For they loved human praise more than praise from God. John 12:43
“The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of other men! A weird life it is, indeed, to be living always in somebody else’s imagination, as if that were the only place in which one could at last become real!”
Thomas Merton (1915-1968) in The Seven Storey Mountain (New York: Image, 1970) 400.
My son, Sammy, and I got to climb the Great Wall yesterday, making some unforgettable memories with some great people! The trek and the views were breathtaking. I hope you are enjoying the insights from The Seven Storey Mountain along the way. They pertain to life and what we live for.
For the applause of whom do you live? Some live for praise from their spouse. Others do it for their parents or children. The famous tend to live for praise from the crowds. A few, however, live for God. The only way to grasp the generous life is live for the One who gave you life as a gift to be enjoyed and shared.