The Will of God Our Only Treasure.
The will of God should be our sole treasure, and we should live in complete abandonment to His plan, surrendering all reservations and expectations.
Francois Fenelon emphasizes the importance of having absolute simplicity of abandonment to the will of God, without any secret reservations or illusions. He encourages being humble and simple in all circumstances, acting not out of human wisdom or pleasure but out of submission to the Spirit of life and death. Fenelon warns against seeking consolation in future prospects or indulging in selfish desires, urging instead to receive everything with humility and to focus on dying to the present moment without reservation.
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LETTER XXXIII.
The will of God our only treasure.
I desire that you may have that absolute simplicity of abandonment that never measures its own extent, nor excepts anything in the present life, no matter how dear to our self-love. All illusions come, not from such an abandonment as this, but from one attended by secret reservations.
Be as lowly and simple in the midst of the most exacting society as in your own closet. Do nothing from the reasonings of wisdom, nor from natural pleasure, but all from submission to the Spirit of life and death; death to self, and life in God. Let there be no enthusiasm, no search after certainty within, no looking forwards for better things, as if the present, bitter as it is, were not sufficient to those whose sole treasure is the will of God, and as if you would indemnify self-love for the sadness of the present by the prospects of the future! We deserve to meet with disappointment when we seek such vain consolation. Let us receive everything in lowliness of spirit, seeking nothing from curiosity, and withholding nothing from a disguised selfishness. Let God work, and think only of dying to the present moment without reservation, as though it were the whole of eternity.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Abandonment
- Living a Life of Submission
- Avoid Vain Consolations
- Living in the Present Moment
- Receive everything in lowliness of spirit
- Withhold nothing from a disguised selfishness
Key Quotes
“Let there be no enthusiasm, no search after certainty within, no looking forwards for better things, as if the present, bitter as it is, were not sufficient to those whose sole treasure is the will of God, and as if you would indemnify self-love for the sadness of the present by the prospects of the future!” — Francois Fenelon
“Let us receive everything in lowliness of spirit, seeking nothing from curiosity, and withholding nothing from a disguised selfishness.” — Francois Fenelon
“Let God work, and think only of dying to the present moment without reservation, as though it were the whole of eternity.” — Francois Fenelon
Application Points
- Let go of all reservations and expectations, and surrender completely to God's will.
- Surrender to God's plan and trust in His goodness, even in difficult circumstances.
- Live in the present moment, without looking forward to better things or seeking certainty within.