Abandonment Not a Heroic Sacrifice, but a Simple Sinking Into the Will of God.
True abandonment to God is not a heroic sacrifice, but a simple surrender to His will, resulting in peace and strength.
Francois Fenelon preaches that true abandonment to God is not about making heroic sacrifices or grand gestures, but rather a simple surrender to the will of God, accepting our weaknesses and infirmities with humility. He emphasizes that our strength lies in God when we acknowledge our own weaknesses, and true abandonment is like a child resting in the love of its mother. Complete abandonment even involves letting go of the need to control our surrender, finding peace in fully trusting God's providence.
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LETTER XXXIV.
Abandonment not a heroic sacrifice, but a simple sinking into the will of God.
Your sole task, my dear daughter, is, to bear your infirmities both of body and mind. When I am weak, says the Apostle, then am I strong; strength is made perfect in weakness. We are only strong in God in proportion as we are weak in ourselves; your feebleness will be your strength if you accept it in all lowliness.
We are tempted to believe that weakness and lowliness are incompatible with abandonment, because this latter is represented as a generous act of the soul by which it testifies its great love, and makes the most heroic sacrifices. But a true abandonment does not at all correspond to this flattering description; it is a simple resting in the love of God, as an infant lies in its mother's arms. A perfect abandonment must even go so far as to abandon its abandonment. We renounce ourselves without knowing it; if we knew it, it would no longer be complete, for there can be no greater support than a consciousness that we are wholly given up.
Abandonment consist, not in doing great things for self to take delight in, but simply in suffering our weakness and infirmity, in letting everything alone. It is peaceful, for it would no longer be sincere, if we were still restless about anything we had renounced. It is thus that abandonment is the source of true peace; if we have not peace, it is because our abandonment is exceedingly imperfect.
Sermon Outline
- The Nature of Abandonment
- The Misconception of Abandonment
- The Characteristics of True Abandonment
- It is peaceful, as it involves letting go of all restlessness and striving
- It is sincere, as it involves a complete surrender to God's will, without any sense of self-consciousness
Key Quotes
“A perfect abandonment must even go so far as to abandon its abandonment.” — Francois Fenelon
“Strength is made perfect in weakness; we are only strong in God in proportion as we are weak in ourselves.” — Francois Fenelon
“Abandonment consist, not in doing great things for self to take delight in, but simply in suffering our weakness and infirmity, in letting everything alone.” — Francois Fenelon
Application Points
- Accept your weakness as a source of strength, and let go of your own self-importance.
- Cultivate true abandonment by letting go of your own strength and self-importance, and simply resting in God's love.
- Experience true peace by letting go of all restlessness and striving, and simply resting in God's love.