Thomas à Kempis:Strongest Consolation

"There is scarcely anything in which you so need to die to self as in seeing and suffering things that are against your will, especially when things that are commanded seem inconvenient or useless. Then, because you are under authority, and dare not resist the higher power, it seems hard to submit to the will of another and give up your own opinion entirely.

But consider, my child, the fruit of these labors, how soon they will end and how greatly they will be rewarded, and you will not be saddened by them, but your patience will receive the strongest consolation. For instead of the little will that you now readily give up, you shall always have your will in heaven. There, indeed, you shall find all that you could desire. There you shall have possession of every good without fear of losing it. There shall your will be forever one with Mine.

It shall desire nothing outside of Me and nothing for itself. There no one shall oppose you, no one shall complain of you, no one hinder you, and nothing stand in your way. All that you desire will be present there, replenishing your affection and satisfying it to the full. There I shall render you glory for the reproach you have suffered here; for your sorrow I shall give you a garment of praise, and for the lowest place a seat of power forever."

Today the generosity that comes into view links to our need to die to self and entrust ourselves to the One who can offer the strongest consolation.

This takes courage, but the gain is unfathomable. Here, Thomas reminds us of the promise of eternal reward. And we will have everything we have ever needed there in Christ.

Today's Scripture features the needful posture we must take to exhibit this generosity. It's a posture of surrender to God in order to position ourselves for the strongest consolation.

When we deny ourselves, follow Jesus, forfeiting everything else, we experience God's generosity, that is, everything good, and best of all, by aligning with Jesus, He will not be ashamed of us in the last day.

May Jesus also care for you as you surrender yourself to Him and His care and suffer things against your will.

And rejoice with me that while doing some video production for releasing a new Generosity Monk website in June 2026 working in collaboration with Mizraab and Suniel Khawar, Suniel's professor and mentor, Haroon Habib (born Muslim) has assisted us and listened to me from behind the camera. After the third day, he declared (no kidding, praise God!) that his highlight was listening and learning he announced that he wants to follow Jesus with us. And we read this Scripture today, on our last day together.

This the greatest reward for a trip that's only half over. When we live generously, show the world what a surrendered life looks like, and talk about it means to follow Christ... people taste, see, and want to follow with us.