Restless Anxiety: Dialogues

 

One of the greatest contributors to Christian thought and practical wisdom over the last two thousand years is Francois Fenelon of the 17th century. Lately I have had the privilege of preparing the text for these life-changing dialogues in a forthcoming second volume of Dialogues of Fenelon.  Fenelon's gentle but straight forward counsel, reaches across the centuries and beyond and beneath the shallow thinking of the day which causes us to reflect upon issues that we would rather ignore; but his Scriptural insights move us and convince us that every thought and every word must be filtered through the cross. But let me share his words rather than continue with my own:

       

The crosses which we make for ourselves by a restless anxiety as to

the future are not crosses which come from God. We tempt Him by our

false wisdom, wishing to forestall His arrangements, and struggling to

supplement His Providence by our own plans.

 

Be content to lead a simple life where God has placed you. Be

obedient, bear your little daily crosses; you need them, and God gives

them to you only out of pure mercy.

 

A HEATED imagination, vehement feeling, hosts of reasons, and volleys of words, effect nothing. The right way is to act as in the presence of God, wholly divested of self, doing what we can by God’s light, and being content with such success as He gives. This continual death to self is a blessed life which but few understand.  A word uttered simply in this inward peace effects more, than all the most eager and bustling exertions.

 

And my all time favorite of his quotes:

The Great Physician who sees in you what you cannot see, knows exactly where to place the knife. He cuts swift and deep into your innermost being, exposing you for who you really are; but pain is only felt where there is life, and where there is life, is just the place where death is needed most. Except a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit.