November 2

Accomplish something

“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).
“Speak; for thy servant heareth” (1 Sam. 3:10).

“What shall I do, Lord?” is the keynote of St. Paul’s whole Christian life—activity and not a selfish quietism. It indicates that he did not have that conception of the new birth in which the sinner is passive, or rather, passive in fulfilling its conditions. That form of piety in which the Christian devotes himself exclusively to coddling himself, to constant morbid introspections of frames and feelings, will not be found in the writings of St. Paul.
—Daniel Steele.

Not by mere moods, not by how I feel today or how I felt yesterday, may I know whether I am indeed living the life of God, but only by knowing that God is using me to help others. No mood is so bright that it can do without that warrant. No mood is so dark that, if it has that, it need despair. It is good for us to think no grace or blessing truly ours till we are aware that God has blessed someone else with it through us.
—Phillips Brooks.

In a tear-off calendar recently, I was interested to read about a conversation Mr. Charles M. Alexander had had on one occasion with a critical friend. “I admire your sincerity, Mr. Alexander,” the man had said, “but I do not like the way you do your personal work.” “No, I don’t like it very much either,” replied Mr. Alexander, “but tell me, how do you do yours?” The man was a bit taken aback, and hesitatingly replied, “Well,… er… I am afraid I don’t do very much in the way of personal work.” “Then,” said Mr. Alexander, “I like the way I do mine, better than the way you don’t do yours!”

Do, please, be busy, for time flieth fast,
Soon it will all be gone;
Soon will our season of service be past,
Soon will our day be done.
Somebody near you needs now a kind word;
Someone needs help such as you can afford;
Haste to assist in the Name of the Lord,
There may be a soul to be won.

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