Choice excerpts from "Intimate Letters on Personal Problems"
By J.R. Miller
The secret of a beautiful life is living in unbroken fellowship with Christ, under the influence of His presence, and the inspiration of His love and grace.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~The law of Christian life
Love never gets its debts paid off. "Do not owe anyone anything, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." Romans 13:8
Paul implies that we never can pay off all love's debts, or even if we do get them paid off at the close of some happy day — we shall find them waiting at our door in the morning, as clamorous as ever. Of course, LOVE is the law of Christian life. We cannot be Christlike — unless we love. But oh! is not love tremendously costly sometimes?
There is no other life, like that of love. Nothing brings us so much happiness — as living for others, giving out our lives in sweet helpfulness, whatever the cost may be. The sweetest happiness which we can get in the world, comes from adding a little to the happiness of others.
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples — if you love one another." John 13:35
~ ~ ~ ~ ~My whole creed and duty
"No longer do I call you servants; but I have called you friends!" John 15:15
For myself, after all my years of teaching and helping others, and all my experiences as a Christian, my whole creed is summed up into one little sentence, "Christ and I are friends!" No friend in all the world is so near to me as He is. I trust Him, I love Him, I take everything to Him, I lay every burden upon Him. I go to Him for wisdom, for help, for the love I need in my own heart. He is everything to me as Friend.
Christ is my personal Friend. He is my dearest, truest, strongest and best Friend!
Then for myself, my whole duty is summed up in being a friend of Christ's. He says, "You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you." This includes all Scripture commands.
In telling you this, I want to help you to understand that the essential thing in the Christian life is knowing Christ, trusting Him, loving Him, following Him, having Christ for your Friend — and being His friend.
"Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!" Song of Songs 5:16
~ ~ ~ ~ ~Fly into the bosom of Christ for refuge and safety!
"Whoever humbles himself like this child, is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:4
It is very sweet just to nestle down in the bosom of Christ — to be as a little child with Him. Those who come otherwise do not get near to Him — but the child-like always find a close place in His heart. So the more like children we can be in our trust and in the simplicity of our faith, in humbleness of disposition, in willingness to do His will and to learn of Him — the nearer to Him shall we get, and the more shall we enjoy of His love.
Some years ago, as I was passing along one of our streets one afternoon, I heard a fluttering of birds over my head and, looking up, saw a little bird flying wildly about in circles, chased by a hawk! The bird flew down lower and lower, and then darted into my bosom, under my coat. I cannot quite express to you, the feeling which filled my heart at that moment — that a little bird, chased by an enemy, had come to me for refuge, trusting me in time of danger. I laid my hand over the bird, which nestled as quietly and confidently under my coat, as a baby would in a mother's bosom. I carried the little thing along for several blocks until I thought the way was clear of danger, and then let it out. It flew away into the air again, but showed no fear of me. Ever since that experience, I have understood better what it is to fly into the bosom of Christ for refuge and safety in time of danger, or in time of distress.
All this helps me to understand better what it means to Jesus when we, hunted and chased by enemies, or suffering from weakness or pain — fly to Him and hide ourselves in His love.
That is all we need to do — just to creep into the bosom of Christ, and lie down there, with no fear, no anxiety, but with simple trust.
The lines of Wesley's old hymn have meant more ever since:
"Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
Oh, receive my soul at last.
Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~God does not promise to lift the burden away
An old Scripture promise reads, "Cast your burden upon the Lord — and He shall sustain you." Psalm 55:22. Every burden you have, you may cast on the Lord; that is, you may lay it on Him in prayer and by faith. But notice that God does not promise to lift the burden away — all He promises is to sustain you, that is, to give you strength to do the work, to bear the burden, to meet the difficulty, to master the hindrance or the obstacle.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~If you saw Christ standing beside you all the time
Scripture says of Moses, that "he endured as seeing Him who is invisible!" Hebrews 11:27. That is, Moses always remembered that God was right beside him, his friend to help him — and this made him strong. He did not actually see God — but it was as if he saw Him. That is, he realized the divine presence in all his life.
