For eg., how do I live this out wholeheartedly: "Let my willing renunciation of all human comfort be my consolation"? Can I wholeheartedly and willingly renounce "all human comfort"?
How do you find solace in life? How do you surrender every desire, plan and anxiety into God's hands? How do you find solace not in human praise or comfort but in the steadfast love of God?
Thomas Kempis says that we are completely dependent on God, while our temptation is to look to externals (desire, comfort, recognition, other people's praises/opinion) for consolation, and respond poorly to negative life events (desolation, discouragement, disease, death, suffering, sadness, sorrow).
- I am nothing other than nothing and nothing more. There is no holiness if God draws back his hand.
- Not every desire proceeds from the Holy Spirit.
- Grant what you will in the amount you will and at the time you will. Put me wherever you want and act freely with me in all things. I am in your hand. I am ready for anything, for I desire to live, not for myself, but for You. Let your will be my own. Grant that I may die to everything in the world (1 Jn 2:15-17).
- Anything I desire or think of for my solace, I await not here, but hereafter. If you long for these present goods too much in a disordered way, you will lose the eternal goods of heaven.
- All human solace (consolation) is vain and fleeting.
- You must be ready to suffer as you are to rejoice, to be poor and needy as rich and wealthy.
- From you hand, I want to receive good and bad, sweet and bitter, happy and sad with indifference.
Ch. 14: Consider the hidden judgments of God, lest we become haughty over our good deeds. Your judgments thunder down upon me, and you shake all my bones with fear and trembling. There is no holiness if God draws back his hand, if He lets go of the wheel. I am nothing other than nothing and nothing more. [
Ch. 15: The way we must stand and speak in every desirable manner. Not every desire proceeds from the Holy Spirit. Grant what you will in the amount you will and at the time you will. Put me wherever you want and act freely with me in all things. I am in your hand. I am ready for anything, for I desire to live, not for myself, but for You. Let your will be my own. Grant that I may die to everything in the world (1 Jn 2:15-17). Love to be despised and unknown in this present age. [Detachment and holy indifference is critical for all of us. I know what I should do, but I can only do what I should with Your help.]
Ch. 16: True solace must be sought in God alone. [How do I live with detachment and holy indifference? Want God only regardless of whether it is through failure or success, poverty or wealth, sickness or good health, being a free man or in prison.] Anything I desire or think of for my solace, I await not here, but hereafter. If you long for these present goods too much in a disordered way, you will lose the eternal goods of heaven. Do not be satisfied with any temporal goods since you are not created to enjoy them. Even if you had all created goods, you could not be happy and blessed. All your blessedness and happiness consists in God, who created everything. All human solace (consolation) is vain and fleeting. Let this be my consolation, readily willing to go without all human solace (comfort).
Ch. 17: You must cast all your cares on God. Let God do with you as He wills. In many cases your views fall in line with human affections. Whatever You do to me can only be good. If you wish me to suffer trials, may You be ever blessed. You must be ready to suffer as you are to rejoice, to be poor and needy as rich and wealthy. From you hand, I want to receive good and bad, sweet and bitter, happy and sad with indifference. Guard me from all sin.
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