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Contents
Know, Love, And Serve
Grace
On Course
Rest
Know, Love, And Serve
1. "The more one knows God, the greater one desires to know Him. Knowledge is commonly the measure of love. The deeper and more extensive our knowledge, the greater is our love."
... Brother Lawrence
Through the practice of the presence of God, the exercise of the holy habit of continually conversing and walking with God, we discover that knowing,
loving, and serving God are seamlessly bound together. They are three facets of the same basic approach to our unique relationship with Our Father. Knowing, loving, and serving God flow into the one
expression we call faith, simple faith. Knowing, loving, and serving God in simple faith is the way we fulfill the requirements of the Greatest Commandment.
We come to know God by being with Him and opening our hearts to the impulse of His indwelling presence. We come to know Him by our dwelling in His word
as revealed to us through The Gospel. We come to know and love God through the ordinary experience of the practice of the presence of God.
Our love follows a rhythm of beginning, growing, and ripening as our desire to know God ever increases. As we continue in the practice of the holy
habit, we experience the awareness of God's presence within us and all around us. He is always on our mind.
Service is the sibling of knowledge and love. It comes from our desire to please the one we know to be ultimately lovely and true. It follows that the
more we know God, the more we love God, then the greater is our desire to serve Him.
We must be careful to realize the oneness of knowing, loving, and serving. They are inseparable and complement each other. Knowing, loving, and serving
act together in the balance of simple faith.
Of the threefold command: know, love, and serve, the one that is often misunderstood and overemphasized, especially in the beginning, is serve.
However, if we try to begin fulfilling the Great Commandment through an emphasis on service, we inevitably place too much stress on knowing God's will. We upset the balance of simple faith by
attempting to get ahead of knowing and loving God. In those dear words of Brother Lawrence we try to go "faster than grace."
We generally think of serving God through actions and deeds. We see service as performance and doing things. But this is a limited approach. We must come to see a broader view of service that includes our
engaging in continual conversation with Our Father and our constant loving awareness of Him. We must come to see a broader view of service that includes prayerful reading of His Word so we may
continue to know Him more and more. We must come to see a broader view of service that includes patience which is an act of obedience.
When we are careful to view service alongside knowledge and love, we see that service means our growing into the role of a humble servant so we may live "at His service." As the good and faithful servant's will is surrendered to the master, we, then, "wait on God" down to the last detail.
As a good servant, we continuously desire to learn from Our Master so we may be ever ready to attend to Him. As a good and faithful servant, we stay in constant contact. In other words, we practice God's presence.
Dear One, let us take time to appreciate that the practice of the presence of God, the way of life where we engage in continual conversation with God;
walk with Him in love, humility, simplicity, and faith; and do nothing, say nothing, and think nothing that may displease Him, is really God's very own gift to us for knowing, loving, and serving
Him. We have but to receive this precious gift and humbly say, 'Thank You, Father'.
2. Unlike His human creatures, God always listens. He always hears us. God understands every language and has perfect hearing. To God's ears there is no difference between a word thought
and a word spoken. In a letter to a suffering friend, Brother Lawrence wrote, "You need not cry very loud. He is nearer to us than we are aware."
This certainly runs counter to the way the world operates. We do not have to search very far to see that, usually, wherever God is acknowledged He is also contained in a separate compartment and given an assigned place in the culture.
In most societies God is often associated with a building that is a church or a place of worship. Buildings need to be protected with locks and hours of access must be established. Along these customary lines, it is easy to see how we fall into the habit of thinking of God in terms of access to a building or a place outside ourselves.
Overall, God is treated like a light switch to be turned on and off. We see it all around us; in customs, in institutions, and in everyday life. That
is the way of the world. Whether we look around us today or read The Gospel, that worldly way of treating God runs throughout history.
However, to practice God's presence, we need to overcome the common and worldly treatment of Our Father. He cannot be contained nor can He be switched
on and off. We need to embrace the truth that God is a being and the most important being in our lives. We need to place God above all else in order to see that He is with us always and in all
ways.
3. "We only deceive ourselves by seeking or loving God for any favors which He has or may grant us. Such favors, no matter how great, can never bring us as near to God as can one simple
act of faith."... Brother Lawrence
The best cure for self-deception, of which we are all, to some extent, familiar, is absolute surrender to God's will. When we place ourselves completely
in God's hands, we can be certain that whatever comes our way or whatever happens is Our Father's will for us.
