October 1
Making Work With Brains
It is a good thing to think.
The more thought we put into our work—the better it will be
done. Work of all kinds becomes exalted, ennobled, refined, and
produces good, lasting effects—just in proportion as men put thought into
it. All worthy, noble, useful, beautiful living—must have its
dark quarries of purposing, thinking, planning, shaping,
polishing, behind its being and doing.
Look well to the quarries,
and you need not give much thought to the rising of the
building. Prepare no stained blocks
in your heart-quarries. Train yourself to think only pure
thoughts—white, clean thoughts. "Finally, brothers, whatever is
true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy--think about
such things." Philippians 4:8
October 2
Making Perfect Work
"Littles make
perfection," replied the artist to one who asked him why he
spent so much time in giving the little finishing-touches to his
statue. There can be no perfection in any kind of workmanship,
unless attention is paid to the minutest details of construction
or finishing. One smallest flaw or incompleteness left in the
work, in any part of it—leaves a blemish on the finished
endeavor.
Life is a mosaic, and each smallest stone
must be polished and set with greatest care—or the piece will
not at last, be perfect. One whose daily
life is
careless—is always weak in Christian character. But one who
habitually walks in right paths, no matter how small and
apparently trifling the things may be, grows strong and noble. Littles make
perfection. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever
you do, do everything for God’s glory." 1 Corinthians 10:31
October 3
Growing Through
Struggle
"I press
on toward the
goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14. That Christian life which costs
nothing—is worth nothing. There must be self-restraint,
discipline, severe schooling. There must be struggle, and the
agonizing effort. If you are to reach the goal and win the
prize—you must put every energy of your life into the race.
There must be sacrifice of indolence and self-will and personal
ease. Too much pampering, spoils many a promising Christian.
Every noble and godly life, is a struggle from beginning to end.
Only those who toil and fight and overcome—are
successful in life. This is true in every sphere—in business, in
academics, and in spiritual life. Are we resisting sin,
overcoming temptation, living victoriously in trial? If not—we
are not living worthily. "To this end I labor, struggling with
all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." Colossians
1:29
October 4
Appreciation Too Late
We ought not to need night—to
teach us the glories of the day.
We ought not to have to wait for sorrow, before we can
appreciate the sweetness of joy. Yet is it not often true that
we learn the value of our blessings—but by their loss? Many a
time an empty
chair is the
first full revealer of the worth and faithfulness of a precious
friend. Would it not be best, if we were to seek to appreciate
our good things—while we have them? We would then have the joy
itself, and not merely the dull pain
of regret as we
look back at vanished
blessings. Besides—we would do more for our friends while
they are with us—if we appreciated their worth. Too many of us
never understand what we owe to
our dear ones—until there remains no further opportunity of paying
love's debt.
October 5
Divine Guidance
No ancient pillar ever made the way more
plain to those who watched it for guidance, than does God's
providence make
the path of duty in common days, for those who truly acknowledge
God and desire his guidance. It is not because we cannot know God's
way that we do not see it—but because we want instead to take our
own way. There is no use in our looking into our Lord's face
and asking, "What now, dear Master?" if we do not sincerely
intend to take the path he marks out. We must have the spirit
of obedience if
we are to receive the divine direction. "Not my will—but yours,"
must be the prayer of our heart, cost what it may to surrender
our own way—and take God's way.
October 6
The Divineness of
Service
"For the Son of Man did not come to be
served--but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Mark 10:45. The life of Jesus Christ was the noblest life ever
lived. No king of earth ever attained such splendid, such real
royalty as did he. No human hero on battle-field ever did deeds
of such inherent greatness as those wrought by the hands of the
Carpenter of Nazareth. And what was the ruling
spirit of his life? Was
it not service? "Not to be served—but to serve," was the motto
of all his beautiful years. He lived wholly for others. He never
had one thought for himself, never did the smallest act for
himself. At last he emptied out his very blood—in the greatest
of all his acts of service. Shall we not learn from our Lord's
example that the truest life in this world is one of
self-forgetting love? Selfishness anywhere mars and spoils the
beauty of the rarest deed. We must get the spirit of Christ—and
then our lives shall be Christ-like.
