You Are Not an Angel

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” — Proverbs 24:16 (KJV)

Thomas held his young novices to a high standard, but he also knew they would fail, often. So in Book III he writes a chapter for people who are feeling low because they keep messing up. In it, Christ speaks to the discouraged disciple:

“All is not lost even though you be troubled oftener or tempted more grievously. You are a man, not God. You are flesh, not an angel.”

That is both humbling and comforting. Of course you fall. You are human. Even the angels and the first people in paradise fell, Thomas points out, so “how can you possibly expect to remain always in the same state of virtue?” The point is not to never fall, but not to stay down. Bad moments pass: “The storm that is now aroused will soon be quieted.”

In Book I, Thomas tells a story about a man who was eaten up with anxiety. He kept wondering whether he would really keep going as a Christian to the end of his life. One day, praying in a church, he cried out, “Oh if I but knew whether I should persevere to the end!” And he sensed God answering him inside:

“If you knew this, what would you do? Do now what you would do then and you will be quite secure.”

The man stopped trying to see the future and started simply doing God’s will today. His anxiety lifted. That is good advice if your mind gets stuck on questions like “Will I still believe in ten years?” or “What if I fall away?” Thomas’s answer: do today what you would do if you knew. Follow Jesus today. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

He is practical about growth, too. You don’t have to fix everything at once: “If we were to uproot only one vice each year, we should soon become perfect.” One bad habit a year. That is a pace anyone can manage.

And he gives a simple test for a good day: “If you have spent the day profitably, you will always be happy at eventide.” Eventide means evening. Small, faithful days add up.

One thing to do this week: pick one bad habit to work on this year, just one. Write it down, tell God about it, and choose one small step for this week. When you slip, say, “I’m not an angel, Lord. Help me up,” and keep going.