Learning Detachment
One of the greatest lessons that I’ve learned through this book, is about detachment. Not just from things around us, but detachment from praise, detachment from our own pride and desires. Each and every single false attachment we have to things (and sometimes people) makes us less attached to God. So for instance, if you’re always wondering what other people what think of you, maybe you won’t go out there and share the truth because you don’t want anyone to think that you are crazy.
To sum it up, there is a sort of self-death that happens to us when we truly become disciples of Christ.
Discerning Desires
Desires (I think) is one of the greats things that leads us into great sin. Not too long ago, I wrote a series on the Deadly Seven sins and how they usually lead us into breaking the Ten Commandments. All of these have to do with our desires (or will) that is not in communion with God’s will. This books helps us learn how to conduct ourselves not only in difficult situations but helps us from ourselves as well.
A Sober Read
Over all, I would call this a sober read. Not in any way bad–it is a read that slowly tears away at your pride, and the chip on our shoulder, and reminds us about humility and being charitable. How we are not see ourselves as proud people, but people who are lowly in the eyes of God. How we should not seek the fame, and approval of everyone around us, but how we should always keep our eyes heaven bound.
Understandably, this world is full of temptation, and it’s full of evil deeds, and suffering, but this also helps us remind ourselves why this suffering is happening. It help ground ourselves that we can endure this life–hardships and all–and that there is a purpose for it.
No burden is too great for any person, and while we are here on our earthly pilgrimage, we should always remember that this state is temporary. Fame is temporary, wealth is temporary, because when we go (and we all will go) none of that comes with us. All we will judged for is how we lived our lives and if we truly lived our lives as Jesus’ disciple.
Final Thoughts
While I am still going through this book, I wanted to make sure that I recommend it first. Next to the Bible it is a highly read devotional book, and if you haven’t read it yet, I urge you to pick up a copy. The words are easy to understand the advice and lessons are rich. You can read through it quickly, but you may end up missing something. I would suggest reading this to savor this.
This book has 4 parts, and the last two parts (Book 3 and 4) are like a dialogue.
Favorite Quotes
No one in this world is so perfect or holy as to not have temptations sometimes. We can never be entirely free of them.
It is good that everything is not always to our liking; for adversity makes people look into their hearts in order to realize that they are exiles and must not put their hopes into worldly things.
Learn to be patient in enduring the faults of others, remembering that you yourself have many which others have to put up with.
To think, these are just a few of my favorite quotes! There are so many, but overall, there to many practical lessons that has helped me change my perception of myself.
For any of you interested in this book here is the information:
ISBN number: 978-0-89942-323-4
Title: The Imitation of Christ
Author: Thomas À Kempis
Have you read The Imitation of Christ? If so, what have you learned from it?
This post was originally published on Feb, 13, 2015.
This is MY favorite book.. and this “Learn to be patient in enduring the faults of others, remembering that you yourself have many which others have to put up with.” IS my favorite quote! I USE It allll the time!! IT IS a good good reminder ; esp if you have someone in your life currently that is MAKING you crazy. ha ha ha!
Yes, I love the quote. It really helps me when I get all puffed out of shape hahaha. I have to remind myself, that people have to put up with me, so I can at least have patience with them. One thing that I love about the Imitation of Christ is how you just can’t read it once! It has so much in it, that a simple read of it (especially not a meditative read) we can miss so much.