October 7
Getting Sorrow's
Blessing
To all, in some form or other, suffering will
sometime come. Only if it is borne in the true way, will it will
bring rich blessings. It will produce in us, even in this world,
the fruits of righteousness. It will make us greater blessings
to others, since the things we learn in pain—we can teach in joy
and song. Are you in sorrow? Do not fail to get the blessing
from it—which it has certainly brought to you from God. It is
only when we do the right thing in our troubles, that they do us
good. Many people let their cares and worries into their hearts,
and when they do this, their lives are spoiled and harmed, and
not blessed, by them. It is only when we keep God's peace within
us in sorrow—that we get the blessing.
October 8
Other People's
Convenience
We ought to think of other
people's convenience more
than some of us do. The home is
the place where this thoughtfulness ought to begin, and
be cultivated.
One who comes late to breakfast may apologize to the others—but
forgets that he has marred the harmonious flow of the household
life, and caused some confusion and extra work. The other day an
important committee of fifteen was kept waiting for ten minutes
for one tardy member, who came sauntering in at last without
even an apology for having caused fourteen men a loss of time,
that to them was very valuable, besides having put a sore strain
on their patience and good nature. Common life is full of just
such thoughtlessnesses, which cause untold personal
inconvenience, and ofttimes produce irritation, and hurt the
hearts of friends. We ought to train ourselves in all our
life—to think also of other people.
October 9
Religion in the Common
Days
One of the most harmful practical errors of
common Christian living—is the cutting of life into two
sections—a religious section
and a secular section.
We acknowledge God in the religious part. We fence off days and
little spaces of time in each day which we profess to give to
worship and devotion. But the danger is—that we confine our
acknowledging of God to these set times and seasons, while we
shut him out of our real life.
That is not true religion—which prays well, and soars away into
celestial raptures and holy dreams—while it has no effect on
one's daily common life down here in the paths of toil and duty.
We should have our pious
visions—but we must bring them down into our earthly
experienceand make them real there.
October 10
Serving Christ in His
People
When we lay our lives at Christ's feet in
consecration, and tell him that we want to serve him with our
lives. He gives them back to us again, and bids us to use them
in serving his people, our fellow-men. In the humblest and the
lowliest of those who bear Christ's image—Christ himself comes
to us. We do not know when he stands before us, in a lowly one
who needs our sympathy or our help. It would be a sad thing if
we turned him away
unfed from our doors some day, or neglected to visit him in
his sickness. Let us not say that we love Christ—if we are not
ready to serve those whom he sends to us to be served.
October 11
Solitariness of Life
We talk about companionships—and
they certainly are very sweet. There is immeasurable helpfulness
in strong, true friendships.
Still, it is true that however many, faithful, and sympathetic
our friends may be—we must enter and pass through every life's
crises alone. Everyone of us lives really a
solitary life. We do not fight in companies and battalions
and regiments—but as individuals.
Each one must live his own life. "Everyone must bear his own
burden."
"We should we fear to live alone,
Since all alone—we die.
Not even the tenderest heart, next to our own,
Knows half the reasons, why we smile and sigh."
October 12
The Effects of Words
There are words spoken quietly and
coldly—which break like the lightning-flash, bearing on their blighting
wings, sad
desolation which years cannot repair. On the other hand, there
are simple words which, treasured in memory, hang like bright
stars of joy and cheer, in dark nights of sorrow and trial. Keep
ever speaking true words, kindly, loving words, the words of
Christ, wherever you go—and you will some day find them again in
blessings in the hearts of those who have heard them.
