In my last post, I introduced my Thomas A Kempis, Imitation of Christ series, where I’m adapting the old English version into more modern speech. I have found reading Thomas A Kempis, Teresa of Avila, William Law, and other old Christian thinkers very useful for training my mind to think more sharply about spiritual formation into Christ-likeness. One thing these writers have in common is an uncompromising loyalty to addressing the difficult and painful places in Christian life.
In this post, I’m continuing where I left off with Thomas A Kempis’ writing on carrying the cross (Matt. 16:24–25). The cross is central to our identity as Christians, and if we are to understand suffering in our lives, we must look to Christ.
See for yourself! Everything converges at the cross. Everything depends on our dying on our cross. For there is no other way to real life and to the true inner peace we seek than walking the painful path of the cross, dying to ourselves daily.
Go where you will and seek whatever you can to find life and peace—you will never find it. There is no higher way, nor any safer way, than the way of the cross. Plot and scheme to order your life so everything bends to your will and choice, still you will always find that you must suffer some pain against your will. In our best efforts to escape it, we inevitably come back to the suffering of the cross.
For either you will feel pain in your body, in your soul, or in your heart—there will always be a cross to carry.
Sometimes you will feel forgotten by God, and attacked by people, and even feel loathing toward yourself. You will find these pains can’t be eased or comforted away, but so long as God allows, you should bear the cross. For God wants you to learn to suffer tribulation without comfort in order to turn completely to Him, and through suffering become really and truly humble.
No human has greater or more passionate love for Christ as the one who has suffered like Christ has. The cross is always ready, and everywhere available to you. You can’t run from it; wherever you go, there you are, and will always be with yourself. Up and down, in and out, wherever you turn, everywhere you will find the cross; and everywhere you encounter it you must face it with patience if you wish to have peace of heart and the crown of everlasting life.
If you carry your cross willingly, it will carry you, leading you to the desired end goal. Ultimately, the cross leads to the end of suffering, though we can never escape it in this life. On the other hand, if you bear it begrudgingly, you’ve invented a new burden and increased your load double, and even then you have to carry it.
If you throw off one cross, without a shadow of a doubt you will find another, possibly heavier one.
For your own sake, don’t think you can escape what no human being could ever avoid. Which of the saints was ever without his or her cross? Who didn’t have to face some great pain or tribulation? Not even our Lord Jesus Christ was ever one hour without the anguish of his cross, so long as he lived among us. As He Himself has said to us, “The Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead” (Luke 24:46) and by doing this, enter into glory. And how can we seek any better way than Christ’s royal way to the kingdom, than to take up our cross?
(Adapted from chapter 12 of Imitation of Christ, “Of the King’s Highway of the Holy Cross”)
