Bear the Cross, It Will Bear You

The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis

For verily it is not deep words that make a man holy and upright; it is a good life which maketh a man dear to God.

I had rather feel contrition than be skillful in the definition thereof. 

He only is truly great, who hath great charity.

If thou wouldst profit by thy reading, read humbly, simply, honestly, and not desiring to win a character for learning.

As oft as I have gone among men, so oft have I returned less a man.

Two things specially avail unto improvement in holiness, namely firmness to withdraw ourselves from the sin to which by nature we are most inclined, and earnest zeal for that good in which we are most lacking.

Let nothing be great, nothing high, nothing pleasing, nothing acceptable unto thee, save God Himself or the things of God.

Thou art none the holier if thou art praised, nor the viler if thou art reproached.

If thou willingly bear the Cross, it will bear thee. . . .  If thou cast away one cross, without doubt thou shalt find another and perchance a heavier.

For a little reward men make a long journey; for eternal life many will scarce lift a foot once from the ground.

 The prudent lover considereth not the gift of the lover so much as the love of the giver.

 My Son, he who striveth to withdraw himself from obedience, withdraweth himself also from grace, and he who seeketh private advantages, loseth those which are common unto all.

He is not truly patient who will only suffer as far as seemeth right to himself and from whom he pleaseth.

Strive, My Son, to do another's will rather than thine own. Choose always to have less rather than more. Seek always after the lowest place, and to be subject to all. Wish always and pray that the will of God be fulfilled in thee. Behold, such a man as this entereth into the inheritance of peace and quietness.

Hold fast the short and complete saying, 'Renounce all things, and thou shalt find all things; give up thy lust, and thou shalt find rest.'

It is not really a small thing, when in small things we resist self.

How many have been injured by their virtue being made known and too hastily praised.

All reason and natural investigation ought to follow faith, not to precede, nor to break it. 

I find it hard to group all the thoughts in The Imitation of Christ.  I will use the title as the main theme.  I guess it shows that imitating Christ, being his disciple, is simple in its meaning, but profound in its implications and manifold in its expression.

I am impressed with a Kempis' continual reminder that thinking about discipleship or talking about discipleship is not the same as practicing and doing it. Also that doing discipleship without the inner growth and change of self-denial and passion for God and his ways.

As far as mere talk, he criticizes mere book learning that can define the things of God without experiencing them and engage in learning for the inflation of ourselves with a "character of learning" rather than humility of a real disciple.  "Deep words" do not make a disciple, but a "good life."

As far as mere good deeds, he points out how a person may make a show of patience or virtue without really being virtuous at all because he picks and chooses the recipients of his virtue.  It is possible for people to be "injured by their virtue," when it is too quickly or too often praised.  In the end all good deeds, like reason and learning, need to proceed from faith and not precede or break it.

In particular, The Imitation expresses how I might take up the cross and follow Jesus.  Jesus said there would be no following him without first taking up his cross.  In short, a Kempis recommends this saying as central: "Renounce all things, and you will find all things; give up your desires, and you will find rest."  This is a picture of the cross of Christ. About this saying he adds, "Dwell upon this in thy mind, and when thou art full of it, thou shalt understand all things.O Lord, this is not the work of a day, nor children's play; verily in this short saying is enclosed all the perfection of the religious."

Another way he puts this truth about self-denial is "If you willingly bear the cross, it will bear you." In following Christ, the cross is sufficient in bringing us to a powerful, full, and happy life because of the promise and reality of the resurrection. That is why by renouncing, I can gain. "Possessing nothing, but having everything." That is why by giving up my desires, I find peace. My true desire is found in Christ.

Such reading has been foreign to me.  I have had The Imitation recommended to me several times, but I have never been able to make it through until now.  Taking up the cross as self-denial and as destruction of the natural human abilities apart from God has seemed "over the top" and "Medieval" to me until I came face to face with desires and habits that threatened my marriage and my family.  Such desires and habits kept my learning from Christ inconsistent and powerless and emptied my heart of love for him and others.  When I finally saw how destructive these forces that lived in my life and body were, I understood the necessity of the cross.  I saw that only an overhaul would do, not the cosmetic surgery I was trying out.  Death was the answer, not merely coping.

So I can say and hope to live out this message: "If you willingly bear the cross, it will bear you."


Lord, I regret how long I have avoided the cross and fiddled around with mere talk and mere deeds.  I have not followed you with my whole heart, but have often left you to the side, only dabbling in the life you offer, not seeing its full glory and benefit.  Let me see your glory so that I may embrace your cross.  Let nothing be great, nothing high, nothing pleasing, nothing acceptable to me, except you and what you bring.  Amen.


I am reminded of a particular day when I gave up trying to fix myself.  I drove up to a stop sign and realized that I couldn't go forward or backward or left or right and find what would help me.  I had looked everywhere for relief from my desires and vices.  I had looked everywhere, except up.  So I looked to you and said, "Lead me and I will go.  I will do what you say.  Nothing else will work."  You are faithful.  You are enough.  I do not miss the things that I gave up to you that day, but hope to see them crucified completely in my life, so that I may be raised completely in your life.