This in no way implies or is an excuse for irresponsibility, recklessness, or passiveness on our part. Quite the opposite. Born of faith and love,
absolute surrender means our obedience to God in everything. It means obeying commandments, laws, rules, regulations, and authority. Ignorance is no excuse when we have God's word in The Gospel and
His actual presence to guide us in all things down to the smallest detail.
God does hold those who practice His presence to a higher standard. He is far more exacting with those He calls His Own. It is quite useless and even
offensive to God for us to compare ourselves with anyone else. Our business is to give every last bit of ourselves to God to do with as He pleases.
When Brother Lawrence wrote that, since he was prepared to lay down his life for God, he suffered no fear of danger, he expressed the wonderful
freedom from the bonds of self that comes from knowing, loving, and serving God.
4. Dear One, when we are weary and frustrated or angry with God, or feel that God has turned away from us, as contrary as it seems, this is the time for a simple act of faith.
A simple act of faith, a silent 'Thank You, Father', seems contrary to us because we think a simple act of faith is not possible while we are weary,
frustrated, or angry with God. Many of us have an almost superstitious idea that it is an unthinkable sin to be angry with God. The sin is not in being angry with God. The sin is in staying angry
with God!
We think we have to take it upon ourselves to resolve our weariness, frustration, or anger before we can utter the necessary act of faith. But God
wants our act of faith the way we are so He can resolve us!
Once we finally recognize that it is our false pride that is standing in the way, a simple act of faith then comes naturally. To silently and humbly say,
'Thank You, Father' now is a blessed relief.
Often great moments in our relationship with God come when we finally tell Him how angry we are with Him. Even though He already knows this, God
patiently waits for our plain and frank admission so He can wash away our anger with His peace in that way only God can accomplish. Often great moments in our relationship with God come when we
finally do what we most do not want to do but know He requires of us.
Also in weariness, frustration, or anger, we may forget that God always hears us. God never, for one moment, stops. While we are suspended in an
agonizing state of hopelessness, God is at work behind the scenes. He is arranging things according to His exact plan for us. One simple act of faith, a silent 'Thank You, Father', in times of trial
and suffering will bring a refreshing remembrance that draws us right back into His comforting presence.
5. Simple faith means we stop questioning God and just follow His directions. A most beautiful example of this is found in The Gospel. Recall the scene in John, chapter nine, where the
apostles asked Christ if the young man was blind because of his own sin or the sins of his parents. Jesus answered, 'Neither has this man sinned nor his parents; but he is blind so the works of God
may be made manifest in him'.
Above all else, Dear One, that is the answer to all our questions and the very reason for surrender in a simple act of faith. God wants to reveal
Himself through us. He wants to make our hearts like His heart. He wants to shape us in His image.
Yes, this scene includes one of Jesus' powerful physical healings. However, that is only the surface of this Gospel account. We also read in the very
beginning that the question of whether it was the man's own sin or the sin of his parents is beside the point. Our Father always has a much higher purpose and a greater reason.
Jesus, in the gentle way He takes with those close to Him, points out a higher purpose. He explains that the reason the condition of the man is as it
is, is so the work of God may be revealed in him. O, that we may see the application of this in our own lives!
Our Lord chose to give sight to this young man who was born blind to present us with one of the most powerful acts of simple faith recorded in The
Gospel. A young blind man is approached by a stranger who puts moistened clay on his eyes and tells him to go to a certain place to wash it off. Without question and in his blindness, he gets to the
location, washes off the clay, and now has something he has never known, vision, which is the result of his act of simple, unquestioning faith.
It is wonderful to read the rest of this scene where the young man's faith is immediately tested and he now speaks with the vision and clarity of God's
indwelling presence to those who try to belittle and intimidate him. When the authorities throw him out of the synagogue he becomes free to fully follow Christ!
This account of the young man's act of simple faith is the origin of the expression 'blind faith' and the effects of it have reverberated throughout
history. Only God knows the exact number of those who have experienced the impact of this one example. However, we can call to mind a most wonderful case that happened shortly after the time of
Brother Lawrence.
In the mid-eighteenth century, God reached out to tap John Newton, who, in his own way had been without vision. The outcome is a hymn that clearly
expresses Newton's own identification with the young blind man. Even greater, the outcome is a hymn that is probably the most universally understood explanation of God's "Amazing Grace."
