Flee from misguided hope and pride
It is pointless to put your hope in men or in any created thing. Don't be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ, and to be seen as poor in the world. Do not exalt yourself, but build your hope on God. Do what is in you, and God's presence will bless your willingness for good. Do not trust in your knowledge or in the cleverness of anyone alive, but trust more greatly in the grace of God, who helps the humble, and who humbles the proud.
Do not pride yourself on riches if you have them, nor in friends who are powerful, but in God who provides all things, and above all things desires to give Himself. Do not brag about the strength or beauty of your body, for with only a slight sickness its glory is gone and it becomes a source of disgust. Do not please yourself, and through humility or cleverness do not displease God, who is the source of all the good we have by nature.
Do not count yourself better than others, or you may appear worse before God, who knows what is in man. Do not pride yourself on good works, for there are different judgments between God and man, and God is often displeased at what pleases man. If you see in yourself goodness, believe that others have more, and keep your humility. It does no harm to place yourself below others; but it is great harm to place yourself above even one. Peace is with the humble, while the heart of the proud often has envy and anger.
Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis, 1.7.
Translation focused on contemporary English and preservation of rhetorical force and art
2 comments:
I think that there's a spelling problem in the title. Feel free to delete this comment.
Oh hey thanks, there is.
I appreciate that!
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