| The Best Things in Life |
Chapter 7 |
Page 6 |
We do not get the best out of our Christian life. We join a church, but we do not allow the church to enter deeply into our life or to mean much to us. We do not allow the Master to possess us wholly, body and soul. We do not discover the possibilities of prayer. We do not have the Holy Spirit in our hearts as guest in an absorbing measure. The other day a man was apologizing for something he had done something that was not beautiful. He said he was one of those “diamonds in the rough” with which Christ could not do much. He never could be made into a sweet, happy, lovely Christian, he said. He thought he was more like Peter than John. He was reminded that even Peter, with all his original faults and roughness, became at length a noble and Christ like man. At first, during his training, he was rash and impetuous, and talked too much, but he was always sorry for his mistakes, and then grew out of them. It will not do to hide Peter, when our religion lacks in beauty, unless, like Peter, too, we leave our faults behind, and grow in grace and loveliness.
There are some professing Christians whose life is not beautiful. In St. Paul’s wonderful cluster of “whatsoevers,” summing up the qualities which should find their place in Christian character, there are two which never should be wanting – “whatsoever things are lovely,” and “whatsoever things are of good report.” It is not enough to be true, just, and honest – these sturdy elements are essential, but our lives must also be beautiful, and what people say about us must be such as shall honour the holy name we bear. Some people are honest but crabbed. They do good deeds, but do them in a most ungracious way. They attend meetings and talk a great deal about religion, freely criticizing other Christians, but are not winsome themselves, not humble, though they praise humility; nor devout, though they talk much about other people’s undevoutness. There are some good men whose lives are really full of good works, who will go miles to do a kindness, who are faithful in all personal duties, who never omit prayer or church attendance; but whose influence as Christians is far from sweet and winning. They are like certain nuts which have a meaty kernel, but a prickly burr. When they do you a favour you almost wish they had not, they hurt you so in doing it.
This miracle suggests to us that Christ can make our life richer and more beautiful, if we will put it into his hands, that if we live with him as we may, our characters will grow every day into greater sweetness and loveliness. A Christian man has no right to be hard to get along with. Even if other people are unlovely in spirit, he must be lovely. If others are selfish, he must be unselfish. If others are rude, he must be refined. We should set for ourselves the highest ideal of beauty, and then strive to reach it. “Let not your good be evil spoke of.” Do your gracious deeds graciously. Make your honesty and truth beautiful. Take care that your zeal is not censorious and uncharitable. Let your earnestness be gentle and kind. Judge not, that ye be not judged. Speak evil of no man – leave his faults to his Master. Look after yourself, you own flaws and motes and beams – you will have quite enough to do – and let Christ be the judge of other people’s faults. Strive to be the sweetest, truest, noblest, holiest, most useful Christian you can be, and do not talk about it. “Moses wist not that his face shone.”
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