| The Best Things in Life |
Chapter 4 |
Page 3 |
The whole matter of spiritual culture seems to be included in this thought. Every day should see us advancing, learning more of Christ, and growing more and more into the beauty of Christ. The other day it was said of a Christian man, who has been active in many forms of usefulness, and whose life has been full of good deeds, that he is growing irritable, that he is getting easily vexed and fretted, that he is losing his sweetness of temper, and is becoming easily provoked. This may be the result of ill health. We dare not judge another man when we see, or think we see, such faults manifesting themselves in his disposition. There may be a physical reason for this apparent deterioration in spiritual life. There are certain conditions of health which make it very hard for a man to keep sweet. When we see a good man or a good woman sensitive, touchy, easily hurt, hard to get along with, we must beware that we do not think or speak uncharitably of them. There may be a reason – ill health, business trouble, disappointment, and a hidden sorrow. God understands, and we must not judge or condemn.
Nevertheless, we should mark well the lesson that one phase of Christian growth should be this – the spirit entering into more and more loving peace. If the peace of Christ is ruling at all in our hearts it should rule a little more fully today than yesterday, and tomorrow than it does today. We should be growing continually in al that belongs to peace. Worry is not only a sin – it is also one of the most disfiguring of the vices. It mars and spoils the beauty of a life. Discouragement is a sin, and discouragement hurts a life immeasurably. If we have the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts we will be getting farther and farther away from worry every day. Peace sweetens the life, sweetens the disposition. It puts a stop to discontent, to complaining; it makes a man patient with others, gentle to all, humble and lowly in his thought of himself. Then what does worrying ever accomplish? Does it make the way sweeter, the burden lighter?
“I’ve learned as days have passed me,
Fretting never lifts the load;
And that worry, much or little,
Never smoothes an irksome road;
For you know that somehow, always,
Doors are opened, ways are made;
When we work and live in patience
Under all the cross that’s laid.
“He who waters meadow lilies
With the dew from out the sky;
He who feeds the flitting sparrows,
When in need for food they cry,
Never fails to help his children
In all things, both great and small;
For his ear is ever open
To our faintest far off call.”
Page 3