Brother Lawrence spoke with great openness of heart
concerning his manner of going to God. He told me that all consists in one
hearty renunciation of everything which we know does not lead to God. We might
accustom ourselves to a continual conversation with Him with freedom and in
simplicity. We need only recognize God intimately present with us and address
ourselves to Him every moment. We need to beg His assistance for knowing His
will in things doubtful and for rightly performing those things which we
plainly see He requires of us, offering them to Him before we do them, and
giving God thanks when we have completed them. …
Our sanctification did not depend upon changing our works.
Instead, it depended on doing those things for God's sake which we commonly do
for our own. He thought it was lamentable to see how many people mistook the
means for the end, addicting themselves to certain works which they performed
very imperfectly because of their human or selfish regard. The most excellent
method he had found for going to God was that of doing our common business
without any view of pleasing men but purely for the love of God. …
Brother Lawrence said we ought, once and for all, heartily
put our whole trust in God, and make a total surrender of ourselves to Him,
secure that He would not deceive us. We ought not weary of doing little things
for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love
with which it is performed. We should not wonder if, in the beginning, we often
failed in our endeavours, but that at last we should gain a habit which will
naturally produce its acts in us without our effort and to our great delight.
(Practising the Presence
of God by Brother Lawrence)
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