Some people make the mistake of thinking that the only place they can really enjoy God’s presence is in church. It’s not true – we can enjoy His presence everywhere! At home, at work, at school, at the shops, and even in times of suffering and adversity. Brother Lawrence, a Carmelite monk in a French monastery, wrote the best-selling book, The Practice of the Presence of God. He resented his daily routine in the kitchen. Then God showed him that everything he did each day could be done for God and with God. That truth transformed his life. We can cultivate our minds to be more productive, and we can also cultivate our spirits to be more sensitive to God. Eventually, we can get to a place where we sense His presence and His pleasure in everything we do. If we think God’s always upset, disapproving, or cross with us, believing He’s always with us won’t help much. But when we see ourselves as accepted in Christ (which is how God sees us), we’ll realise that, as well as being with us at all times, He also finds joy in being with us. That will radically change our thinking about God. There are so many things that make up everyday life, and we can enjoy all of them – even the boring ones – if we have joy at being with God and know that He’s pleased to be with us. After all, these are the things life is made up of. Joy doesn’t only come from being entertained, but also from a decision to be grateful for each moment, and treating it as a rare and valuable gift from God.
