324 year old words that can change your life

What do you devote your time to? What do you spend your extra time doing? Where do you go, what do you see? What holds your attention? Whatever holds our undivided attention surely becomes something that can end up being our devotion. For some it might be work, a hobby, money, a car, children or numerous other things. Brother Lawrence understands this and wrote:

“We should put life in our faith. We should give ourselves utterly to God in pure abandonment, in temporal and spiritual matters alike, and find contentment in the doing of His will, whether he takes us through sufferings or consolations.”

He urges that our devotion should be targeted towards God no matter the consequences. This devotion should be a complete abandonment to Him.

What holds your attention? What consumes your time? Who or what has your devotion?

324 year old words that will change your life.

In the last 5 years the art of conversation has diminished through the used of Social media tools and apps. Many young christians struggle to have a consistent prayer life and thus struggle to truly know who God is. Nevertheless, we are encourage to have constant prayer life. Brother Lawrence writes:

“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God; those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it.”

In order to experience this sweet and delightful life, we need to have a continual conversation with God. Have you spoken to him today?

324 words that can change your life.

James 1 begs us to consider it a pure joy when we encounter painful and unpleasant circumstances. It continues by stating that through the endurance of these circumstances, our faith will grow. Once this perseverance is finished, it will make us mature and complete, not lacking anything. Bother Lawrence puts it this way:

“I did not pray for any relief, but I prayed for strength to suffer with courage, humility and love.”

Let’s pray to have the same resolve – to allow painful and uncomfortable situations to help us grow in faith and to draw us closer to God.

324 year old words can change your life

“The more we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him. As love increases with knowledge, the more we know God, the more we will truly love Him. We will learn to love Him equally in times of distress or in times of great joy.”

Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

Knowledge begets knowledge. When this knowledge is centered on God then this knowledge is transformed to love, genuine love. This love is not swayed by time, or situations. It is a constant love. After all, God love. The more we know about God, the more we know about love and the more we know about love the more we understand the type of love God has for us.

324 year old words that can change your life

324 years ago, on Feb. 12 Brother Lawrence, a former soldier who had a dramatic religious conversion, died. He devoted his life to follow God. After joining a monastery he became Brother Lawrence and spent the rest of his life serving others. During this time he discover a profound truth – God presences can and should be experienced everywhere.

Brother Lawrence never wrote a book, but one was created using some of his letters and discussions with his peers.

For the next 10 days I will be posting one quote a day by Brother Lawrence.

“The King, full of mercy and goodness, very far from chastising me, embraces me with love, makes me eat at His table, serves me with His own hands, gives me the key of His treasures; He converses and delights Himself with me incessantly, in a thousand and a thousand ways, and treats me in all respects as His favorite. It is thus I consider myself from time to time in His holy presence.