Quote for Reflection (Sunday, January 24, 2021)

“Grace is a free gift. You cannot earn grace any more than you can earn God’s love. Accepting Christ as your saviour or being baptized or going to Communion or reading the Bible or doing good works or refraining from sinning – none of these can earn God’s favour and love. You enjoy the blessing of God’s grace because he gives it to you, not because you deserve it. The same holds true for the nature of your relationship with God. Whether you are clearly conscious of God, or continually search for him as if lost in a fog; whether you have amazing moments of joyful union with God, or seem to be forever lost in the dark night of the soul – it doesn’t matter. God is the architect of every person’s unique journey into him. You cannot force God into giving you an extraordinary experience of his presence, any more than you can force God into loving you more than he already does.”

The Big Book of Christian Mysticism by Bro. Carl McColman