If you saw Christ standing beside you all the time — it would not be hard for you to keep sweet, to keep control of temper and speech. Well, Christ IS beside you — just as really as He was beside Mary when she sat at His feet in Bethany, or beside Peter and the other disciples as they walked together over the hills of Judea and Galilee. What you need, is to realize this fact. We know that Jesus is present with us all the time, at every moment, by day or by night. He is closer than any human friend can be to us. Indeed, we are to practice His presence — that is, we are to live all the time, as if we actually saw Him!
You must remember that Christ is always besides you, not only to see you — but to help you, as your truest and best Friend!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I always carry an oil can in my pocket
There is a good illustration in one of Dr. Parkhurst's books. He tells of a workman who was in a trolley car one day. As the door was opened and shut, it squeaked. The workman quietly got up and, taking a little can from his pocket, dropped some oil upon the offending spot, saying as he sat down, "I always carry an oil can in my pocket, for there are so many squeaky things in this world which a little oil will help."
Dr. Parkhurst applies this to life, saying that love is a lubricant, with which we can soften or prevent, a great many unpleasant frictions with other — if we always have love and will speak the gentle word, the soft word, the kindly word, at the right time. I used the illustration recently in my church in a sermon, and suggested to the people that they all carry oil cans, thus trying to make the world a little sweeter place to live in.
"I am not writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning — that we love one another." 2 John 1:5
"The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:14
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you — so you must love one another." John 13:34~ ~ ~ ~ ~
You have only just begun!
Dear friend,
You say that you cannot live up to the things you read in the Bible and in Christian books. I know of no one who can do so. The Bible sets before us very lofty ideals — so lofty that we cannot reach them in a day or a month or in twenty-five years. So long as you may live, and if you spend every year in striving toward the best things — you will still find that you have not fully attained them.
Paul was a great deal better Christian than most of us, and he said, when he was quite an old man, that he was not yet perfect — but was still striving after the things which he wished to attain. We never measure up to our ideals. We never are so holy any day, as we intend to be in the morning when we set out.
We certainly fall very far below God's requirements. If we did not, there would be no special need of a Savior. Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem us and save us, because we cannot live up to the requirements of His divine law.
You must not judge yourself, therefore, too severely. Christ does not. He is very patient with our slow progress. Always do your best every day, and you will do better still tomorrow.
Make every day as beautiful as you can — pure and true and holy, with obedience and love. Then next day can be made a little better than this one, and so on through every day, unto the end.
Yet you will still find on the last evening of your life, that you have very much to attain, that really you have just begun to be a Christian. I think it was Rubinstein, the great musician, who said at the close of a long life, devoted to intense musical work, "I have just begun to know music." It is so in Christian life. If you live to be eighty years old, growing every day more and more holy, you can say then no more than that you have begun — just begun, to know Christ and to know how to live a Christian life.
Remember that you will never reach your goal, until you leave this poor world, and enter upon the perfect life in Heaven. "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is!" 1 John 3:2
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!" Philippians 3:13-14~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Even our faults, our follies and our sins!
"We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose!" Romans 8:28
We can put into the hands of God, all problems and troubles, even the things which have seemed hard and hurtful — knowing that there is a Hand which will so shape results as to bring out of all the tangles — a beautiful web. Even our faults, our follies and our sins — we may put into the same Hand if we are truly penitent, and leave them there, knowing that from these, too, some blessing will come to us.
It is astonishing how good God is to us, and how He takes whatever we give Him, even the poorest fragments of our obediences, even our mistakes and our sins — and out of them brings something helpful and full of good for us!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The sweet and quiet influence of your life
"God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." 1 Thessalonians 4:7
I know Christians who are not brilliant, who never do any great things — but whose lives are so true, so consistent, so Christlike, that wherever they go, they carry in their very presence a bit of heavenly sunshine.
Concerning one of these, a friend said a few years ago, standing by the coffin of the young woman who had been called home, "Wherever she went, flowers grew in her pathway, and the air was always sweeter when she entered the room." This is true of certain lives, even apart from what they do. Of course, it is the godly life and character, which makes the pleasant face, and which gives to the presence its strange power.
May God give you grace always to be a blessing wherever you go, not only in the things you do and the things you say — but still more in the sweet and quiet influence of your life.
