Love in the Little Ways

Thérèse of Lisieux was an extraordinary (although, perhaps, she would tell you that she was quite ordinary) individual who wanted, above all things, to serve Christ. Because of her love for Jesus, she begged the pope to be allowed to enter the convent at a younger age than typically allowed. Thérèse dreamed of doing great works for God. In her youthful zeal, she wanted to become a high servant of the church or perhaps a martyr. Instead, she realized that she was called to the most important work of the petite voie or “the little way”. She became convinced that Christ desired not that she accomplish great things, but that she do little, ordinary things with great love. 

Thérèse challenged herself to do the smallest, most mundane tasks as if she were serving Christ himself. Tiresome duties of laundry and cleaning were opportunities to do Christ’s laundry and clean His rooms. She devoted herself to loving those she lived with – even the most trying personalities – as if she were living with Christ himself. Grouchy nuns and quarrelsome sisters were occasions to love Jesus, Himself. She followed Jesus’s instructions in Matthew 25:40, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” 

Thérèse of Lisieux died before she was 30 years old in relative obscurity. It was only as her autobiography was passed around that others recognized God’s work upon her life. Her petite voie became a challenge to other believers to live a life that showed love in “the little way.” Her life reminds me of Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (NIV). 

Everyone wants to be noticed for what they’ve contributed to life – and Christians are not exempt from this. We want our lives to be recognized as being unique and worthy of honor, and yet, most of us are given ordinary lives in ordinary places. There are billions of people who have lived since the dawn of time whose names and livelihoods have been forgotten. They were called to mundane lives of faithfulness. How many “ordinary” Christians have lived lives that pleased the Father far more than famous personalities? I wonder, at times, if some of these ordinary, unknown believers, might have lived lives that impacted others far more than they knew – just like Thérèse of Lisieux. 

Can you imagine if each of us made it our goal this year to faithfully live our ordinary lives with great love? What if every time we had to fold another load of laundry, drive through traffic, or prepare a meal we did it as if we were doing that job for Jesus Himself? What if to every text, email, phone conversation or social media interaction of our days, we responded as if we were communicating with Jesus? How can we show our neighbors, family members and friends – even the ones who annoy us – the same love that we would show if it were Jesus? 

Showing love in little ways requires great humility. Philippians 2:3-4 states, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking

to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Humility is the mark of a true believer. In his talk on Canto 10 of Dante’s Purgatory, Dr Philip Cary stated: “Humility, it seems, need not always be a quiet and retiring sort of virtue. What it always does is recognize something greater and higher than the self.” (https://youtu.be/yTYPU9jY-UQ) 

Thérèse of Lisieux recognized that following Jesus meant serving Someone greater and higher than her own dreams. May we have courage to do the same! How can you show love in little ways today?