Imitation of Christ

Ch 7

1. They are follish indeed who put their trust in other psersons or in any creature. 

Do not be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ and to be considered poor in this world. 

Do not presume to trust yourself, but place your hope in God. 

Do what is in your power to do, and God will honor your heart's intent. 

Do not trust in your own knowledge, or in the cleverness of any living soul, but rather in the grace of God, who helps the humble and humbles the proud. 

2. If you have wealth, do not glory in it or in your powerful friends, Rather glory in God who gives all things and who, above all, desires to give you himself. 

Do not pride yourself because of your physical stature or your beauty, which may be marred or destroyed by a small illness. 

Do not take pleasure in your natural gifts or your readiness of wit, for fear that you may offended God, who created everytihng good that you have received by nature

3l. Do not consider yourself better than others, for feare that perhaps in the sight of God, who knows what is in us, you be accounted worse than they are. 

Do not be proud in well-doing, for the judgment of God is far different from human judgment, and he is often offended by that which we find pleasing. 

If there is any good in you, you should believe that there is much more in others, and so preserve your humility. 

It does you no harm to consider yourself worse than all other persons, but it does you great harm to exalt yourself above even one person. 

The humble enjoy continual peace, but the heart of the proud is full of jealousy and frequent indignation.