The Practice of the Presence of God

I'm still on track for my "book a week" 2006 resolution. The book I finished this past week was a short one, "The Practice of the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence.

Brother Lawrence was a 17th century French monk. I love to read the thoughts of Christians who lived centuries before me. It reminds me of the consistency of God, the timelessness of the Gospel, and the perseverence of the saints.

Like I said, the book was short. Which is good, because it seems that sometimes I have trouble carving out the time to read right now. But this book really is an invaluable tool and should be familiar to Christian readers. Brother Lawrence, born Nicholas Herman, was not a theologian or a scholar. He didn't get into doctrinal debates. He worked in the kitchen in his monastery in Paris, serving his lay brothers as he served God.

What made Brother Lawrence exceptional and this book noteworthy is his desire to live constantly in deep communion with God. This is a man who "took every thought captive," and left behind encouragement for us to do the same.

This thought comes near the end of the book:

"The littleness of the work lessens not one whit the value of the offering, for God regards not the greatness of the work, but the love which prompts it."

And another:

"Do not, then, forget Him, but think on Him often, adore Him continually, live and die with Him; this is the glorious employment of a Christian. In a word, this is our profession."

I know some of you are reading this, thinking, "Yeah, yeah, we know all this. It isn't rocket science." But that's really the point, isn't it? The way is really very simple. We just have to give all. Period. All our lives, all our love, all our devotion, all that we are and ever hope to be.

So the answer is simple. Even the question isn't difficult. It's just the walking it out that's a struggle. And that takes a lifetime to even attempt to master. I'm just thankful for men and women who have gone before me and shared their journey. For mentors who have taught me that it can be done. Whose own lives have demonstrated the overwhelming (and often surprising) joy that results from intimacy with God.