Brother Lawrence believed that religion’s substance is faith, hope, and charity. In practicing these virtues we beome united to the will of God. All things are possible to him who believes. They are less difficult to him who hopes. They are more easy to him who loves.
Faith opens up possibilities to us. It makes the spiritual, the unseen, attainable. Through faith we not only believe in the unseen but the unseen becomes real. The faithful Christian not only believes there is a God; but that He is real and acts in the lives of men.
Hope makes life less difficult. Hope allows us to see past current difficulty. Our ultimate hope, life with our Lord, keeps us putting one step in front of the other as we walk through life. I can not image life without hope. I sometimes get a small glimpse at the desperate life of the unbeliever: hopeless and pointless. It is not the fate of those of us who believe.
If hope makes life less difficult, love can make it easy. Love empowers us to do what we are called to do. It is easy to for our children and spouses; because we love them. As Christians, we become empowered by the spirit to agape love, love without expectation of reward or return.
When the road seems difficult, concentrate on these: faith, hope and love, the elements of our relationship with Him.
Nick
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