--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing about God, she thought, is that…" description: "\"The thing about God, she thought, is that He usually does help, but not until you've made an effort on your own.\" — Tove Jansson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/tove-jansson-1846_doe_the-thing-about-god-she-thought-is-that_2590457.jpg" --- # The thing about God, she thought, is that He usually does… ![“The thing about God, she thought, is that He usually does help, but not until you've made an effort on your own.” quote by Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/tove-jansson-1846_doe_the-thing-about-god-she-thought-is-that_2590457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/tove-jansson-1846_doe_the-thing-about-god-she-thought-is-that_2590457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/tove-jansson-1846_doe_the-thing-about-god-she-thought-is-that_2590457.jpg) > “The thing about God, she thought, is that He usually does help, but not until you've made an effort on your own.” [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine assistance arrives only after personal effort is made. **In simple terms:** God helps after you try. Key Takeaway Take initiative before seeking help. Themes faith effort self-reliance divine Mood reflective hopeful Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - career challenges - creative projects - personal growth Key Concepts personal agency spiritual patience Questions to Reflect On - What effort precedes divine aid? - How do you know when to act? A Different Perspective May imply divine indifference. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) ## Related quotes > [“All thought usually reached the public after thirty years in some such form: The man on the street heard the conclusions of some dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/all-thought-usually-reached-the-public-after-thirty-years-in-some/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I've never made any effort to hide what happened. I served my time, I've tried to learn and move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-salva/i-ve-never-made-any-effort-to-hide-what-happened-i-served-my-time-i/) [Victor Salva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-salva/) > [You're not sorry. You could've been here if you made the effort. But when did you ever make an effort for anybody but yourself?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/you-re-not-sorry-you-could-ve-been-here-if-you-made-the-effort-but/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“Oh, That's great! Now how does that help me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-smith/oh-that-s-great-now-how-does-that-help-me/) Morgan Smith > [There is no love which does not become help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/there-is-no-love-which-does-not-become-help/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [If everyone thinks the other guy will do it, this just does not help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javi-gracia/if-everyone-thinks-the-other-guy-will-do-it-this-just-does-not-help/) [Javi Gracia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javi-gracia/) > [It really does help everyone when there are some big bands leading the charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-shadows/it-really-does-help-everyone-when-there-are-some-big-bands-leading/) [M. Shadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-shadows/) > [I like to sing when I have works to do - it does so help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-whiteley/i-like-to-sing-when-i-have-works-to-do-it-does-so-help/) [Opal Whiteley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-whiteley/) > [I think Spotify really does help. If you're going with the evolution of music these days, it's only becoming more and more popular and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-origliasso/i-think-spotify-really-does-help-if-you-re-going-with-the-evolution/) [Jessica Origliasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-origliasso/) > [Everything a director does must help the story and the performances. Otherwise, it is useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wyler/everything-a-director-does-must-help-the-story-and-the-performances/) [William Wyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wyler/) > [Work certainly does help fill a void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/work-certainly-does-help-fill-a-void/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [One alone does not help, but rather he who unites with many at the right moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/one-alone-does-not-help-but-rather-he-who-unites-with-many-at-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Misfortune does not help us to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/misfortune-does-not-help-us-to-believe/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [Nothing does so much to help those who suffer as to know that somebody cares.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-miller/nothing-does-so-much-to-help-those-who-suffer-as-to-know-that/) [J.R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-miller/) > [When certain stars take you under their wing, it does help as they gauge your potential and are willing to work with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/when-certain-stars-take-you-under-their-wing-it-does-help-as-they/) [Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/) ## More by Tove Jansson > [I'm not sure I would have ever started to draw, let alone write, if my childhood hadn't been so happy. It was a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/i-m-not-sure-i-would-have-ever-started-to-draw-let-alone-write-if-my/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“The star we're looking for isn't so very friendly," said Moomintroll. "Quite the contrary, in fact." "What did you say?" said Sniff. Moomintroll went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/the-star-we-re-looking-for-isn-t-so-very-friendly-said-moomintroll/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [It looks rather ordinary," said the Snork. "Unless you consider that a top hat is always somewhat extraordinary, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/it-looks-rather-ordinary-said-the-snork-unless-you-consider-that-a/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“But Moominpappa wasn't listening, because just at that moment he had got the right grip on a big round boulder, and with a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/but-moominpappa-wasn-t-listening-because-just-at-that-moment-he-had/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [Everyone must imagine his own snakes because no one else's snakes can ever be as awful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/everyone-must-imagine-his-own-snakes-because-no-one-else-s-snakes-can/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [All men have parties and are pals who never let each other down. A pal can say terrible things which are forgotten the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/all-men-have-parties-and-are-pals-who-never-let-each-other-down-a-pal/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [Someone who eats pancakes and jam can't be so awfully dangerous. You can talk to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/someone-who-eats-pancakes-and-jam-can-t-be-so-awfully-dangerous-you/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [It's risky to talk about one's most secret dreams a bit too early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/it-s-risky-to-talk-about-one-s-most-secret-dreams-a-bit-too-early/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“I cannot stress enough the perils of your friends marrying or becoming court inventors. One day you are all a society of outlaws, adventurous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/i-cannot-stress-enough-the-perils-of-your-friends-marrying-or/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“Sophia," she said, "this is really not something to argue about. You can see for yourself that life is hard enough without being punished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/sophia-she-said-this-is-really-not-something-to-argue-about-you-can/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [Before we left, Grandmother talked a lot about the arctic night we would fly through. 'Isn't it a mystical word, "arctic"? Pure and quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/before-we-left-grandmother-talked-a-lot-about-the-arctic-night-we/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [It is still summer, but the summer is no longer alive. It has come to a standstill; nothing withers, and fall is not ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/it-is-still-summer-but-the-summer-is-no-longer-alive-it-has-come-to-a/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“It'd be awful if the world exploded, it's so wonderfully splendid”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/it-d-be-awful-if-the-world-exploded-it-s-so-wonderfully-splendid/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“Grandmother walked up over the bare granite and thought about birds in general. It seemed to her no other creature had the same dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/grandmother-walked-up-over-the-bare-granite-and-thought-about-birds/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [But he thought all the strange words were beautiful, and he had never had a book of his own before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/but-he-thought-all-the-strange-words-were-beautiful-and-he-had-never/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) [Explore all 159 Tove Jansson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) ## More Doe quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. 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The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? 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