonishment:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/the-ability-of-nonintelligent-people-to-understand-the-most/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-merciful-thing-in-the-world-i-think-is-the-inability-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The most merciful thing in the world... is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/the-most-merciful-thing-in-the-world-is-the-inability-of-the-human/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) > [Don't be troubled if you don't feel the love of God in yourself, but thing about the Lord, that He is merciful, and guard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/don-t-be-troubled-if-you-don-t-feel-the-love-of-god-in-yourself-but/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [Understand two thoughts, and fear them. One says, "You are a saint," the other, "You won't be saved." Both of these thoughts are from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/understand-two-thoughts-and-fear-them-one-says-you-are-a-saint-the/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) ## More by Silouan the Athonite > [Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot-know-the-lord-and-the/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [You must teach yourself how to eat less, but with discernment, insofar as your work allows. The measure of temperance should be such that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/you-must-teach-yourself-how-to-eat-less-but-with-discernment-insofar/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [The man who knows the delight of the love of God ? when the soul warmed by grace, loves both God and her brother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/the-man-who-knows-the-delight-of-the-love-of-god-when-the-soul-warmed/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [The Lord loves us so much that He suffered for us on the Cross; and His suffering was so great that we can't comprehend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/the-lord-loves-us-so-much-that-he-suffered-for-us-on-the-cross-and/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [Christ prayed for those that crucified Him: 'Father, count not this sin against them; they know not what they do.' Archdeacon Stephen prayed for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/christ-prayed-for-those-that-crucified-him-father-count-not-this-sin/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [By obedience a man is guarded against pride. Prayer is given for the sake of obedience. The grace of the Holy Spirit is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/by-obedience-a-man-is-guarded-against-pride-prayer-is-given-for-the/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [The Holy Apostle John the Theologian says that the commandments of God are not difficult, but easy (I John, 5:3). But they are only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/the-holy-apostle-john-the-theologian-says-that-the-commandments-of/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [Obedience is necessary not only for monks, but for all people. Even the Lord was obedient. The proud and self-regarding do not allow grace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/obedience-is-necessary-not-only-for-monks-but-for-all-people-even-the/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [We suffer because we have no humility and we do not love our brother. From love of our brother comes the love of God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/we-suffer-because-we-have-no-humility-and-we-do-not-love-our-brother/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [If a man does not tell everything to his spiritual father, then his path is crooked and does not lead to the Kingdom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/if-a-man-does-not-tell-everything-to-his-spiritual-father-then-his/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [Tell everything to your spiritual father, and the Lord will have mercy on you and you will escape delusion. But if you think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/tell-everything-to-your-spiritual-father-and-the-lord-will-have-mercy/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [If suffer some misfortune, then think: "The Lord sees my heart, and if it pleases Him, it will be well both for me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/if-suffer-some-misfortune-then-think-the-lord-sees-my-heart-and-if-it/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [In order to abide in the love of God it is essential for anger and 'hate' to attain their maximum intensity but be directed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/in-order-to-abide-in-the-love-of-god-it-is-essential-for-anger-and/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [The saints are like the Lord, but so are all people who keep the commandments of Christ; but those who live according to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/the-saints-are-like-the-lord-but-so-are-all-people-who-keep-the/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [When the soul knows the love of God by the Holy Spirit, then he clearly feels that the Lord is our own Father, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/when-the-soul-knows-the-love-of-god-by-the-holy-spirit-then-he/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) [Explore all 46 Silouan the Athonite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. 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That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are people who, when they encounter inability to understand, do not ask the Lord. But one must immediately say, \"Lord, I am a sinful man and I don't understand as I should. 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