“We ought not to be 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.” - Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
I came across this quote recently that made me stop and think. Sometimes we forget that “people look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Sometimes we forget that the things we are doing for God are not only about the things, the tasks themselves. Brother Lawrence reminds us that what matters is whether we are doing them with love. In love. It is a matter of the heart, someone said to me recently.
I had never heard about Brother Lawrence. He lived in the 1600s, and his life of poverty forced him to join the army. He fought in the Thirty Years War until an injury prevented him from continuing. He eventually ended up in a monastery in Paris as a lay brother, because he did not have the education to be part of the clergy. He served the community faithfully by working in the kitchen, and later on, repairing sandals.
Brother Lawrence is not a well-known guy now, but at the time, it is said that his character drew people to him for spiritual guidance and wisdom. People were attracted to him because of the profound peace he experienced. As a result, he left a legacy of words and wisdom compiled by someone else in a book, The Practice of the Presence of God.
Words and wisdom from a simple man who repaired sandals for much of his life. I think he knew what he was talking about when it comes to doing little things for the love of God.