Teresa of Ávila: Dominion

I affirm that whoever despises all earthly goods holds dominion over them. What are kings and lords to me if I do not want their money, nor seek to please them if by so doing I should displease God in the very least? What care I for their honors, if I know that the honor of a poor man consists in true poverty?

It seems to me that honors and riches nearly always go together: he who loves honor never hates riches, while he who hates riches seeks no honors. You must understand this clearly; for I think that a thirst for honor always carries with it some regard for property and money; it is strange to see a poor man honored by the world, for however much he may deserve it he generally remains unnoticed.”

Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) in The Way of Perfection (London: Thomas Baker, 1919) 11-12. Download this classic work in PDF form freely here.

This is the third of seven posts exploring the surprising spiritual and emotional benefits of poverty and detachment. Find unexpected joy and more this week.

In today's Scripture, the apostle Paul outlines a radical and counter-cultural idea. And Teresa echoes it in her remarks to us.

We live in a world that encourages everyone to aim at riches and avoid poverty at all costs. Sound familiar?

Yet, the apostle Paul would say, that's the worst possible advice. It has you desiring the wrong thing, then you do the wrong actions, and then that leads to your destruction.

Why? Money cannot deliver everything it promises so to pursue it means you are chasing after the wrong thing.

Teresa adds a keen insight. The only way to have dominion over earthly goods or not be controlled by them is to despise them. Don't be intimidated by this word.

Of course God gives us good gifts that He wants us to enjoy. But to despise them means you will not assign more value to them than you should.

She also rightly notes that when you chase after riches, you also tend to pursue honor. This is one of the many griefs that accompany the pursuit of riches. Christ wants us aiming at humility and not honor.

Consider this irony today.

A humble woman about 500 years ago in Ávila, Spain, pursued perfection, poverty, detachment from things, and entrusted herself to God's care, and we honor and remembered her to this day.

But those who pursued riches and honor during her day have long been forgotten. See the point?

If you want to make a lasting and generous impact in this world, maintain your dominion over things by despising them.

And live your life in such a way that shows that God can be trusted to care for you better than you can care for yourself.