--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you carry your cross joyfully, it will…" description: "\"If you carry your cross joyfully, it will carry you.\" — Thomas a Kempis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/thomas-a-kempis-721_carry_if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will_3233541.png" --- # If you carry your cross joyfully, it will carry you. ![“If you carry your cross joyfully, it will carry you.” quote by Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/thomas-a-kempis-721_carry_if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will_3233541.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/thomas-a-kempis-721_carry_if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will_3233541.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/thomas-a-kempis-721_carry_if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will_3233541.png) > “If you carry your cross joyfully, it will carry you.” [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Carrying burdens with joy transforms them into support. **In simple terms:** Joyful acceptance turns hardship into help. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges with a positive attitude. Themes spirituality resilience faith Mood inspirational spiritual Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - personal crisis - caregiving - spiritual practice - teamwork Key Concepts suffering as growth joyful service Questions to Reflect On - How can joy coexist with grief? - What practices help reframe burdens? A Different Perspective Joyful acceptance may downplay legitimate pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [Be hard on yourself and easy on others. Carry your own cross but never lay one on the back of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/be-hard-on-yourself-and-easy-on-others-carry-your-own-cross-but-never/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [On the Way of the Cross, you see, my children, only the first step is painful. Our greatest cross is the fear of crosses.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vianney/on-the-way-of-the-cross-you-see-my-children-only-the-first-step-is/) [John Vianney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vianney/) > [Christ calls us to carry the Cross; churches call us to have fun in His name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/christ-calls-us-to-carry-the-cross-churches-call-us-to-have-fun-in/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [The merit of the cross does not consist in its heaviness, but in the manner in which we carry it. I would even say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/the-merit-of-the-cross-does-not-consist-in-its-heaviness-but-in-the/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [“Carry your cross, follow Christ.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/carry-your-cross-follow-christ/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Use the cross you bear as a crutch to help you on your way, not as a stumbling block that causes you to fall..…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/use-the-cross-you-bear-as-a-crutch-to-help-you-on-your-way-not-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We all have a cross to carry. But it’s a cross that kills our sins, smashes our idols, and teaches us the folly of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/we-all-have-a-cross-to-carry-but-it-s-a-cross-that-kills-our-sins/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [“Why did I, like thousands of others, have to carry a cross I hadn't chosen, a cross which was not made for my shoulders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-claudel/why-did-i-like-thousands-of-others-have-to-carry-a-cross-i-hadn-t/) [Philippe Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-claudel/) > [“When God wants to test us, he sometimes takes away what we are craving the most. For reasons only he knows, he deprives us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-i-smith/when-god-wants-to-test-us-he-sometimes-takes-away-what-we-are-craving/) A.I. Smith > [The Cross of Christ bears the suffering and the sin of mankind, including our own. Jesus accepts all this with open arms, bearing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-cross-of-christ-bears-the-suffering-and-the-sin-of-mankind/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Carry the cross patiently, and with perfect submission; and in the end it shall carry you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/carry-the-cross-patiently-and-with-perfect-submission-and-in-the-end/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [ Salvation by the cross. \[Lat., In cruce salus.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/salvation-by-the-cross-lat-in-cruce-salus/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you cast away one cross, you will certainly find another, and perhaps a heavier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-cast-away-one-cross-you-will-certainly-find-another-and/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you bear the cross gladly, it will bear you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-bear-the-cross-gladly-it-will-bear-you/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [I've heard that our greatest cross to carry is ourselves - how gravely we fall short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-ve-heard-that-our-greatest-cross-to-carry-is-ourselves-how-gravely/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## More by Thomas a Kempis > [Have therefore zeal to better thyself and then mayst thou have zeal to thy neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/have-therefore-zeal-to-better-thyself-and-then-mayst-thou-have-zeal/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [And if thy heart be straight with God then every creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/and-if-thy-heart-be-straight-with-god-then-every-creature-shall-be-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Patience is necessary in this life because so much of life is fraught with adversity. No matter how hard we try, our lives will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/patience-is-necessary-in-this-life-because-so-much-of-life-is-fraught/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [To take no account of oneself, but always to think well and highly of others is the highest wisdom and perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/to-take-no-account-of-oneself-but-always-to-think-well-and-highly-of/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [It is easier not to speak a word at all than to speak more words than we should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/it-is-easier-not-to-speak-a-word-at-all-than-to-speak-more-words-than/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Be Yourself -The man who is neither bent upon pleasing his fellows nor afraid of offending them will enjoy great peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/be-yourself-the-man-who-is-neither-bent-upon-pleasing-his-fellows-nor/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“0 