Bernard of Clairvaux: Maker

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Ecclesiastes 11:5

“But if we are to love our neighbors as we ought, we must have regard to God also: for it is only in God that we can pay that debt of love aright. Now a man cannot love his neighbor in God, except he love God Himself; wherefore we must love God first, in order to love our neighbors in Him. This too, like all good things, is the Lord’s doing, that we should love Him, for He hath endowed us with the possibility of love. He who created nature sustains it; nature is so constituted that its Maker is its protector for ever.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) in On Loving God (Grand Rapids: CCEL), p. 20.

Today is my last in a recent series of posts from this classic work by Bernard.

In our Scripture reading, Solomon describes the mystery of how God creates and sustains everything by reminding us that we cannot fathom or comprehend the work of God, the Maker of all things.

And Bernard adds that we cannot even love apart from God. Only in Him is the possibility of love.

Think about that. Apart from God, we cannot even love our neighbor. Only from our Maker we learn how to live, give, serve, and love generously. Try this. Go outside and go for a walk. Do it.

Notice how God loves and generously cares for His creation. Then consider the implications for your life. How can you learn from Him how to love your neighbor and live generously?

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends Your works to another; they tell of Your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty—and I will meditate on Your wonderful works. They tell of the power of Your awesome works—and I will proclaim Your great deeds. They celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. Psalm 145:3-9

“Righteousness is the natural and essential food of the soul, which can no more be satisfied by earthly treasures than the hunger of the body can be satisfied by air. If you should see a starving man standing with mouth open to the wind, inhaling draughts of air as if in hope of gratifying his hunger, you would think him lunatic. But it is no less foolish to imagine that the soul can be satisfied with worldly things which only inflate it without feeding it. What have spiritual gifts to do with carnal appetites, or carnal with spiritual? Praise the Lord, O my soul: who satisfieth thy mouth with good things. He bestows bounty immeasurable; He provokes thee to good, He preserves thee in goodness; He prevents, He sustains, He fills thee. He moves thee to longing, and it is He for whom thou longest.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) in On Loving God (Grand Rapids: CCEL), p. 17.

The Psalmist celebrates the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God is not abstract moral perfection disconnected from everyday living.

Righteousness is living in right relationship with God and others. But we act, as Bernard says, as lunatic. We think worldly things can satisfy our souls.

So God graciously provokes, preserves, and prevents. He sustains, fills, and moves, hoping we will come to the place of realizing that only He can satisfy our souls.

I think a leading hindrance to generous living, giving, serving, and loving is the lunatic lure of the world. We say yes to so many things that don’t satisfy.

If that is you, fast from whatever worldly things seek to master you. Don’t take my word for it. It comes from apostle Paul in his letter to the church in the crazy city of Corinth.

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3

“One praises God because He is mighty, another because He is gracious, yet another solely because He is essential goodness. The first is a slave and fears for himself; the second is greedy, desiring further benefits; but the third is a son who honors his Father.

He who fears, he who profits, are both concerned about self-interest. Only in the son is that charity which seeketh not her own (I Corinthians 13:5). Wherefore I take this saying, ‘The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul’ (Psalm 19:7) to be of charity; because charity alone is able to turn the soul away from love of self and of the world to pure love of God.

Neither fear nor self-interest can convert the soul. They may change the appearance, perhaps even the conduct, but never the object of supreme desire. Sometimes a slave may do God’s work; but because he does not toil voluntarily, he remains in bondage. So a mercenary may serve God, but because he puts a price on his service, he is enchained by his own greediness.

For where there is self-interest there is isolation; and such isolation is like the dark corner of a room where dust and rust befoul. Fear is the motive which constrains the slave; greed binds the selfish man, by which he is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed (James 1:14). But neither fear nor self-interest is undefiled, nor can they convert the soul. Only charity can convert the soul, freeing it from unworthy motives.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) in On Loving God (Grand Rapids: CCEL), p. 27.

Today’s post looks at our motives. Our Scripture verse reminds us that it is needful for us to make sure our generosity is motivated by love.

Too often we can be motivated by self-interest, by benefits, and by other unworthy motives.

Bernard would say that we need to convert our soul. We need to assess our motivations, including what motivates our giving, and abandon any unworthy motivations that might render our generosity meaningless.

If we don’t have love, our generosity is a waste of time and resources.

God, purify us from unworthy motives. Free us from greed, selfishness, and desires that seek to defile our deeds. Convert our souls so that our living, giving, and serving is saturated with love. Amen.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little. Luke 7:47

“The faithful know how much need they have of Jesus and Him crucified; but though they wonder and rejoice at the ineffable love made manifest in Him, they are not daunted at having no more than their own poor souls to give in return for such great and condescending charity. They love all the more, because they know themselves to be loved so exceedingly; but to whom little is given the same loveth little.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) in On Loving God (Grand Rapids: CCEL), p. 7.