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight!" 1 Peter 3:3-4
"that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God" Colossians 1:10
"For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people." 1 Peter 2:15~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We should sweetly acquiescence in God's will
"Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me — nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done!" Luke 22:42
We should sweetly acquiescence in God's will, in faith that whatever He permits in our life, is right and best for us.
"He is the LORD; let Him do what is good in His eyes!" 1 Samuel 3:18~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Won without a word
Christians should learn the lesson, that they must be simple, sincere and natural, not only in their Christian life — but especially in their conversations on religious subjects. As a general rule, Christians had better not do very much talking about religion, to those who are not Christians. The better way for them, is to live out their religion in their contact with others, to pray much for them, and to learn to love them deeply and truly — but not to speak to them about Christ, until the appropriate time comes for it.
I have known Christians who, by their beautiful and holy life, have won the confidence and the affection of unbelievers, and have also won their respect for the Christian religion. The time had come, by and by, when they could speak to them and when every word they spoke was golden, because of the place they had won in their hearts — by their sweet, beautiful and sincere Christian life and character.
"In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior." 1 Peter 3:1-2~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Earth's nests
"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms!" Deuteronomy 33:27
Embracing arms suggest a father's love, or the love of a very dear and trusted friend. It is very sweet for a child to nestle thus in the arms of father and mother.
The embrace suggests not only affection — but support, protection, shelter, secure keeping. The strongest and gentlest human arms will some day fall away, unclasping their embrace. But the arms of God are "everlasting." Nothing can ever unbind them from us. Nothing can ever snatch us out of those arms!
We know that when once enfolded in the love of God — we shall be kept there forever. Whatever human arms may have dropped away from their embrace of you, or may hereafter drop away — you know that the arms of God will always enfold you in warm, tender, strong affection!
Another precious word in this old text is the word "underneath." The arms of God are always underneath. No matter how low one sinks away in suffering, or weakness, or pain, or trial — still and always, underneath are the everlasting arms!
I want you to feel that God's love is everlasting, that His grace is eternal, that the protection you have in Him is something which never can be disturbed.
Earth's nests are all liable to be torn to pieces, for nothing here is stable and sure. Even the giant mountain peaks, shall molder away. But the love of God remains ever the same. "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, says the Lord that has mercy on you."~ ~ ~ ~ ~
You should live Christ always
Then, as for speaking to people about Christ, that has to be done very wisely. Very likely, to have spoken directly of Christ to anyone you saw at the baseball game — would have done more harm than good. There is a time for all things.
Your duty, it seems to me, is that you should live Christ always. You represent Christ wherever you go. You are one of His interpreters. Even at the game, you were preaching Christ — by your happiness, your peace of heart, your gentleness, thoughtfulness, kindness. You are always to preach by your example. Now and then, whenever opportunity occurs, you are to speak a word for Him.
It is said of a devoted Christian minister that everywhere he went, he made people fall in love with Jesus Christ. He did it not only by what he said — but even more by the beautiful influence of his life. People saw Christ in him, in the way he lived, in the love he showed to everyone — and they learned to love Christ in him.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A mother's tasks
I know well that a mother's tasks in the home, caring for her children, are not light. It is no easy thing to go on in the same routine, day after day, week after week, month after month — always keeping sweet, always having a shining face and a cheerful word, always strong to meet every question and perplexity and difficulty which comes to you.
But I want to say a word of encouragement to you. The mother 's place is the highest place to which any woman can be called. When God puts into your hand a little child to care for, to guide, to teach, to watch over, to inspire and train for life — He puts upon you serious responsibility. But He also promises the strength you need, and the help for every experience.
One of Augustine's great prayers was, "Command what You will — and then give what You command." That is the way God always does, if we trust Him and go forward in simple confidence. Whatever He commands us to do — He will help us to do. Nothing is impossible when we have Christ with us and in us.
I want to help you to enter upon your days, whatever their care may be, with the confidence that your Master is with you and is going to help you to get through everything beautifully, victoriously and sweetly.
