How seldom we weigh our neighbor in the same balance with ourselves.
Thomas A KempisRead
If thou art willing to suffer no adversity, how wilt thou be the friend of Christ?
Interpretation
What this quote means
True friendship, especially with Christ, requires enduring hardships.
Thomas A Kempis suggests that genuine friendship, particularly a spiritual one with Christ, is not devoid of adversity. To truly connect with Christ, one must be willing to face challenges and sufferings, as these trials are integral to deepening one's faith and strengthening the bond of friendship.
Themes
FriendshipAdversityFaithSufferingChrist
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a sermon to emphasize the importance of loyalty in faith.
More from Thomas A Kempis
All quotes βHe will easily be content and at peace, whose conscience is pure.
Thomas A KempisRead
Trust not to your feelings for whatever they might be now, they will quickly be changed towards some other thing.
Thomas A KempisRead
Jesus has many who love the kingdom of God, but few who bear a cross. He has many who desire His comfort, but few who desire His suffering. All want to rejoice with him, but few are willing to suffer for Him. He writes; there are many who admire his miracles, but there are few who follow in the humiliation of the cross.
Thomas A KempisRead
Anyone who thinks hard work will never hurt you has never had to pay to have it done. Jesus now has many lovers of his Heavenly Kingdom, but few bearers of his cross.
Thomas A KempisRead
He has great tranquillity of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. He will easily be content and pacified, whose conscience is pure. You are not holier if you are praised, nor the more worthless if you are found fault with. What you are, that you are; neither by word can you be made greater than what you are in the sight of God.
Thomas A KempisRead
Similar quotes
If you've gone into a marriage and you haven't been clear about how you're going to handle money, how you want to raise kids, who is going to work or stay home or what have you, then you've set yourself up for failure.
Phil McgrawRead
It's okay to send flowers, but don't let the flowers do all the talking. Flowers have a limited vocabulary. About the best flowers can say is that you remembered. But your words tell the rest.
Jim RohnRead
The amount of love, kindness, patience I have for others is is directly proportional to how much love I have for myself, because we cannot give others what we ourselves do not have. And, unsurprisingly, the amount of love, respect, support, and compassion I receive from others is also in direct proportion to how much I love myself.
Anita MoorjaniRead
The Puritan ethic of marriage was first to look not for a partner whom you do love passionately at this moment but rather for one whom you can love steadily as your best friend for life, then to proceed with Godβs help to do just that.
J. I. PackerRead
Iβve found that festivals are a relatively painless way to meet people and make a few points that need making, without having to hit them over the head with too many speeches.
Pete SeegerRead
For listening to the stories of others ... is a kind of water that breaks the fever of our isolation. If we listen closely enough, we are soothed into remembering our common name.
Mark NepoRead