Christlike Living in a Sinful World # 18

It takes our heart's blood

Unselfishness, even in its smallest acts and effects — costs some sacrifice. Work for others which costs us nothing, is scarcely worth doing. It takes our heart's blood, to heal other hearts. It is those who sow in tears, who shall reap in joy.

Take easy work if you will, work that costs you nothing, give only what you will not miss, spare yourself from self-denial and waste and sacrifice; but do not be surprised if your hands are empty in the harvest-time. We must give if we are to receive; we must sow if we would reap.

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Loving God

"I love You, O LORD, my strength!" Psalm 18:1

We must never think that all our service for Christ, all our acts of love for Him — must be also in some way acts of practical benefit and help to our fellow human beings. We must never consider all deeds and gifts wasted, which do not feed the hungry or clothe the naked.

In secret we may pour our broken heart's love upon Christ, bathing His feet with sorrowful tears — even though we do nothing in these acts directly for any human life. In our worship we may adore Him and love Him, though we comfort no sad heart, and help no one who is weary. Nothing makes Christ so honored as our love, and surely we should sometimes just love Christ, forgetting every other person, in the ecstasy of our heart's adoring Him.

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God!" Psalm 42:1

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Piles of doctrines

Many Christians have their heads stored full of catechisms, creeds, and Scriptures — and yet when trouble comes, they have not one truth on which they can really lean, or which gives them any actual support or help. Piles of doctrines — but no shepherd's rod and staff to lean on in weakness; lamps hung up in great numbers — but not one of them burning to throw its light upon the darkness; bundles of backpacks tied up in creed and text — but no staff to walk with over the dark mountains. Let us learn to study the Scriptures for ourselves, and to know what we should believe and why we should believe. Second-hand Bible truth is not the kind of food our souls need.

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Fishers of men

"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

We must love those we seek to save — but we must love Christ more; we must love them, because we love Christ. We must strive to win souls, not for ourselves, but for Christ. It is not sufficient to get people to love us — we must get them to love our Savior, to trust in Him, and to commit their lives to Him. We must remain out of sight. Anyone who thinks of his own honor as he engages in any Christian service, is not a vessel ready to be used by Christ. We need to be careful that no shadows of our pride, our ambition, or our self-seeking, fall upon our work for Christ.

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The true and the beautiful life

While God's gifts are in our hands, they are to be employed not for ourselves alone, or at all, primarily — but to give help, comfort, joy, light, and cheer, to others. This is the law of the heavenly kingdom. Nothing whatever is given to us — to be kept for ourselves alone. Everything that is ours — is ours to use and then pass to others. If we but carried out this teaching and fulfilled this law of Christ's kingdom in every particular, it would make this earth a Heaven. Yet that is just what we should aim to do.

The true and the beautiful life, is the one which seeks to be a blessing to every other life it touches.

It is not easy to live a life of perpetual blessing to people. Jesus did it, but it was very expensive living for him. He gave out something of Himself to everyone He touched. Christian love gives and serves and sacrifices unto the uttermost.

While we are serving men — we are also and primarily serving Christ. "The King will answer and say to them: Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:40 

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True greatness

A life does not need to be great to be beautiful. There may be as much beauty . . .
  in a tiny flower — as in a majestic tree,
  in a little gem — as in a great mountain,
  in the smallest creature — as in a massive one.

"The greatest among you will be your servant!" Matthew 23:11

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If your hand is always ready to serve

"Whatever your hand finds to do — do it with all your might; for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." Ecclesiastes 9:10

Find your work wherever Christ has put you. Do whatever He gives you to do. Strive to be full of Christ; then strive to be Christ to the souls around you who are lost and perishing, or who are in need or sorrow. Seek to make one little place in this world, a little brighter, better, and purer. Christ has redeemed you and lifted you up, that you may lift up other souls around you. If your hand is always ready to serve — you will always find work ready for your hand to do.

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It is more blessed to give than to receive!

"Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said: It is more blessed to give than to receive!" Acts 20:35

We can always do our best work, when we do it not for ourselves but so that it may bless others. If the motive in all our ambition, all our toil, all our effort — is to become wiser, stronger, greater, and more influential — in order that we may do more in Christ's name for others — then whatever we do will be beautiful and noble. The right motive exalts and makes the work noble. We get the largest measure of good for ourselves, from our actions when our first aim is to do good to another. If you wish to get the best from any good thing, receive it from God — and then quickly minister it in Christ's name to others. The richest blessing comes not in the receiving, but in giving and doing.

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

~J. R. Miller~

(The End)