It is a great thing to be able to live victoriously, amid all the cares and frets and frictions and trials of everyday life.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The one essential qualification for a disciple
If you will read the New Testament very carefully, you will find that our Master called all His disciples to become personally attached to Him, to believe on Him, to obey Him, to follow Him, to cling to Him. This was the one essential qualification for a disciple. It was not doctrines, not the observance of ceremonies, not the identification with certain creeds — his personal attachment to the Master was all that was required.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Always keep sweet!
Dear friend,
Whenever God puts us in any place — He does so intelligently, with some purpose of good for us. There are some lessons He wants us to learn, which we can learn in no other place quite so well as where He sets us. Or there are duties to do in that particular place — and we are the best person to do them. At least, we should be satisfied that we are never in our place by accident — but that God has placed us where we are, for some good reason.
Then when we have special difficulties or hindrances or obstacles or handicaps — we have the same comfort — that these are parts of God's plan for helping us. He is always setting us lessons to learn. The lessons are not always easy, either — sometimes they are very hard. But if we accept the divine teaching and take up the duties which He gives to us in our hard place — we shall always find the best blessing and the sweetest comfort.
While we cannot, therefore, change the life conditions or circumstances of our our lives, we can sometimes work a little more bravely, live a little more sweetly in the hard conditions.
I may sum up all my wish for you in a single sentence — "Always keep sweet!" If you always keep love in your heart, patience, gentleness, self-control, forbearance — however hard the condition may be, however unjust your treatment may seem to you to be — you will always be victorious and thus will grow into spiritual strength and beauty.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The goal of Christian life
The goal of Christian life, is not to avoid troubles, disappointments, sorrows, injuries — but in all these experiences, to keep free from sin and stain.
This trouble cannot do you any real harm. You must come out of it still more cheerful and happy, true and strong as ever, more unselfish and sympathetic than ever before.
Am I giving you a hard task? I am giving you just the task that Christ, your Master, would give you, if He were talking to you.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
No — keep it!
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul tells of a wonderful experience which he had. He had some great suffering which he called "a thorn in the flesh." He does not say what it was — but evidently it was some physical pain, some think epilepsy, some think a trouble with the eyes, some think a nervous affection. No matter what it was, it was very painful and seemed to interfere with the apostle's usefulness.
Three times, therefore, he besought the Lord that this thorn in the flesh might be taken away. But the answer was, "No — keep it! My grace is sufficient for you — for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Then Paul learned this wonderful secret — that the physical suffering which was so hard to bear, if accepted by him, brought him a corresponding measure of the strength of Christ!
As you read on, you find the apostle saying that he now rejoiced in his infirmity, because the power of Christ thus rested upon him. That is, the suffering, as keen and terrible as it was — brought Christ nearer to him, brought more of Christ's strength into his life, and thus fitted him for larger spiritual usefulness!
You can apply this to yourself. You have asked God to remove your thorn in the flesh — and He has not done it. But let me assure you that the words which the Lord spoke to Paul — He speaks to you also. His grace is sufficient for you. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. That is, you will get more of Christ's help in your life, because of the suffering which you are enduring, than if the suffering were to be taken away — you then receiving less of Christ's help, because needing less.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
God's way is the best!
Whatever is inevitable in our life, must be the will of God for us.
Another thing is also very sure — it is not necessary that any sorrowful trial, should really hurt your life. God allows no experiences to come to us, in which we cannot live victoriously and sweetly as Christians.
God is able to make up to you the loss, and help you to live richly and beautifully as you are. Accept, therefore, the will of God and devote yourself to it, not perfunctorily, not as by mere constraint — but cheerfully, songfully — believing that God's way is the best, although you cannot see that it is.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ten minutes spent every morning with Christ — yes, even three minutes, if they are spent really with Him — change everything for the day!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Never think for a moment!
You ask whether you ought not to be teaching Sunday school or working in Christian societies, or doing other things for Christ.
Never think for a moment, that you are not doing Christian work while you are bringing up your children, living a sweet, beautiful life before them, pouring your love into their lives, mothering them, even though you have time for no work outside your home.
