Brother Lawrence and Trusting God in Failure

Brother Lawrence, a 16th-century Carmelite monk, spent his days scrubbing pots and mending shoes. Largely uneducated, he filled his free time writing letters and notes that, after his death, friends gathered and published. He wrote plainly about living perpetually in God’s presence and giving every waking moment to Christ.

Though he had no influence or fame, his small book of collected works has cemented itself as a Christian classic. He once wrote about how he responded when faced with failure and sin in his daily life.

When I fail in my duty, I readily acknowledge…