The Imitation of Christ - Part 7

The Imitation of Christ - Thomas a Kempis
Chapter 7
Of Fleeing From Vain Hope and Pride

"Trust not in thy learning, nor in the cleverness of any that lives, but rather trust in the favour of God, who resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble."

I love books. I love reading. I love learning. Yet, I am not to trust in my learning. Surely, God is pleased when I read my Bible. What does Kempis mean by this?

When I look more closely, I see two things. First, Kempis is telling us not to trust in our LEARNING. We are to trust in the Lord. We should be looking for His favor. We are not to make an idol of our learning.

Secondly, Kempis says not to trust in THY learning. We have to be careful not to trust only in what we glean. We could be wrong in our conclusions. We need to seek Godly counsel. Pray for discernment. Test everything against scripture.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 NKJV

('Solomon dictating wise sayings' from Bible Picture Gallery)