| The Best Things in Life |
Chapter 6 |
Page 5 |
It is when we let Christ live in us and work in us and through us that our lives begin to tell for God. We cannot be a blessing to others until we are blessed ourselves. But when Christ lives in us we cannot but be a blessing to every life we touch. There is an immense difference between your doing something, teaching a lesson, preaching a sermon, visiting a sick neighbour, training a child, seeking to comfort one in sorrow – between your doing the work yourself and Christ doing it in you and through you. In the one case it is a piece of beautiful human service; in the other case it is human service filled with divine love and grace. In the one case it is you working – teaching, preaching, visiting, striving to make a life better; in the other it is you and Christ working together.
There is another suggestive word in St. Paul’s salutation. In the same chapter he speaks of Tryphaena and Tryphosa, “who labour in the Lord.” The tense is present – they were still active. But Persis had “laboured.” Her working time was over. She was still living, for St. Paul sent a kindly salutation to her, but she was no longer engaged in activities.
We are not told why Persis had ceased to work. Perhaps she was an invalid, unable longer to carry on her former activities. Or she may have become old and infirm. Some people chafe and are greatly discouraged when they become broken in health. They used to be strong, able for anything, undaunted in the presence of the greatest labours, laughing in the face of all obstacles. They responded to every call of duty with alacrity. The laboured much. Now they can only lie on their bed, or sit in their wheel chair to be rolled about – they cannot do any work. It takes more grace to keep patient and sweet, to be joyous and cheerful, in this broken condition, than it required in other days to be busy in the field of service. Yet we are no less the Lord’s servants when we cannot work any more than we were when we were most active.
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