Methods

“Having found in many books different methods of going to God and diverse practices of the spiritual life, I thought this would serve rather to puzzle me than facilitate what I sought after, which was nothing but how to become wholly God's. This made me resolve to give the all for the All.”

“People seek methods of learning to know God. Is it not much shorter and more direct to simply do everything for the love of Him? There is no finesse about it. One only has to do it generously and simply.”

(Brother Lawrence)

One of the errors of much modern day Christianity has been to attempt to systemise our relationship with God. We have books, Cd’s, seminars, conferences etc. all aimed at creating “systems” or “methods” to improve and deepen our relationship with Father.

Evangelical Christians are taught from an early age to set a few minutes apart for “devotions” each day, to read their Bible morning and evening and attend church twice on a Sunday. While perhaps good in themselves - all of these things, as Brother Lawrence found can puzzle us rather than facilitate what we seek after. Even “devotions” and Bible reading can become legalistic observations.

However a passion for the presence of God will not be limited by any of these things. He becomes the total focus of our passion – for in reality all of this is about a relationship with a living person! 

Imaging how a wife of husband would feel if the only time they were the focus of their partners attention was for five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening. At all other times they were totally ignored – apart from one day each week when they spent an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening in one another’s company. What king of relationship would that be?