Imitation of Christ: 1, 7, Avoiding False Hope and Pride [Devotional]

Work of God/Imitation of Christ ^ | 1441 | Thomas a Kempis

[Salvation]

Avoiding False Hope and Pride
VAIN is the man who puts his trust in men, in created things. Do not be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ and to seem poor in this world. Do not be self-sufficient but place your trust in God. Do what lies in your power and God will aid your good will. Put no trust in your own learning nor in the cunning of any man, but rather in the grace of God Who helps the humble and humbles the proud. If you have wealth, do not glory in it, nor in friends because they are powerful, but in God Who gives all things and Who desires above all to give Himself. Do not boast of personal stature or of physical beauty, qualities which are marred and destroyed by a little sickness. Do not take pride in your talent or ability, lest you displease God to Whom belongs all the natural gifts that you have. Do not think yourself better than others lest, perhaps, you be accounted worse before God Who knows what is in man. Do not take pride in your good deeds, for God's judgments differ from those of men and what pleases them often displeases Him. If there is good in you, see more good in others, so that you may remain humble. It does no harm to esteem yourself less than anyone else, but it is very harmful to think yourself better than even one. The humble live in continuous peace, while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent anger.

[Salvation]

For your thoughtful and prayerful meditation and response.

[Salvation]

Imitation of Christ Devotional Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Imitation of Christ Devotional Ping List.

Also, many Protestants have asked me to put them on this ping list. I will gladly do so, but they will not get all the Catholic pings.

[Salvation]

The Religion Moderator gave me permission to copy the rules from the Chambers' thread (with a few alterations) which I think are applicable. Thank you to the RM!

Come to these threads as you are; leave with what you have discovered.

Absolutely no flaming! These daily threads are intended to be devotional in nature. If a particular day's offering says nothing to you, please just go on and wait for the next day. Consider these threads a DMZ of sorts, a place where a perpetual truce is in effect and a place where all other arguments and disagreements from other times and places are left behind.

I can attest from personal experience (Salvation's)  that reading from Imitation of Christ daily will almost certainly change - not one's faith - but one's perspective of his/her own faith, and open up new vistas in your spiritual life. If - when - this happens to a reader of these threads, and they choose to share what has happened within them - we are treading on hallowed ground. Be respectful.

- Religion Moderator

Come to these threads as you are; leave with what you have discovered.

[Salvation]

 

 

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST

BY

THOMAS KEMPIS

A very powerful spiritual guidance for the soul who seeks to imitate Jesus Christ. 

Learn from me, because I am meek and humble of heart. Mat. 11:29

[Salvation]

I see I forgot to add the word [Devotional] to the title. Could you please do that for me. I thank you in advance.

[Salvation]

Imitation of Christ -- Foreword [Devotional]
Imitation of Christ, 1,1 - Imitating Jesus Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth [Devotional]
Imitation of Christ: 1,2, Having A Humble Opinion of Self [Devotional]
Imitation of Christ: 1, 3, The Doctrine of Truth [Devotional]
Imitation of Christ: 1, 4, Prudence in Action [Devotional]
Imitation of Christ, 1, 5, Reading the Holy Scripture [Devotional]
Imitation of Christ: 1, 6, Unbridled Affections [Devotional]

Imitation of Christ: 1, 7, Avoiding False Hope and Pride [Devotional]

[Kolokotronis]

"Learn from me, because I am meek and humble of heart. Mat. 11:29"

Extreme Humilty

[ConorMacNessa]

"The humble live in continuous peace, while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent anger."

Good lesson, Salvation - thanks for posting it.

[Salvation]

Isn’t it a beautiful quote from the Bible to constantly keep on our tongue and in our heart.

I know I kept quiet yesterday instead of retorting to one person.

[Salvation]

Thanks, MacNessa. Appreciate your stopping by to read it too.

[Emmett McCarthy]

Thank you. Reading these has been important to me - and came in a very timely manner as well.

[Salvation]

**and came in a very timely manner as well.**

I am always amazed at the timeliness of these reflections.......you can see I posted about something that just happened to me yesterday.

[redgolum]

There was a nice hard back version of “The Imitation of Christ” in Barnes and Noble for a while. I need to pick that up.

Read bits and pieces of it over the years, but just haven’t got around to the whole thing. Been spending to much time on Augustine.

[Salvation]

Augustine is a good read, however. I certainly wouldn’t abandon it.

When I’m watching Brit on Fox News, I mute the commercials and read a chapter during that time. LOL!

BTW, only thing I watch on Fox News now. Once in a while will watch the Specials — like I will watch part of the Special interview with Petraeus and Crocker tonight before I go to the funeral home to lead a Rosary for someone who went on our Pilgrimage last summer and died suddenly.

Then to a YLI meeting. Young Ladies Institute — much like Knights in their dedication to the seminary burse and other service projects.

[redgolum]

With all that I have going on right now, I have little time for even Augustine!

Which in a way is good, as it focuses me when I do get a slice of time for such reading.