October 13
The Path of Glory
The path of glory for a life—does not lie far
away among the cold mountains of earthly honor, nor yet in any
paths of fame where worldly ambition climbs—but close beside us,
in the lowly ways of Christ-like ministry. He who stoops to
serve the poor and the suffering, in Christ's name, will find at
length that he has served Christ himself. Jesus lives in this
world, in his people—in everyone of them, in the least of
them—the poorest, the obscurest, the most down-trodden and
despised. He calls them all "my brethren." The smallest kindness
done to one of them—he accepts as though done to himself in
person!
October 14
Promises in Reserve
He who has not in the sunny days made the
divine promises his own—has no comforts to sustain him when
trouble comes. But he who has pondered the Scriptures, and laid
up in memory the precious truths and assurances—when called to
pass through affliction, has light in his dwelling. Words of
promise in which he had never before seen any special comfort,
shine out now like stars when the sun has gone down. Like lamps
above his head, unnoted before, they pour their soft beams upon
his soul. This is a provision all of us should make in youth and
health and happiness, for the dark days which will surely come.
October 15
Life a Stewardship
We are not all apostles in the sense that
Paul was; but to every Christian, Christ has given a solemn and
sacred trust in our own salvation. We are to be true to him, in
a world of sin and temptation. We are to be faithful to duty
wherever we stand. We each have a mission which we must strive
to fulfill. Are we keeping the faith—are we true to every sacred
trust which God has placed in our hands? Are we taking care of
the part of the vineyard assigned to us, and rendering the
fruits to him who has committed it to our care? Not to fulfill
our mission is soon to be left without a mission, dropped out,
set aside, while others do our work and receive the honor and
reward which would have been ours.
October 16
What God Grows
The "crown of righteousness" is not given for much service
or for great sacrifices—but
for Christ-like character.
The crown is in reality the efflorescence of the life itself,
its bursting into glory and beauty. It is not something else,
however brilliant, prepared and brought and set upon the head.
The crown of righteousness, is righteousness in character,
blossoming into heavenly radiance under the smile of God. Let us
not forget that tireless
activity is not
enough to win this crown; that heroic
struggle is not
enough. We must be holy, sanctified in our moral nature,
righteous in life and character. It is not what we do that
is crowned—but what we are!
October 17
The Wisdom Which Wins
It is not worldly wisdom which is required to
win souls—great learning, knowledge of science and philosophy.
It is spiritual wisdom which is needed—the wisdom which comes
down from God, the wisdom of faith, of love, of prayer, of
humility. It is the wisdom Christ gave his disciples before he
sent them out. Soul-winning is earth's holiest work. He who adds
the least touch of beauty to a sacred life does more than he who
paints a masterpiece. He who brings a lost soul to the Savior,
who seeks and finds a wandering sheep and bears it back to the
fold—does the noblest, greatest work possible on this earth!
October 18
A Lamp for the
Foot-Path
God's Word as
a guiding light, is a lamp
unto our feet—not a sun flooding a hemisphere. It is not
meant to shine upon miles of road—but in the darkest night it
will always show us the one next step; then when we have taken
that, carrying the lamp forward, it will show us another step,
and thus on until it brings us out into the full, clear sunlight
of coming day. It is a lamp, and it is designed to lighten only little
steps, one by one. We need to learn well the lesson of
patience—if we would have God guide us. He does not lead us
rapidly. Sometimes we must go very slowly if we wait for him.
Only pace by pace does
he take us; and unless we wait—we must go in darkness. But if we
wait for him, it will always be light for each step.
October 19
The Peril of Failure
To be faithless in duty, is to lose all the
blessing which is promised to those who are loyal and true. No
matter how perilous the duty that comes to you, you cannot
decline it—but at your own peril. The only safe way
in life's thronging field—is straight
on in the path of
duty. No duty, however perilous or hard, should be feared half
so much as failure in the duty. Stand where Christ places you,
and be simply true—that
is all. Make no effort to be great.
The greatest thing possible to you any day, is faithfulness.
Only be faithful. He requires no more of the highest angel in
glory.