Besides being a mother, you are a wife. You are God's messenger to your husband. I do not mean that you are to preach to him, or give him all sorts of advice. As a rule, this is not the best way of doing good to a husband. But you can do a great deal for him by thoughtfulness and kindness. What I want to help you to understand, is that you are to be to your husband an interpreter of Christ — of His patience, His holiness, His peace, His helpfulness, His serving. We can be true to Christ and can show His love in our lives, in whatever we are doing. Your duty, it seems to me, is that you should live Christ always.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It is better, far better , to suffer a wrong — than to commit a wrong!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Your truest and best friend
What I want to help you to understand, is that Christ is your truest and best friend. Prayer is simply your little talk with Christ, as you would sit down with any dear, tender, close and trusted human friend for a little talk.
John lay upon Christ's bosom, nestling there on that dark night of his sorrow, when he knew the Master was to be taken away from him. That is the way you may rest, nestling in the bosom of Christ, enfolded by his strong arms.
I am sure when you realize that Christ and you are friends, close, tender friends — that Christ is your infinite helper as well as your Savior — you will not have any more trouble in praying. You will be eager to sit down at his feet, as Mary sat, listening to his words, or to lie upon his breast, as John did, catching every whisper that fell from his lips.
You need not be afraid to entrust everything into the hands of Him who knows you and loves you, better than any human friend can possibly do.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The sweetest life
The sweetest life is the one which nestles the most quietly and unquestioningly, in the bosom of Jesus.
I always like that picture of John which we have at the Last Supper, when he leaned upon Christ's bosom. It seems such an ideal place for anyone to lean. Especially it is a place in which those who are suffering, those who are weak and broken in health, those who have any sorrow or care — may nestle.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
God's forgiveness
I was teaching on the Fifty-first Psalm recently — and I spoke particularly of the completeness, the fullness and the gladness of God's forgiveness. He not only blots out the record of our sins against us, and washes us until every stain is gone, until we are whiter than snow — but He takes us back into His own heart so speedily, that it is as if we never had sinned at all!
He says, "Our sins and our iniquities, He will remember no more against us forever." The very memory of our wrongdoing fades from the mind of God when He forgives us, so full is His love — so rich, so tender, so overflowing.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Surely, I am with you always
"Surely, I am with you always, even to the end of the age!" Matthew 28:20
Jesus is nearer to me than the closest human friend could be. I know that He is right by me, that He sees me and knows my thoughts and feelings, that He loves me and thinks about me and cheers and inspires and encourages me. So Jesus has become to me, the most real friend in all the world. I try to think of Him continually, and always to love Him — as I would love Him if I saw Him. I tell Him my difficulties, and questions, and temptations, and needs. Thus I try to live all my life with Christ in the closest companionship.
It was said of Moses that "he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." Moses never saw God with human eyes — but God was so real to Moses that it was as if he saw Him. The faith of Moses, made God's presence a constant reality to him.
Such relations with Christ, will establish a very real and personal friendship. We are sure that He is our friend, and, believing in His love, trusting and following Him, living with Him — will soon lead us to love Him in return. Christ hungers for our full confidence, for our most trusting love, and then for our most faithful obedience.
You must believe what Christ says about His love and care for you, about His presence with you, and His desire to help you. Your faith will thus make Him a reality to you. Then you and Christ will become such close and familiar friends, that you will soon learn to walk with Him, to live with Him.
"He Himself has said: I will never leave you or forsake you!" Hebrews 13:5~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Christ is not merely a Savior
Christ is not merely a Savior who died two thousand years ago, who now lives away up above the stars in Heaven, and thinks of you — but He is a friend right by your side, coming . . .
into your everyday life,
into all your experiences,
into your joys and sorrows,
into your pleasures and your pain.
You have no affairs in which He is not deeply interested, and in which He will not help you. There are no troubles which you cannot take to Him, assured that He will help you to bear them — or will relieve you of them.
The Christian life is simply making Christ more and more, your close personal friend.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jesus does not require anything more, than a child-like trust in Him as Savior, Master and Friend — and the devotion of the life to Him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The continued existence of our saved loved ones in Heaven
"Absent from the body — and at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8
Then I think, also, that if we allow our faith to make more real to us, the continued existence of our saved loved ones in Heaven, with all their faculties, their affections, their beauties of character. This ought to be a great comfort to us, helping us not only to acquiesce — but to rejoice.
