Episode 3 – The Imitation of Christ: The Benefits of Adversity

Adversity and injustices in this world don’t have to be all bad. In fact, episode three of The Commentaries: The Imitation of Christ, is a good reminder that sometimes what we perceive as the worst things in life turn out to be blessings.

The Imitation of Christ addresses the benefits of adversity. “It is good for us to have sometimes troubles and adversities, for they make a man enter into himself that he may know that he is in a state of banishment and may not place his hopes in anything of this world. It is good that we sometimes suffer contradictions and that men have an evil or imperfect opinion of us even when we do and intend well. These things are often helps to humility and defend us from vainglory.”

Fr. Robert Nixon puts it like this, “These things, when we encounter these, can be good reminders that we don’t want to put all our hopes on the things of this world because ultimately they’re inconstant and deceptive.”

Episode three of The Commentaries dives into Book One of The Imitation of Christ, chapters 12-19.