October 20
The Eternity of Actions
Since every impression is
enduring; since every act leaves
its mark on the life itself, as well as on other lives; since
the smallest things we do become parts of our own being, while
they also touch and affect others—what tremendous destinies are
folded up—in each quiet day of ours! The things you are doing
these swift hours—are for eternity! The words you spoke
yesterday for Christ in the ear of the weary sufferer, the
strong, helpful words you spoke to the discouraged one, the
tempted one, the burdened one, the thought of comfort you
breathed softly and with a prayer in the home of grief—do you
know that the ministry of these good words will never cease?
October 21
After-Views—the Truest
Views
The real character of our actions is seen
only when we look at them from the side next eternity. You had a
duty to perform which at the time was a cross to you. It
required courage. It involved self-denial and personal
sacrifice. It was very hard to do. You look back upon it,
however, and it appears a beautiful act, and you are not sorry
you made the sacrifice. This after-view is the true one. Sin in
the form of temptation seems fascinating—but sin committed looks
horrible. Again the after-view is the true one. The point from
which we see a human life in its truest light is its end—looking
back over it from the edge of eternity. The false colors fade
out—in the light of the judgment.
October 22
Living Out God's
Thoughts
Let your highest ambition be to become what
God has planned for you to be. Lay all your plans at his feet.
Let God's will be your will—and he will lead you to just that
life which will be for you—the most beautiful, the most
honorable, and the most blessed. If you would have God's
thoughts to live out in your life, you must go to God for them.
You must sit down often with him in the silence. You must look
reverently into the divine Word and ponder deeply its holy
sentences. You must turn your steps habitually to the place of
prayer. You will not have heavenly visions—if you never look upward for
them!
October 23
Climbing by
Self-Conquest
Every low desire, every bad habit, all
longings for ignoble things, all wrong feelings which we conquer
and trample down—become ladder-rounds for our feet, on which we
climb upward out of groveling and sinfulness, into
nobler, grander life. If we are not living victoriously these little
common days—we
are not making any progress in true Christian living. Only those
who climb—are
getting toward the stars. Heaven at last, and the heavenly life
here—are for those who overcome!
October 24
Silence Under Calumny
Many of us may sometime become the innocent
victim of calumny. Pure in our heart and life—we may have to
endure suspicion of evil. As Christians, what should we do? In
some cases vindication may be possible, and it may be our duty
to seek it in the right way. But there may be instances when we
cannot free ourselves, without bringing dishonor upon others.
Then we must be silent and bear our load. We are not likely to
err in the direction of too great patience and silence under
wrong; our danger lies the other way. So let us beware lest,
when others injure us or defame us—we sin against God in trying
to vindicate ourselves. Let us rather suffer—and leave our
vindication with God—committing ourselves to him who judges
righteously.
October 25
Not Claiming Our
Privileges
Are not many of us conscious that we are
living far below our privileges? Do we not understand that we
are not as good Christians, as rich in character, as fruitful in
life, as we might be? Do we not know that there is a possible
fullness of spiritual blessedness which we have not yet
attained? Why is it? Is there any lack in God, from whom all
good gifts come? Is not the reason in ourselves? Is it not
because we cling to other things, earthly things, which fill our
hearts and leave but small room for Christ? We have not the
hunger for righteousness, for holiness, and though there is
abundance of provision close before us—yet our souls are
starving. If we would have the abundant life which Christ wants
to give us—we must empty out of our hearts the perishing trifles
that fill them, and make room for the Holy Spirit. We must pray
for spiritual hunger; for only to those who hunger—comes the
promise of filling and satisfying.