If we spend much time in the giving space we see different kinds of people. Some people think too highly of themselves and act as though they have something to offer God.

How much do you imagine these people really know about loving God?

On the other hand, Bernard reminds us that we have nothing more than our own poor souls to give to God in response to his “such great and condescending charity.”

What about people who see themselves as poor souls? How much do you think they love God.

Which one are you? If we are honest, all of us at times have thought too highly of ourselves and not had a clue about loving God. Let’s bury that mindset today. Let’s put it to death.

We are poor souls who need Jesus and his ineffable love.

In effable means “something too great, intense, or sacred to be expressed in words.” We not only need this love, but as we grow in it, we will become people who live, give, serve, and love more generously.

Take five minutes today to tell Jesus how much you love Him.

What shall I return to the Lord for all His goodness to me? Psalm 116:12

“I know that my God is not merely the bounteous Bestower of my life, the generous Provider for all my needs, the pitiful Consoler of all my sorrows, the wise Guide of my course: but that He is far more than all that. He saves me with an abundant deliverance: He is my eternal Preserver, the portion of my inheritance, my glory…

’What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits towards me?’ (Psalm 116:12). Reason and natural justice alike move me to give up myself wholly to loving Him to whom I owe all that I have and am. But faith shows me that I should love Him far more than I love myself, as I come to realize that He hath given me not my own life only, but even Himself.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) in On Loving God (Grand Rapids: CCEL), p. 12.

Remember the word ‘goodness’ in the Old Testament points to God’s generosity. Today’s Scripture leans into our response or return to the Lord.

Bernard directs our attention to the fact that God is Bestower, Provider, Consoler, Guide, and Preserver. But He does not stop there. He reminds us that God loves us so much, that He has given us Himself.

So the only right return is to give ourselves wholly to God – all we are and all we have – and even to love Him more than we love ourselves. But what do we do about this practically?

Take five minutes to read Psalm 103 and list anything that comes to mind, any benefits you feel God has done for you. Then sit in silence in awe of the God who loves you so much and worship Him.

Then ask the Holy Spirit to guide your return today. This is not a one time act but your return or response today. Remember, if you do something generous, God will often replenish your supply for more generosity tomorrow.

And conclude by resolving afresh to give yourself to God. Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

“Admit that God deserves to be loved very much, yea, boundlessly, because He loved us first, He infinite and we nothing, loved us, miserable sinners, with a love so great and so free. This is why I said at the beginning that the measure of our love to God is to love immeasurably.

For since our love is toward God, who is infinite and immeasurable, how can we bound or limit the love we owe Him? Besides, our love is not a gift but a debt. And since it is the Godhead who loves us, Himself boundless, eternal, supreme love, of whose greatness there is no end, yea, and His wisdom is infinite, whose peace passeth all understanding; since it is He who loves us, I say, can we think of repaying Him grudgingly? …

He is all that I need, all that I long for. My God and my help, I will love Thee for Thy great goodness; not so much as I might, surely, but as much as I can. I cannot love Thee as Thou deservest to be loved, for I cannot love Thee more than my own feebleness permits. I will love Thee more when Thou deemest me worthy to receive greater capacity for loving; yet never so perfectly as Thou hast deserved of me.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) in On Loving God (Grand Rapids: CCEL), p. 14.

Today Bernard reminds us to love boundlessly and immeasurably as this represents how God has loved us.

What comes to your mind when I say to love boundlessly and immeasurably? Many may wonder how it is possible because we are finite individuals with limits. I thought the same thing for years.

But consider a mindset shift. When we shift from seeing ourselves as containers with limited capacity to conduits with unlimited capacity to channel His love, everything changes.

And it takes the pressure off us. We do not take on the burden of blessing others but we participate in allowing God to do it. And we fear not for the future because in Christ we have all we need.

Embrace your feebleness, but nonetheless, go love others boundlessly and immeasurably today. That’s what Jenni has been doing in Ukraine. She returns home tonight if all travel goes well.

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. Psalm 145:16

“But if thou art reduced to want by such benevolence, what then? What indeed, except to pray with all confidence unto Him who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not (James 1:5), who openeth His hand and filleth all things living with plenteousness (Psalm 145:16). For doubtless He that giveth to most men more than they need will not fail thee as to the necessaries of life, even as He hath promised: ‘Seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all those things shall be added unto you’ (Luke 12:31). God freely promises all things needful to those who deny themselves for love of their neighbors; and to bear the yoke of modesty and sobriety, rather than to let sin reign in our mortal body (Romans 6:12), that is indeed to seek the Kingdom of God and to implore His aid against the tyranny of sin. It is surely justice to share our natural gifts with those who share our nature.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) excerpt from Chapter Eight of On Loving God (Grand Rapids: CCEL), p. 19.

