Kempis, Thomas quotes

1379-1471 German Monk Mystic Religious Writer

Many deceive themselves, imagining they ll find happiness in change.
Kempis, Thomas
Change

Everywhere I have sought rest and not found it, except sitting in a corner by myself with a little book.
Kempis, Thomas
Books - Reading

Bear the Cross cheerfully and it will bear you.
Kempis, Thomas
Christians and Christianity

Activate yourself to duty by remembering your position, who you are, and what you have obliged yourself to be.
Kempis, Thomas
Duty

The enemy is more easily overcome if he be not suffered to enter the door of our hearts, but be resisted without the gate at his first knock.
Kempis, Thomas
Enemies

Whatever you do, do it with intelligence, and keep the end in view.
Kempis, Thomas
Goals

Man proposes, but God disposes.
Kempis, Thomas
God

He does much who loves God much, and he does much who does his deed well, and he does his deed well who does it rather for the common good than for his own will.
Kempis, Thomas
God

Don t think so much about who is for or against you, rather give all your care, that God be with you in everything you do.
Kempis, Thomas
God

He that loveth, flieth, runneth, and rejoiceth. He is free, and cannot be held in. He giveth all for all, and hath all in all, because he resteth in one highest above all things, from whom all that is good flows and proceeds.
Kempis, Thomas
Giving

If your heart were sincere and upright, every creature would be unto you a looking-glass of life and a book of holy doctrine.
Kempis, Thomas
Heart

Don t flatter the rich, or appear to willing before the great.
Kempis, Thomas
Flattery

Thou art my glory and the exultation of y heart: thou art my hope and refuge in the day of my trouble.
Kempis, Thomas
Heart

How sweet it is to love, and to be dissolved, and as it were to bathe myself in thy love.
Kempis, Thomas
Love

The intention which is fixed on God as its only end will keep people steady in their purposes, and deliver them from being the joke and scorn of fortune.
Kempis, Thomas
God

Set me free from evil passions, and heal my heart of all inordinate affections; that being inwardly cured and thoroughly cleansed, I may be made fit to love, courageous to suffer, steady to persevere.
Kempis, Thomas
Freedom

Love Him, and keep Him for thy Friend, who, when all go away, will not forsake thee, nor suffer thee to perish at the last.
Kempis, Thomas
Friends and Friendship

Scruples, temptations, and fears, and cutting perplexities of the heart, are often the lot of the most excellent persons.
Kempis, Thomas
Fear

Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength.... It is therefore able to undertake all things, and it completes many things, and warrants them to take effect, where he who does not love would faint and lie down.
Kempis, Thomas
Love

Love feels no burden, regards not labors, strives toward more than it attains, argues not of impossibility, since it believes that it may and can do all things. Therefore it avails for all things, and fulfils and accomplishes much where one not a lover falls and lies helpless.
Kempis, Thomas
Love

Love makes everything that is heavy light.
Kempis, Thomas
Love

Love is swift, sincere, pious, joyful, generous, strong, patient, faithful, prudent, long-suffering, courageous, and never seeking its own; for wheresoever a person seeketh his own, there he falleth from love.
Kempis, Thomas
Love

It is vanity to desire a long life and to take no heed of a good life.
Kempis, Thomas
Life and Living

Remember, your prerogative is to govern, and not to serve the things of this world.
Kempis, Thomas
Memory

It is no little wisdom for a man to keep himself in silence and in good peace when evil words are spoken to him, and to turn his heart to God and not to be troubled with man s judgment.
Kempis, Thomas
Judgment and Judges

Be not angry that you cannot make another what you wish them to be; since you cannot make yourself what you wish to be.
Kempis, Thomas
Influence

Peace and happiness are what you covet, but these are only to be obtained by labor.
Kempis, Thomas
Peace

Out of sight, out of mind. The absent are always in the wrong.
Kempis, Thomas
Mind

Do not let your peace depend on the hearts of men; whatever they say about you, good or bad, you are not because of it another man, for as you are, you are.
Kempis, Thomas
Peace

Wherever you go, you will always bear yourself about with you, and so you will always find yourself.
Kempis, Thomas
Spirit and Spirituality

It is much safer to obey, than to govern.
Kempis, Thomas
Obedience

Pass no rash condemnation on other peoples words or actions.
Kempis, Thomas
Tolerance

The loftier the building the deeper the foundation must be.
Kempis, Thomas
Planning

First keep peace with yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
Kempis, Thomas
Peace

An humble knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God than a deep search after learning.
Kempis, Thomas
Self-knowledge

Permit no hour to go by without it due improvement.
Kempis, Thomas
Quality

The better you understand yourself the less cause you will find to love yourself.
Kempis, Thomas
Self-understanding

The highest in God s esteem are the lowest in their own.
Kempis, Thomas
Self-esteem

Intelligence must follow faith, never precede it. and never destroy it.
Kempis, Thomas
Thoughts and Thinking

By two wings a man is lifted up from things earthly: by simplicity and purity.
Kempis, Thomas
Purity

We usually know what we can do, but temptation shows us who we are.
Kempis, Thomas
Temptation

Simplicity is the intention, purity in the affection; simplicity turns to God, purity unites with and enjoys him.
Kempis, Thomas
Simplicity

As iron put into the fire loseth its rust and becometh clearly red-hot, so he that wholly turneth himself unto God puts off all slothfulness, and is transformed into a new man.
Kempis, Thomas
Adversity

No one is qualified to converse in public except those contented to do without such conversation.
Kempis, Thomas
Conversation

Adversities do not make a man frail. They show what sort of man he is.
Kempis, Thomas
Adversity

He has great tranquillity of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men.
Kempis, Thomas
Blame

When a man is out of sight, it is not too long before he is out of mind.
Kempis, Thomas
Absence

The acknowledgment of our weakness is the first step in repairing our loss.
Kempis, Thomas
Weakness

You are a man, not God; you are human, not an angel. How can you expect to remain always in a constant state of virtue, when this was not possible even for an angel of Heaven, nor for the first man in the Garden?
Kempis, Thomas
Virtue

Anyone who thinks hard work will never hurt you has never had to pay to have it done. Jesus now has many lovers of his Heavenly Kingdom, but few bearers of his cross.
Kempis, Thomas
Work, Hard