October 26
Love—Ministry
Love for Christ in human hearts, shapes
itself into manifold forms of gentle, helpful ministry,
according to the quality, the circumstances, and the relation of
each life. What we need to make sure of—is that we truly have
the spirit of service, "the mind that was in Christ Jesus." It
is not great deeds which
God expects or requires of us, unless he has endowed us with
large gifts and has given us great things to do. He gives us
certain talents and puts us in certain relations, and then asks
us to be faithful—nothing
more. The man with the plain gifts and the small opportunities,
is not expected to do the great things that are required of the
man with the brilliant talents and the large opportunities. "She
has done what she could" is the highest approving word which
could be spoken of anyone, and it may be only for a smile
of love, and a crust given
in Christ's name.
October 27
The Blessedness of
Death
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is
gain." Philippians 1:21. The Christian life is not a voyage in
the sunshine, darkening as it progresses and growing stormy,
ending in utter wreck on death's shores. Rather, it is a voyage
through earthly storm and shadow—but at last out into the broad
ocean of eternal blessedness. Death is not the end—but the
beginning. It is not loss—but gain. It is not into darkness—but
into marvelous light. It is not to silence and stillness—but
into life far more real and active. It is not away from joy and
gladness and beauty—but is out of the mere shadows and hopes of
blessedness, into the full revelation of Christ, into his very
presence, where there is fullness of joy, where there are
pleasures forevermore. "I desire to depart and be with Christ,
which is better by far!" Philippians 1:23
October 28
Finishing Our Work
God first puts the good thoughts and the holy
impulses into your heart. Then when you try to obey and do what
he commands and suggests—he helps you to do it. "It is God who
works in you both to will and to work." If character is
a web, and we are weavers—we cannot ourselves prepare white,
clean threads of thought and purpose and love, for our hearts
are unclean. Nor can we weave the threads into a pure, unsoiled
web—for our hands are stained. God must put into our hearts the
beautiful threads. He must give us the pattern, too, into which
he would have us fashion the fabric. Then he must cleanse our
hands and guide our fingers. In weaving this web we must not
miss a thread, for if we do the loom goes on and the web rolls
by—but the place of the dropped
thread remains
unfilled. Would you be able to say at your life's end, "I have
finished the work which God gave me to do"? You must be sure
that each smallest duty is done in its own time. To have at last
a finished life, each day must close with its duty all done, no
tasks remaining unfinished. That is, each day's work must be
left complete, with life's duty done up to that moment, as if we
should never come again to our tasks.
October 29
Serving the Highest
Life
God gives us in the darkness of this world,
many glimpses of heaven's blessed life. The Scriptures are full
of windows through which the light pours. And every disclosure
of heavenly existence that is made to us, shows us life without
one trace of selfishness, earnestly devoted to the service of
others. Angel-life is
very pure, holy, and blessed—and yet these celestial beings, the
angels, find their employment in serving.
It is their joy to minister, not to be ministered unto. If we
would be as the angels—we must have the same spirit. Then the
Son of God came, and his life's spirit was described in his own
words, "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto—but to
minister." Serving is therefore the most exalted, the divinest
thought of life.
October
30
Obedience to Impulses
We all have our impulses to
duty. We know what we ought to do. What do we do with the calls
of duty and the cries and appeals of human distress? Do we allow
them to die away unheeded? If we do, our own souls shall be
losers. We walk about at town, and we see heathenism, misery,
and squalor under the very shadows of our churches. We see on
all sides, the sobs and moanings of human distress. And we are
ordained by Christ to carry his salvation, his comfort, his
grace—to our fellow-men. The news of God's love which has come
to you—is not for yourself; you get the full, rich blessing of
it—only when you tell it to another. Do we obey these divine
impulses?
October 31
Training the Temper
Christian duty touches
all relations of life. It does not have to do only with
communions and prayer-meetings. It includes all other actions.
It tells us the kind of citizens we ought to be, how we should
live with people, that we should not speak evil of anyone, that
we should not be contentious—but be gentle, showing meekness and
patience even toward those who seem not easy to get long with.
Once we were not Christians, and did not know the law
of love—but lived in malice and envy, hateful and hating
others. But now the kindness of God and His love have touched
our lives, and we are to put away the things of our old life.
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