For the next few days we turn to the idea of what is ‘needful’ in this classic work by Bernard of Clairvaux.

He beckons us not to fear if our generosity puts us in a placed that we are reduced to want. He cites numerous biblical texts to remind us that God will care for us as we care for our neighbors.

Fear keeps many people from living, giving, serving, and loving generously. So, how do we overcome it?

We remind ourselves what is true. We share our natural gifts with those who share our nature because God has instructed us to do this and promised to care for us when we do. Do you live like you believe this?

I find that I don’t experience God’s provision until obedience leads me to a place where I need it.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

“Amongst these favours, at once painful and pleasant, Our Lord sometimes causes in the soul a certain jubilation and a strange and mysterious kind of prayer. If He bestows this grace on you, praise Him fervently for it; I describe it so that you may know that it is something real. I believe that the faculties of the soul are closely united to God but that He leaves them at liberty to rejoice in their happiness together with the senses, although they do not know what they are enjoying nor how they do so. This may sound nonsense but it really happens. So excessive is its jubilee that the soul will not enjoy it alone but speaks of it to all around so that they may help it to praise God, which is its one desire.”

Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) in The Interior Castle (Grand Rapids: CCEL) p. 126.

Thanks for your prayers. My closing “Jubilee” talk yesterday at the CLA conferences in Dallas went well. I will share it widely shortly. CLA celebrated a 50 year history, so “Jubilee” seemed fitting. I got home safely last night.

Today’s my last post at this time from this classic work.

Let’s think about the generous favor of our God to give a soul a certain jubilation. The apostle Paul prays that the God of hope will fill the Romans with so much joy and peace that they overflow with hope by the Holy Spirit.

Teresa says that “so excessive is its jubilee that the soul will not enjoy it alone but speaks of it to all around.” What a beautiful picture of much-needed generosity in our world today.

When the Holy Spirit blesses us with joy and hope, imagine spreading it widely. Picture how it would lift up the people around us and cause them to share this joy and to abound in this hope.

This is my prayer for all those I spoke to yesterday afternoon in Dallas and all the students my wife has been teaching this week in Ukraine. By the power of the Holy Spirit we want them to experience a certain jubilation.

Holy Spirit, cause those we served this week and everyone reading this post to have so much joy and peace that they overflow with hope by your power and might which is unmatched on earth. Amen.

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42

“What do you think, daughters [and sons], is His will? That we may become quite perfect and so be made one with Him and with His Father as He prayed we might be. Observe, then, what is wanting in us to obtain this. I assure you it is most painful for me to write on this subject, for I see how far I am, through my own fault, from having attained perfection. There is no need for us to receive special consolations from God in order to arrive at conformity with His will; He has done enough in giving us His Son to teach the way.”

Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) in The Interior Castle (Grand Rapids: CCEL) p. 82.

When God perfects us, we may call for special consolations, but the reality is, we do well to welcome tough experiences, as Teresa puts it, to arrive at conformity with His will.

What are special consolations? Think of them as us asking God to remove all difficulty and suffering from our path. I realize after giving this further thought, that difficulties are necessary for my perfection.

What does this have to do with generosity? Everything! Why? When God moves us toward maturity and perfection, our perpetual posture of surrender converts us into conduits of divine blessing.

When Jesus surrendered His will and went to the cross not because He wanted to but because it was the Father’s will. This was his greatest act of generosity. When we follow Him in surrender, we become useful and united with Him.

Jesus we surrender ourselves to you, take care of everything. Amen.

I appreciate your prayers today as I serve as the closing plenary speaker for the Christian Stewardship Association conference. Pray for receptive hearts among the 1,000 participants.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

“Life is long and full of crosses and we have need to look on Christ our pattern, to see how He bore His trials, and even to take example by His apostles and saints if we would bear our own trials perfectly.”

Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) in The Interior Castle (Grand Rapids: CCEL) p. 134.

How do we face trials and opposition? We look to Jesus our pattern. Think about it. The evil one does not want us living, giving, serving and loving generously.

So how will the evil one try to stop us? He will throw trials at us. But when we look to Jesus our pattern and the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, we learn how to persevere.

Today, I want to throw up a prayer for all readers enduring trials. I may not understand your trial but I know what if feels like to suffer. We’ve got this. God’s got us.

God, hear my prayer for all enduring trials. As they look to Christ, our pattern, may they find help, hope, and peace from you in abundance. Hear my prayer because of Your great love. Amen.

The conference for me is going well. I appreciate your prayers. I am the closing plenary speaker tomorrow. Pray for Spirit-filled speaking and receptive hearts among the 1,000 participants. Thanks.