The next few devotions are birthed from a book, The Practice of the Presence of God, that I have read and re-read over the years. I plan to expand on the spiritual principles or admonitions that are recounted in the book. If you are a reader and have not read it, I encourage you to do so.
To start, I thought I should give you some background on Brother
Lawrence. Some of my Protestant readers may be wondering why I am sharing the
thoughts of a Catholic Brother. I would say this about that. Being Catholic
does not mean you are not a Christian – anymore than being a Protestant means
that you are – being born again is dependent upon one thing and one thing alone
– faith in Christ. Attending a particular church, identifying with a certain
denomination, reciting a creed, or practicing certain rituals does not mean
that you are or are not a child of God.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe
in your heart that God [the Father] raised Him [ Jesus] from the dead, [then]
you will be saved. For with the heart
one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to
shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord
over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of
the Lord shall be saved.’”– Romans 10: 9-13
Brother Lawrence [1612-1691], (born Nicolas Herman, in France)
served as a lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in Paris. Christians commonly
remember him for the intimacy he expressed concerning his relationship to God
as recorded in a book compiled after his death, the classic Christian text, The
Practice of the Presence of God.
A priest of that time, Father de Beaufort, recalls that
"Lawrence was open, eliciting confidence, letting you feel you could tell
him anything…Once you got past the rough exterior you discovered unusual
wisdom, a freedom beyond the reach of the ordinary lay brother". Another
wrote, Brother Lawrence looks rough in appearance, and gentle by manners. This
blend demonstrates God in him.
I suppose what draws me close to him is that before he went to the
monastery, he was a soldier and served in several wars, yet was used by God for
His purposes. Rough on the outside – but compassionate in his heart and
actions. My mom once told me that I was
steel and velvet – I trusted that it was a “trait that demonstrated God in me.”
“Brother Lawrence insisted that to be constantly aware of God’s
presence, it is necessary to form the habit continually talking to Him
throughout the day.” (p12, The Practice of the Presence of God)
The following are questions that I found myself asking myself
about the practice of my faith. I ask
them of you to set the stage for the next few days.
How often do you think about God during the day? When you sit down
to eat? In the morning or evening when you read the Bible? Or do you save those
thoughts until Sunday morning and cram them into the hour or so that you are on
the church grounds? Does thinking about
God all of the time and talking to Him frequently seem a bit excessive to you?
Fanatical even?
One might think, Brother Lawrence was in a monastery and so he had
the time for that kind of devotion. Let me suggest that it does not matter
where we are or what we are doing – there is always room for God in our
thoughts and hearts – we just have to be willing to give it. It is about what
is important to you – to me (I am feeling some conviction right now!) How
important is your salvation? Upon whom does your well-being depend?
It does us no good to agree that something is right and good and
then do nothing about it. That happens a
lot after Sunday morning sermons – or perhaps after reading one of these
devotions of mine.
Don’t miss the word – “Practice”. This is not a discipline that
magically happens at the point of agreement that practicing the presence of God
is important. It requires the discipline of doing it – being intentional. And, like most things that require
discipline, it takes time to hone that habit or skill to make it a part of who
you are – reflecting Whose you are. So
why not start today!
Believe it – walk in it. Let your light shine and
give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His
Glory Alone
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