Bernard of Clairvaux: Such Great and Condescending Charity

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.

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. Exodus 3:1-6

“Neither was Moses able to relate more than God willed of what he had seen in the burning bush; but unless the Almighty had clearly revealed certain mysteries to his soul, causing it to see and know its God was present, the lawgiver could never have undertaken so many and such great labors. Such sublime revelations were shown him amidst the thorns of the bush as to give him the needful courage for his great deeds on behalf of the Children of Israel. We must not, sisters [and brothers], search out reasons for understanding the hidden things of God, but, believing Him to be Almighty, we should be convinced that such worms as ourselves, with our limited power of intelligence, are unable to comprehend His wonders. Let us praise Him fervently for allowing us to understand something of them.”

Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) in The Interior Castle (Grand Rapids: CCEL) p. 113.

As we explore what is needful in this classic work, Teresa uses colorful language to help us understand the generosity of God to empower us for service.

God had great deeds planned for Moses who was tending sheep.

At the moment when he saw the bush, it was for him a “strange sight” and he did not understand. God revealed himself to him. This was the beginning of his journey to service.

You might feel like Moses. You are doing some task alone in the wilderness of life.

Though next to God, we are but worms, Ask God to reveal himself to you and give you needful courage to pursue whatever great deeds He has planned for you.

I am speaking today and Thursday at the CLA 2026 Outcomes Conference in Dallas.

Pray for receptive hearts to get needful courage from God to do great deeds.

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5b

“I do not know whether I have put this clearly; self-knowledge is of such consequence that I would not have you care less of it, though you may be lifted to heaven in prayer, because while on earth nothing is more needful than humility. Therefore, I repeat, not only a good way, but the best of all ways, is to endeavor to enter first by the room where humility is practised, which is far better than at once rushing on to the others. This is the right road; if we know how easy and safe it is to walk by it, why ask for wings with which to fly? Let us rather try to learn how to advance quickly. I believe we shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavoring to know God, for, beholding His greatness we are struck by our own baseness, His purity shows our foulness, and by meditating on His humility we find how very far we are from being humble.”

Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) in The Interior Castle (Grand Rapids: CCEL) p. 27.

We have shifted from one classic to another. The next few posts will explore what is needful in The Interior Castle by Teresa of Ávila. And the header photo from Lalazar Track in Nathiagali, Pakistan reflects my hope for Daily Meditations.

Notice the tree. It’s got bright green new growth. As you read and apply the ideas in each meditation, I pray new growth appears in your life. And don’t miss at least two takeaways here to help you have generous impact.

First, choose the road or way of humility. Whatever work or ministry you have today. Approach it with humility. Or as the apostle Peter says, clothe yourself with humility. Why? God will show favor and grace to you.

Second, to grow in humility focus your energy on knowing God. Why? I love how Teresa put it, “His purity shows our foulness, and by meditating on His humility we find how very far we are from being humble.”

Father in heaven, forgive our foulness. We need to grow in humility, thank you for setting an example for us. By your Spirit help us follow it so we grow in generosity. Because of your love for us, hear this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27

“How strict and detached were the lives the holy hermits led in the desert! What long and grave temptations they suffered! How often were they beset by the enemy! What frequent and ardent prayers they offered to God! What rigorous fasts they observed! How great their zeal and their love for spiritual perfection! How brave the fight they waged to master their evil habits! What pure and straightforward purpose they showed toward God! By day they labored and by night they spent themselves in long prayers. Even at work they did not cease from mental prayer. They used all their time profitably; every hour seemed too short for serving God, and in the great sweetness of contemplation, they forgot even their bodily needs.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) in The Imitation of Christ (Grand Rapids, CCEL), p. 24.

Today marks the last post from our exploration of “needful” themes in this classic work.

Thanks everyone for your many comments to me commending me for my sabbatical. I want to share three highlights from my sabbatical which, in many ways, was strict and detached.

Please hear these not from any place of pride but from a humble posture of testimony, sharing what I learned.

First, I did the Daniel Fast for 40 days in my sabbatical. It was life-changing. I never dreamed that living on fruits, vegetables, and water (that means no coffee) would be so satisfying.

While such disciplines appear in the words of Thomas as “rigorous fasts” they are so good for the body. I did more than lose weight and start running again. It minimized my desires for things that don’t satisfy. Try it.

Second, I focused on writing as God said to write. When we have, as Thomas calls it, “pure and straightforward purpose” God helps us. He shows up for us. He certainly showed up for me.

By God’s grace I wrote 2.5 books. I realized that this was “needful” for me. It’s what God made me to do. If you live with purpose, you too can generously give yourself to what God made you to do.

Third, I trusted in the power of the gospel and saw God work in hard places by, in the words of Thomas, using all my “time profitably.” And I measure the profit not in dollars but in souls.

The best highlight of my sabbatical came from serving the persecuted church. Four people (three from China and one from Pakistan) are now following Jesus and will be in the kingdom because of how I focused my time.

So with Thomas today, I commend you to pursue a strict and detached life. Give yourself to things that give you and others life and see what happens.