Thomas à Kempis: Resisting passions and vain attractions

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If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. Colossians 3:1-7

“When a man desires a thing too much, he at once becomes ill at ease. A proud and avaricious man never rests, whereas he who is poor and humble of heart lives in a world of peace. An unmortified man is quickly tempted and overcome in small, trifling evils; his spirit is weak, in a measure carnal and inclined to sensual things; he can hardly abstain from earthly desires. Hence it makes him sad to forego them; he is quick to anger if reproved. Yet if he satisfies his desires, remorse of conscience overwhelms him because he followed his passions and they did not lead to the peace he sought. True peace of heart, then, is found in resisting passions, not in satisfying them. There is no peace in the carnal man, in the man given to vain attractions, but there is peace in the fervent and spiritual man.”

Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380-1471) in “Unbridled Affections” in The Imitation of Christ (Grand Rapids: CCEL) 8.

The desire for things on earth can destroy each of us and keep us from experiencing peace. Anyone who thinks he or she is immune from such passions is likely already bound under their control. So how can we resist vain attractions? For the Apostle Paul, there’s one, and only one, way. Seek the things above. We resist by setting our affections on Christ and all He desires for us while simultaneously putting to death our earthly desires.

Notice, the ultimate vice in Paul’s list of earthly passions is covetousness or greed which is idolatry. The desire for money and things, though good gifts from God, leads us to idolize those things. What’s the connection to generosity? We can neither find peace when we set our hope on things that cannot satisfy, nor can we ever be generous when we idolize the gifts we have been given instead of the Giver.

Once we find true peace, we want others to locate it. My advice (with Thomas): don’t reprove foolish souls who seek to accumulate money and possessions. They will resent you and despise you in their pride. Instead, show them by your life that resisting passions and vain attractions is the only pathway to peace, satisfaction, and generosity. If they ask, point the way, but I suggest pray for them and show them the way by example.