For example, my mother has been very much more real to me during the long years since she died, than she was during the same number of years before she left this world. I saw her then but rarely — not more than once a year. Then she was a sufferer most of the time and every thought I had of her was painful, because it brought her before me in illness or feebleness. Now, however, I think of her as away beyond all sickness, all suffering, all pain, having lost nothing that was beautiful in her life, a transfigured woman, in the presence of Christ, engaged in His service in another world. This is a wonderful comfort to me. It not only makes her existence even more real than it was when she was living in Ohio — but it makes the thought of her very much sweeter and more joyous.
I am sure that as you go on and realize more and more of your mother's life as it is now with Christ in the Heavenly kingdom — your comfort will become deeper and your peace will become deeper and sweeter.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I would prefer a few flowers now and then along the dusty way
A great many people show very little love, even to their best friends; then when the friends are dead — they send immense bouquets and flowers of extravagant dimensions and cost. I have always said that I would prefer a few flowers now and then along the dusty way, when my heart was weary and I needed renewal of strength — rather than the repression of love all the years, and then an outburst, when it will amount to nothing for me.
"I am not writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning — that we love one another." 2 John 1:5
"The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:14
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you — so you must love one another." John 13:34~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The great lesson of all Christian life
Love is the great lesson of all Christian life. Not only are we to love Christ — but we are to love each other. This means that at home you will learn to be gentle, patient, thoughtful, kind and obliging. It means that you will also be kind and helpful to every person, always watching for opportunities of doing good, always reaching out your hand to help those who need help.
"I am not writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning — that we love one another." 2 John 1:5
"The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:14
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you — so you must love one another." John 13:34~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In every man there are two men!
"God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance — but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
In every man there are two men. There is an outer man that people can see; there is an inner man that no human eye can see. The outer man may be hurt, wounded, marred, and even destroyed — while the inner man remains an untouched, unharmed, and immortal. Paul puts it thus: "Though our outer man is decaying — yet our inner man is being renewed day by day."
It is the inner hidden life which makes the character. What we are in the depths of our being, where no human eye can penetrate — that we are actually, as God sees us. Then this inner life will ultimately work its way through to the surface, transforming the character into its own quality. Nothing can be more important, therefore, than that the hidden life be true, pure, beautiful, and Christ-like.
Nothing is done well, which is not done with the heart. All beauty must begin within. The heart must be pure — if the life is to be pure. Unholy thoughts and desires within — soon work their way outward and blot and stain the whole life.
If we keep our heart right — we need not greatly concern ourselves about our outer life. That will take care of itself, or, rather, it will be controlled from within. The trouble with too many people, is that they think only of the outside, trying to make a good appearance — and neglect the culture of the inner life. The result is that the heart, unwatched — goes wrong, and then the whole life loses its beauty.
"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23~ ~ ~ ~ ~
His loving interest and help
As a Christian, you can commit your whole life to Christ with implicit confidence, assured of His loving interest and help. We know that "all things work together for good, to those who love God." If you simply love God and trust yourself in his Hands — then all things,
the hard things, as well as the easy,
the painful things, as well as the pleasant,
the losses, as well as the gains —
all will work together for your good!
You are God's child, and you must rest yourself in your Father's hands, with implicit confidence.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
What it is to be a Christian
Have you surrendered your whole life to Christ? Are you trusting him as your only Savior? Are you taking his commandments as the rule of your life, living lovingly, purely, unselfishly, honestly, truthfully — doing the things which he commands you? He says, "You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you." Think of these words — they will tell you what it is to be a Christian.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The deepest and purest joy given to anyone in this world, is the consciousness that we have been a real help to others in their lives.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The mercy of God is infinite! He is very patient with our weaknesses, our infirmities, our faults and failures.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The influence of prayer
We underestimate altogether the influence of prayer. We think we can do good by working, by talking, by going restlessly everywhere. We forget that we can do yet more real good, often by keeping still, and lifting up our hearts to God in prayer. I think that one reason why God calls some people apart, out of the busy field, into a quiet place — is that He wants them to be intercessors, helping by prayer, exercising the ministry of intercession.