Thomas á Kempis: Dwell Willingly

In 1400 AD, Thomas Hammerken entered a monastery in the Netherlands and for the next 71 years, sought a devotional life that would conform in every way to the life of His Savior; the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thomas á Kempis, as he would come to be known, was passionate in seeking inward fellowship with Christ in all circumstances of life. In his devotional classic, ‘Of the imitation of Christ,’ he encourages Christians to walk intimately with Jesus even amidst the darkness of physical pain and suffering. ‘If you cannot contemplate high and heavenly things,’ he wrote, ‘rest yourself in the passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in His sacred wounds.’

1 Corinthians 1:5 says, ‘For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.’

It can be difficult during times of sickness & physical pain to experience the presence of God and the joys of the Christian life. However, comfort can be found in Jesus Christ who is intimately acquainted with our suffering as He endured the horror of the crucifixion on our behalf. Meditation on the anguish he endured for us can bring comfort and strength to endure our own physical afflictions.

As Thomas á Kempis wrote, ‘ if you flee devoutly unto the wounds and precious marks of the Lord Jesus, you shall feel great strengthening in tribulation.’