6. "You will tell me that I always say the same thing. It is true, for this is the best and easiest method I know. I use no other. I advise all the world to do it." ... Brother
Lawrence
May we all say 'the same thing' as Brother Lawrence who, through simple faith, God gave the gift of not only His constant presence, but the gift of
sharing 'the best and easiest method' of simply knowing, loving, and serving God.
Brother Lawrence makes it easy to see, through his conversations and letters, that the practice of the presence of God really is available to anyone,
at any time, and in any circumstance. He also demonstrates something else that we all long for and is available to anyone who seeks God's presence: success.
This is not the success sought and prized in worldly terms but that of a more enduring kind. Brother Lawrence described it as the satisfaction that
comes "only in the fulfilling of God's will. Whether He led us by suffering or by consolation all would be equal to a soul truly resigned."
The only possible way to fail at the practice of the presence of God is to not practice God's presence. Dear One, it truly does not get any simpler
than this.
Grace
1. "Brother Lawrence often experienced the ready succors of Divine Grace. And because of his experience of grace, when he had business to do, he did not think of it beforehand. When it was
time to do it, he found in God, as in a clear mirror, all that was fit for him to do."
Grace is the one thing that belongs to God exclusively. Only God possesses grace and only He can bestow it. It is Our Father's generous nature to
shower His grace plentifully throughout His creation.
Grace comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. It is both measurable and immeasurable. It is material and spiritual. Grace is God's special coin and the
treasure of His kingdom on earth and in heaven.
God's grace is the essential power, the life force and current that moves all things and gives being, both spiritual and physical. Without His grace all ceases to exist.
Our Father's grace flows through all His creation, though many do not perceive it. Because they do not perceive it, they cannot appreciate it.
Nonetheless, the current of God's grace continues to flow.
Dear One, the difference between darkness and light is a matter of simple faith. When we silently say, 'Thank You, Father', we can be confident that
we, too, will experience "the ready succors of Divine Grace."
2. "Ah! knew we but the want we have of the grace and assistance of God, we would never lose sight of Him, no, not for a moment."
... Brother Lawrence
As part of our practice of the presence of God we need to develop simple ways and habits of dealing with distractions, wandering thoughts, and the
worldly temptations that threaten to come between us and God.
Worldly temptations are a fact of life on earth. No matter how long we practice God's presence, we will still be subject to worldly temptations. The
self, self-will, and the devil in his countless, slick disguises are always lurking and waiting for even the smallest opening. However, our earnest and humble practice of the presence of God is the
way, perhaps the only way, to live in a constant habit of strong defense against subtle and surprise intrusions.
Through The Gospel we discover Our Lord's words of guidance and caution to His disciples and any of us who are called to follow Him. An example is
found in chapter thirteen of the Book of Mark: "False Christs and false prophets shall rise and show signs and wonders to seduce, if it be possible, even the elect. But take heed. I have warned you
of these things."
Our Lord's intent is certainly not to scare us but rather to prepare us for the realities of being in the world but not of the world. There are surely
as many deceptions and deceivers trading on God's name today as there have ever been. This gives additional weight to the importance of our solidly establishing the holy habit and constantly
fortifying our relationship with God. How greatly we are in need of His grace!
3. "If the mind is not sufficiently controlled and disciplined at our first engaging in devotion, it contracts certain bad habits of wandering and dissipation. These are difficult to
overcome. The mind can draw us, even against our will, to worldly things. I believe one remedy for this is to humbly confess our faults and beg God's mercy and help." ... Brother Lawrence
These words of Brother Lawrence are very important. We cannot overcome our deeply entrenched habits and attitudes without the assistance of divine
grace. Furthermore, perhaps Brother Lawrence's most practical advice is what we may call his words of prevention: "One way to re-collect the mind easily in the time of prayer, and preserve it more in
tranquility, is not to let it wander too far at other times. Keep your mind strictly in the presence of God. Then being accustomed to think of Him often, you will find it easy to keep your mind
calm."
This draws us back to the essentials of our practice. We must make our main goal the forming of the habit of staying constantly in communion with God.
It is easy to see how this not only applies to wandering thoughts but also to those distractions and worldly temptations that jeopardize our relationship with God.