true and heavenly grace, without which our own merits are nothing, and our natural gifts of no account! Neither arts nor riches, beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/0-true-and-heavenly-grace-without-which-our-own-merits-are-nothing/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-would-endeavor-like-men-of-courage-to-stand-in-the-battle/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“No man safely goeth abroad who loveth not to rest at home. No man safely talketh but he who loveth to hold his peace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/no-man-safely-goeth-abroad-who-loveth-not-to-rest-at-home-no-man/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“Nature has a relish for knowing secrets and hearing news. It wishes to appear abroad and to have sense experiences. It wishes to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/nature-has-a-relish-for-knowing-secrets-and-hearing-news-it-wishes-to/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Love is watchful. Sleeping, it does not slumber. Wearied, it is not tired. Pressed, it is not straitened. Alarmed, it is not confused, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/love-is-watchful-sleeping-it-does-not-slumber-wearied-it-is-not-tired/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you bear the cross gladly, it will bear you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-bear-the-cross-gladly-it-will-bear-you/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will be worthy to receive greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/be-thankful-for-the-smallest-blessing-and-you-will-be-worthy-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you cast away one cross, you will certainly find another, and perhaps a heavier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-cast-away-one-cross-you-will-certainly-find-another-and/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Dispose thyself to patience rather than to comfort, and to the bearing of the cross rather than to gladness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/dispose-thyself-to-patience-rather-than-to-comfort-and-to-the-bearing/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) [Explore all 387 Thomas a Kempis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) ## More Carry quotes > [There's always gonna be people with a lot of money making film, and the goal is to make profit and carry on. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-howard/there-s-always-gonna-be-people-with-a-lot-of-money-making-film-and/) [Clint Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-howard/) > [“The prize of success is never a burden to carry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriett-antwi-boasiako/the-prize-of-success-is-never-a-burden-to-carry/) Harriett Antwi-Boasiako > [I don't know how to carry a tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-lancie/i-don-t-know-how-to-carry-a-tune/) [John de Lancie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-lancie/) > [I think we need national carry reciprocity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/i-think-we-need-national-carry-reciprocity/) [Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/) > [“Nat: I don't know. The weight of it, I guess. At some point it becomes bearable. It turns into something you can crawl out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lindsay-abaire/nat-i-don-t-know-the-weight-of-it-i-guess-at-some-point-it-becomes/) [David Lindsay-Abaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lindsay-abaire/) > [It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. Carry it by the comfortable handles of gratitude for what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-horne/it-s-not-the-load-that-breaks-you-down-it-s-the-way-you-carry-it/) [Lena Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-horne/) > [I will miss you, carry on and live for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-miss-you-carry-on-and-live-for-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Carry yourself as one who will change the world, because you will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/carry-yourself-as-one-who-will-change-the-world-because-you-will/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [“You want to carry my baby?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-smith/you-want-to-carry-my-baby/) [Andrea Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-smith/) > [You can hold onto anything to make you carry on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-winman/you-can-hold-onto-anything-to-make-you-carry-on/) [Sarah Winman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-winman/) > [I'm just becoming more and more aware of this truly profound responsibility that we carry as individuals. And it's a responsibility not only to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jordan/i-m-just-becoming-more-and-more-aware-of-this-truly-profound/) [Chris Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jordan/) > [“Carry on. Just be careful with whom you carry on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-peterson/carry-on-just-be-careful-with-whom-you-carry-on/) Dick Peterson > [“So long as you don't bleed in the shape of wing joints, you should pass for human. Oh, and don't let anyone pick you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ee/so-long-as-you-don-t-bleed-in-the-shape-of-wing-joints-you-should/) [Susan Ee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ee/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I wouldn't do a film like 'The Dirty Picture.' I have a husband and kids, and I won't be able to do justice to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kajol/i-wouldn-t-do-a-film-like-the-dirty-picture-i-have-a-husband-and-kids/) [Kajol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kajol/) Browse all 869 Carry quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you carry your cross joyfully, it will carry you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas a Kempis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will-carry-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Carry" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will-carry-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/thomas-a-kempis-721_carry_if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will_3233541.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/thomas-a-kempis-721_carry_if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will_3233541.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/thomas-a-kempis-721_carry_if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will_3233541.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you carry your cross joyfully, it will carry you.” — Thomas a Kempis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas a Kempis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you carry your cross joyfully,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will-carry-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-carry-your-cross-joyfully-it-will-carry-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```