The Imitation of Christ

Thomas Kempis has been totally rocking my theological views and challenging me like crazy in "The Imitation of Christ." It's a really old book (found at http://www.leaderu.com/cyber/books/imitation/imb1c01-10.html#RTFToC19) but there is a more modern version too.
It's my new favorite thing to read in my devotions. Here is an excerpt from today's reading:

The Sixth Chapter

UNBRIDLED AFFECTIONS

WHEN a man desires a thing too much, he at once becomes ill at ease

. A proud and avaricious man never rests, whereas he who is poor and humble of heart lives in a world of peace. An unmortified man is quickly tempted and overcome in small, trifling evils; his spirit is weak, in a measure carnal and inclined to sensual things; he can hardly abstain from earthly desires. Hence it makes him sad to forego them; he is quick to anger if reproved. Yet if he satisfies his desires, remorse of conscience overwhelms him because he followed his passions and they did not lead to the peace he sought.

True peace of heart, then, is found in resisting passions, not in satisfying them. There is no peace in the carnal man, in the man given to vain attractions, but there is peace in the fervent and spiritual man.

I really like the high language it's written in because no ones talk

s like this today...it makes it seem more full of wisdom! Today we love slang, abridged versions, and witty quotes. This book is not much of that but it's totally worth the time. It makes me want to savor my Christian life.

At the beginning he says "he who is poor and humble of heart living in a world of peace." I struggle finding a balance between desiring big financial goals, wanting to succeed and live in plenty vs. living an extremely modest life and giving away the wealth we earn. I feel like Jesus would do the second. He definitely wants us to be provided for, but why are we so quick to please ourselves? We buy all the gadgets, TVs, computers, phones...etc. but when it comes to a free will offering or even tithing it can be such a difficult check to write. If only we had eyes to see the spiritual...our desires would be so opposite! We say we don't ha

ve time to spend with Jesus, but we don't miss our favorite shows. It's AMERICA...lol, we never feel this struggle when we're doing missions in Costa Rica.

I just want to live in a world of peace....what do you think?

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