In his Eulogy of Brother Lawrence, Abbe’ of Beaufort
wrote: “[Brother Lawrence] decided to
seek entrance into a monastic community in order to embrace a type of life
whose rules, founded on the firm rock of Jesus Christ and not on the unstable
sand of passing feelings, might strengthen him against the instability of his
conduct.”
“…and not on the
unstable sand of passing feelings…”
Doesn’t it seem that feelings are the foundation of our
modern culture?
How do you feel?
How did that make you feel?
What are you feeling now?
Does it feel good?
Isn’t there an entire self-help industry built on the
study and glorification of feelings? Aren’t
our children taught to honor their feelings over self-discipline and principles? Isn’t it all
about how we feel?
Time to refill my cup and begin my day – not focused
on the unstable sand of feelings but on the firm rock of Jesus Christ, so that
I might be strengthened against the
instability of [my] conduct.
~~~
You hit the nail on the head, Sandy! I think it's just a sign of the self-centered times we live in, when God is no longer the center of our lives, guess people have to fill it with something!
ReplyDeleteLove the picture of the shifting sands! I sometimes see our feelings as the water lapping at the shore - in and out - many times with foamy filthy froth of flotsam washing ashore. Maybe that just needs to happen to cleanse our hearts - yet I'm firmly planted on the Rock as these waters wash up all around me! Enjoying my cup of coffee and thinking on HIM and how HE works in our lives!
ReplyDeleteSandy,
ReplyDeleteThis made me think of my favorite hymn:
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand...
What an appropriate reminder of how out of control our focus has gotten. As my nephew said on his birthday, "It is all about me!"
Matty, that is one of my fav's too!
ReplyDeleteAnd it's interesting you talk about this 'self-help' stuff..... because recently I have been pondering about whether 'self-help' material is really Kingdom words or if it's the system of the world... and actually take us down a path away from the truth that 'without ME you can do nothing'...??
Thanks for sharing some of your gleanings from our favorite Bro. Lawrence!
I've barely started this book yet have been nudged by so much already. Am so glad you mentioned this man, Brenda!
ReplyDelete