Vegetating in selfishness?

(Octavius Winslow, "The Sensitiveness of Christ to Suffering")  LISTEN to Audio!  Download Audio

Every believer, however limited and veiled from human eye in his sphere of life-will create a public sentiment respecting himself. His relations, his friends, his neighbors, will form their opinion of his character, doings and life.

Few pass through life incognito to eternity!
Few slide through society unseen, unnoticed, unfelt.

Each individual Christian should especially live for an object. He should so live as to make his talents, influence, and example count upon the present and eternal well-being of all with whom He comes in contact.

"No man lives to himself."
 As a light, he is to shine.
 As salt, he is to influence.
 As a witness, he is to testify for Christ.

In a world like this, where there is . . .
  so much evil to correct,
  so much temptation to resist,
  so much sorrow to soothe,
  so much need to supply,
  so much misery to counteract,
  so much ignorance to instruct,
  so much good to be done
-none need be all the day idle, dreaming away existence, vegetating in selfishness-not living for man, or laboring for God.

Oh, be an earnest, active Christian. Be up and doing!

Life is too momentous, too solemn, too responsible-for sluggishness, inactivity and selfishness!

We are gliding down the stream onward to eternity!

Shall we spend our fleeting moments in grasping at the floating straw-when for every moment and act of our present course, we shall soon be cited at Christ's judgment bar?

Souls are perishing!
Ignorance of the gospel is prevailing!
Iniquity is abounding!
Satan is unslumbering!

Death plies its scythe, and the grave yawns each moment! An eternity of bliss or of woe is with every stroke of the pendulum, gathering deathless beings to its bosom!

Shall we not then, be active and earnest in a world like this?

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11

"Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58