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  PEACE IS NOT TO BE PLACED IN MEN
  by Thomas a Kempis
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Summary: True peace and happiness can only be found in God, and not in
human relationships or earthly comforts.

Topics: "Spiritual Growth", "Detachment From World"
Scripture References: John 14:27, Philippians 2:3, Colossians 3:2, James 4:6, 1 John 2:15

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DESCRIPTION
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Thomas a Kempis preaches about finding true peace and love in God alone,
emphasizing the importance of rooting our affections in the eternal
Truth rather than in temporary human relationships. He highlights the
need to detach from earthly comforts and desires, striving for humility
and self-emptying to make room for God's grace to work in our hearts.
Kempis teaches that true love and strength come from God, and any
excessive attachment to created things hinders our spiritual growth and
corrupts the soul.

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CONTENT
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THE VOICE OF CHRIST

MY CHILD, if you place your peace in any creature because of your own
feeling or for the sake of his company, you will be unsettled and
entangled. But if you have recourse to the ever-living and abiding
Truth, you will not grieve if a friend should die or forsake you. Your
love for your friend should be grounded in Me, and for My sake you
should love whoever seems to be good and is very dear to you in this
life. Without Me friendship has no strength and cannot endure. Love
which I do not bind is neither true nor pure.

You ought, therefore, to be so dead to such human affections as to wish
as far as lies within you to be without the fellowship of men. Man draws
nearer to God in proportion as he withdraws farther from all earthly
comfort. And he ascends higher to God as he descends lower into himself
and grows more vile in his own eyes. He who attributes any good to
himself hinders God's grace from coming into his heart, for the grace of
the Holy Spirit seeks always the humble heart.

If you knew how to annihilate yourself completely and empty yourself of
all created love, then I should overflow in you with great grace. When
you look to creatures, the sight of the Creator is taken from you.
Learn, therefore, to conquer yourself in all things for the sake of your
Maker. Then will you be able to attain to divine knowledge. But
anything, no matter how small, that is loved and regarded inordinately
keeps you back from the highest good and corrupts the soul.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/thomas-a-kempis/peace-is-not-to-be-placed-in-men/
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