4. "Useless thoughts spoil all. Mischief begins there. We ought to reject them as soon as we perceive their impertinence and return to our communion with God ... We must hinder our spirits
wandering from God on all occasions. We must make our heart a spiritual temple so we can constantly adore Him."
... Brother Lawrence
The most powerful help we have at our disposal is the body of teachings of the very Son of God in The Gospel. Not only is prayerful reading a wonderful
way to stay in communion with God but The Gospel is also our complete guide to understanding what is worthy of our attention.
The Book of John opens with, "In the beginning was The Word." We know that word includes both that which is thought and that which is spoken. In other
words, in the beginning was the mind and will of God. All truth and all creativity was and ever will be in Him and is made clear to us through God, the Son.
How, then, can we ever overstate the importance of following the living example of the very Son of God? Through the Son, we live in the presence of
God. Through the Son, we draw down the grace of Our Father.
5. "The greater perfection a soul aspires after the more dependent it is upon Divine Grace ... To arrive at such resignation as God requires, we should carefully watch over all the
passions that mingle in spiritual as well as temporal things. God gives light concerning those passions to those who truly desire to serve Him."
... Brother Lawrence
Simple faith, light, grace. These are the gifts of the practice of the presence of God. If, for even a moment, we are drawn into any insupportable,
ungodly region, may we quickly call to mind Brother Lawrence's invitation: "Let us seek Him often by faith. He is within us. Seek Him not elsewhere."
On Course
The Practice of the Presence of God, which Brother Lawrence often referred to as the holy habit, is a way of life where we engage in continual
conversation with God; walk with Him in love, humility, simplicity, and faith; and do nothing, say nothing, and think nothing that may displease Him; because that is God's will for us.
We see that the holy habit of the practice of the presence of God is a way of life. In other words, it is not an aspect of life or one of the
compartments in which lives are often divided, but it is the complete framework and structure on which our life is unified and centered in God.
We speak of the holy habit as a way of life and we may also see it as a series of little habits we develop over time and through practice. These little
habits finally come together as a unified holy habit that becomes our natural way of being and our way of thinking, saying, and doing.
It is very appropriate to look at our lives as a series of habits and attitudes that influence everything we think, say, and do. We come to think of
ourselves as that combination of habits and attitudes. We believe 'this is the way we are'. This is so because all our habits form around what we think of as a sense of self or 'identity'.
The big change we make, then, is a change in personal identity. The practice of the presence of God changes 'the way we are' to the way God wants us to
be. At the core it is really an exchange. We exchange our personal identity, that combination of habits and attitudes we believe we are, for an identity that is of God's fashioning.
When we adopt the practice of the presence of God as a way of life we immediately begin to cooperate with God's coordinating our thoughts, words, and
deeds into the holy habit. As we turn to Him and turn away from ourselves we start to live God's way.
As a way of life, the practice of the holy habit is private and personal. And it would not be inaccurate to call it monastic insomuch as it represents the original meaning of the word describing one whose way of life is dedicated to God.
More importantly, the practice of the presence of God is the essence of the life Our Lord lived. It is the
message He taught. As He came to earth to do the will of Our Father, His message was that His way of thinking, saying, and doing was the Father's will for each of us.
This way of life consists of three parts: (1) we engage in continual conversation with God, (2) we walk with Him in love, humility, simplicity, and
faith, and (3) we do nothing, say nothing, and think nothing that may displease God.
Through the practice of the presence of God, we see that these three parts operate in unison. Whenever we sense that something is out of balance, we
need only refer back to these three essentials to see where we need to make a correction.
As we become more attuned to the gentle promptings of Our Father, we often only need to call to mind the very thought of the three essentials and,
without effort, we regain our balance. We become so sensitive to God's presence that we automatically and naturally draw close to Him.
There are three helps or tools that support our holy habit of the practice of the presence of God: (1) the conversations and letters of Brother
Lawrence known as 'The Practice Of The Presence Of God', (2) the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John known as The Gospel in the New Testament of the Holy Bible, and (3) The Silent 'Thank You, Father', the prayer of the heart we say to God at all times and in all situations -no matter what. We repeat this phrase until it becomes like breathing God's nearness.
These three helps provide us with an abundance of learning, comfort, and nourishment. Boredom, discontent, and restlessness only set in when we wander
off course. When we immerse ourselves in the three parts of practicing God's presence using the three helps, we immediately experience the fullness of Our Father's gentle presence.
