| The Best Things in Life |
Chapter 18 |
Page 4 |
One writes: “One day last week I was exceedingly busy. A score of things lay on my table, each one seeming to demand instant attention. It seemed that nothing else could be thought of. Just then a stranger came in and asked for an interview, stating in a sentence or two the nature of the matter on which advice and help were desired. I saw at once that the visitor was in great distress and needed instant help. God had sent the person to me. ‘Have you time to give me – twenty minutes or a half hour?’ was asked. My answer was, ‘Yes, I have nothing whatever to do now but to listen to you and to try to help you.’ My answer was true. Listening to this stranger was God’s will for me at that hour, a bit of God’s work clearly brought to me to be done, and I literally had nothing to do but that.” God’s will is always the first thing any day, any moment, and the only thing we have to do at that time. Nothing else can be so pressing that that may be declined. It is the same with Christ himself. When you take to him any need, any question, any trouble, everything else is laid aside for the time.
“In just that very place of his
Where he hath put and keepeth you,
Christ hath no other thing to do.”
To pray without ceasing means also that we are always to be in the spirit of prayer. There never should be a moment any day or night when we cannot at once look into God’s face without shame, without fear, without remorse, without shrinking, and ask his blessing on what we are doing. This is a searching test of life. We cannot ask a blessing on any wrong thing. If a man is dishonest in his business transactions he cannot pray till he makes things right. St. Paul gives a similar test in his exhortation, “Whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” The counsel covers all life – our words as well as our acts. Think what it would mean to have every word that drops from our lips winged and hallowed with prayer, always to breathe a little prayer before we speak and as we speak. This would make all our words true, kindly, loving, gentle – speech that will cheer and help those who hear. We can scarcely think of one using bitter words, angry, vindictive words, while his heart is filled with prayer.
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