| The Best Things in Life |
Chapter 1 |
Page 4 |
These are suggestions only of some of the best things. Jesus indicates others in his teachings. His disciples contended more than once on the question of greatness. It is a proper desire to wish to be a worthy follower of Christ. A good man used to pray, “Lord, make me an uncommon Christian.” Christ will never blame us for wanting to follow him with uncommon faithfulness and to live a life of unusual earnestness and godliness. But the disciples were thinking of rank, of priority in position. Jesus told them that the first places in his kingdom must be won – not by valour on the battlefield, not by favouritism, but by love. Those who serve others the most humbly, the most unselfishly, the most helpfully, are the best and most Christ like Christians.
On another occasion, the same lesson was taught by an act. Jesus quietly rose, laid aside his garments, girded him for the work of an actual servant, and then began to wash his disciple’s feet. The Master showed them that such serving was not degrading, but honourable. Jesus never did anything diviner in all his ministry than what he did that night. And no better opportunity of doing truly great and noble things will ever come to us than when it is our privilege to perform some lowly duties of love in serving or helping Christ’s little ones. The lowlier the person is who needs the help, and the lowlier the deed it may be ours to do, the diviner the service.
“They are little, simple things to do,–
To sweep a room, to bake a loaf of bread,
Kiss a hurt finger; tie a baby’s shoe,
To mend a crying schoolboy’s broken sled.
“Such little, simple things! But they above
Who on our little world attendant wait,
And joyful wait, note only if through love
The deed be done to count the work as great.”
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