It is easy to see how Brother Lawrence, who was generally quiet and reserved, could express so much enthusiasm in his letters. The gentle joy
experienced by those of us who practice God's presence bubbles up and spills over!
Rest
1. The words of the Son of God: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me. I am meek and lowly in heart. You will find rest
for your souls because my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." This is the invitation of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is an open offer to
anyone and everyone. Our acceptance of this invitation will lead us into the presence of God. If we open ourselves to the words of the Son they will draw us like a magnet into the very heart of Our
Father.
We are weighed down with material and spiritual burdens. We are laden with cares and worries, grief and sadness, shame and guilt - sometimes to the point of despair. We search and search for relief. Yet the things of this world offer only short term numbing and masking of pain but no real or lasting relief. The rest and refreshment we long for
is not of this world because we long for rest and refuge from the world and its burdens. Then we read the words of the very Son of God, "Come to me ... and I will give you rest." Is this not, after all, what we honestly want, what we so desperately need?
"Take up my yoke and learn from me." But how can we possibly do that when our burdens are already too much and too many for us? How can we take up another yoke when our own is choking us? How can we take up another yoke when we feel ready to collapse from the weight of our all too heavy burdens?
The yoke of Jesus Christ, the Son of God is single. Over and over throughout The Gospel, He states it gently and humbly. Our Lord tells us through
stories and illustrations, sometimes in a subtle manner and often in plain and direct statements. Jesus tells us that His yoke, His one and only care, purpose, burden, is to do the will of the Father
who sent Him. What is the will of the Father who sent Him? The will of the Father is for the Son to invite us, show us, and teach us how also to live according to Our Father's will. In His own words Jesus says: "I am the Way. ... Follow me."
The offer, then, means we take our many heavy and worldly burdens to the Son, God come to earth, and learn from Him how to trade them in for the one and only yoke that matters -the yoke of doing the will of Our Father. When Christ says, "Take up my yoke and learn from me," He offers us the only real and lasting way to consolidate our many debts
under the one plan of God's will. He offers to teach us a way that puts our burdens in their true perspective. He offers to teach us how to order our earthly affairs according to the way and manner that pleases Our Father. He offers us a place at His side where He will teach us and, at the same time, He offers to take a place at our side so we may always consult Him.
If we will pray to be made meek and lowly in heart, if we will pray to be humbled, if we will pray to be stripped of our pride and all the falseness we take for knowledge, and beg God to make us willing to be taught anew, He will do it. When we come to Him with open heart and mind, helpless and defenseless little ones, He will gladly and ever so
gently guide us according to His plan for each of us.
"You will find rest for your souls because my yoke is easy and my burden is light." In the beginning we must take this statement on faith. As we continue and become established in the practice of the presence of God and form a habit of staying with Our Lord, we come to see that this is the rest and peace that surpasses all understanding.
We come to see that this is the only yoke worth taking up. In fact, over time, we come to see that it is not a yoke at all, but the garland of light,
grace, and truth that sets us free. Only when we live in God's presence, according to His will, do we discover the true meaning of rest.
2. "It then seemed that, all at once, I found myself changed. My soul, which until that time was in trouble, felt a profound inward peace as if she were in her center and place of
rest."
Brother Lawrence wrote those words after describing the first ten years when he suffered from severe depression, despair, and guilt. Through these years "it seemed that all creatures, reason, and God, Himself, were against me and faith alone for me."
Then Brother Lawrence turned to God with the thought that if this was the way it was to be, he would continue to love Him with all his heart as he had always done. It had been ten long years, but to Brother Lawrence it seemed that the change came all at once and the ten years of great suffering were as nothing.
After years of practicing the presence of God, having taken up the yoke of Christ, and happily being taught by Our Lord and Master, Brother Lawrence described the 'easy yoke' and the 'light burden' this way: "Sometimes I feel all my spirit lifted up without any care or effort on my part. This often continues as if it was suspended yet firmly
fixed in God like a center or place of rest."
Take comfort, Dear One, in having found the practice of God's presence. Better yet, speak a silent 'Thank You, Father' for God's having found you and drawing you into His presence. Stop not for one second. Pay close attention to these wonderful words of Brother Lawrence: "I make it my priority to persevere in His holy presence. I maintain a simple attention and a fond regard for Him. It is an habitual, silent, and private conversation of the soul with God." Our Father does come through for each of us. Of that we can be certain!
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