Works and Service

Works and Service

How to Avoid Frustration
Keep your shoulder to the wheel
Your hand to the helm
Your eye on the ball!
Your nose to the grindstone
Your ear to the ground
And you will not have time to
Put your foot in your mouth.

Missed Opportunity
During the first three days of July, 1863, in the midst of America's great Civil War, the armies of the North and South clashed decisively at Gettysburg. For the first three days of the battle, the fighting was inconclusive, but then the tide began to turn against General Lee and the Confederate forces. The northern troops under General G. G. Meade were winning. Lee began to retreat southward on the night of July 4, while storm clouds drenched the East Coast with rain. When Lee reached the Potomac, he found that the river was swollen with rain. He could not cross it. Behind him was the victorious Union army. Before him was the river. He was trapped.
Here was the great, golden opportunity for General Meade to end the battle. Meade could have attacked immediately, destroying Lee's army and, in effect, ending the Civil War. President Lincoln actually ordered him to attack. However, instead of attacking, Meade delayed. He held a council, then delayed again. Eventually the water of the river receded, and Lee escaped over the Potomac. The war was extended two more years. Meade never regained his lost opportunity, and it was to General Grant that Lee eventually surrendered on April 9, 1865.
This story shows us the tragedy of having missed a great opportunity. But if this principle is true in the physical realm, as we realize, it is certainly more true spiritually. The Bible recognizes this when it says, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26). Or again, "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet as by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15). The Yoke of God Does Not Fit Stiff Necks
Remember when farmers used a collar to harness a team of horses or mules to pull a plow or wagon? This collar was made of leather with padding to protect the animal's neck and forequarters so he would not become disabled. The collar was made with a leather strap and buckle at the top, and the bottom was rounded to provide comfort to the animal. When the harness was put on the collar, it was designed to get the most even pull and least pressure on the horse. If the equipment shifted, the horse would develop a sore. Then the animal would become so stiff-necked that you could not turn him at all. He would go one way only.
Brethren sometimes get the same way. Some will not adjust to situations when they know they should but will not because of custom or tradition and become stiff-necked, instead of doing what God wants done.
Proverbs 19:20 says, "Hear counsel and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end." Let us wear the yoke of God with pleasure and breach not against the harness that guides us in His way. "The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression" (Proverbs 19:11). Think long before you rebel. The Second Symbol
The cross is the great symbol of Christianity. On steeples atop churches, covers of hymnals, lids for communion ware and lapel pins on Sunday jackets, it stands an awesome reminder of all that Jesus suffered. Jesus spoke of the cross as a symbol of Christian dedication. "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34).
But Jesus also used another symbol for Christian commitment."Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me...My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:29-30). The yoke is a wooden harness tying two animals together to pull a load. Yokes are not usually painted on church buildings, or printed on the covers of Bibles, or worn as ornaments on neckchains. Maybe they should be. The yoke as much as the cross is a symbol of commitment to Jesus Christ.
Paul W. Powell, in The Complete Disciple elaborates:
"The cross and the yoke symbolize for us the two different aspects of commitment. The cross is an instrument of death; the yoke is an implement of toil. The cross is the symbol of sacrifice; the yoke is the symbol of service. The cross suggests blood; the yoke suggests sweat ...to be committed to Jesus Christ means that we are ready for either the yoke or the cross."
Let me suggest four lessons from the yoke:
SUBMISSION. "Take My yoke upon you." The Christian willingly submits to Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." "Not my will but Thine be done."
OBEDIENCE: "And learn of me." The yoke suggests submission to a master who must be obeyed. Blessed is the man who "heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them."
SERVICE: "My burden is light." Compared to the burden of sin, the yoke of the Lord is easy. But the very idea of a yoke is that of pulling a load, of work, of service. Christians are to be ministers-servants. "Work for the night is coming."
FELLOWSHIP: "All ye that labor." We are not alone in Christ, but serving alongside those of like precious faith. Paul spoke of his "loyal yokefellow." A yoke harnesses two animals together so as to pull a load neither one could pull alone. "Bear ye one another's burdens."
As we follow Christ, let us take up our yoke as well as our cross, "serving the Lord." My Turn in the Nursery
Last Sunday was my turn in the nursery to work.
My heart wasn't in it; my feelings were hurt.
A child from its mother did not want to part
And it cried a lot with its broken heart.
I prayed that soon the hour would end,
That I would relax-no more children to tend.
Soon the hour was over; it felt good to be free.
I said, "Once a month was too much for me!"
The very next Sunday as I sat in the pew
Heard a very good sermon, but visitors were few.
But down came a woman and her soul was saved.
She was the mother of that crying babe!
Then it dawned on me that I had been a part
Of one being saved-giving God her heart.
From that day on I would never dread
Working in the nursery while souls are fed. A Volunteer's Prayer
I thank Thee, Lord, as a volunteer
For the chance to serve another year.
And to give of myself in some small way,
To those not blessed as I each day.
My thanks for health and mind and soul,
To aid me ever toward my goal.
For eyes to see the good in all,
A hand to extend before a fall.
For legs to go where the need is great,
Learning to love-forgetting to hate.
For ears to hear and heart to care,
When someone's cross is hard to bear.
A smile to show my affection true,
With energy aplenty-the task to do.
And all I ask, dear Lord, if I may,
Is to serve you better day by day.

Little Things
I thought to be an actress great
The toast of lords and kings.
The good Lord said, "I have need of you
To do My little things."
I thought I would be a dancer rare
To fly on gossamer wings.
The Lord smiled and said, "Stay here on earth
And do My little things."
Now I am content to be right here.
My heart with rapture sings
'Cause I know how important it is to God
To do "His little things." When People Work
"So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart" (Nehemiah 4:6).
Few tragedies scar as does a raging fire. The devastation is complete. The desolation is mournful. Such was the disaster of the city of Jerusalem when God judged His holy hill with the torch of Nebuchadnezzar. On the day Jerusalem fell, the Edomites cried, "Tear it down...tear it down to its foundations!" (Psalms 137:7).
In God's mercy, at last a remnant returned to rebuild their beloved city. And the city began to rise from its ashes. Yet, when some later visited Nehemiah, yet in Persia, they told of Jerusalem's continuing anguish: "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire" (Nehemiah 1:3). Hearing this, Nehemiah "...sat down and wept" (Nehemiah 1:4).
The Persian monarch, Artaxerxes, moved by Nehemiah's sorrow, commissioned him to return to rebuild the city. After a quiet tour "by night" with some of the local leaders to evaluate the ruins, Nehemiah urged: "'You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.'I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me. They replied, 'Let us start rebuilding.'So they began this good work" (Nehemiah 2:17-18).
The task was formidable-after 70 years of abandonment. Enemies "mocked and ridiculed" them, demanding, "What is this you are doing ...Are you rebelling against the king?...What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall?...Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble-burned as they are" (Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:2).
The story of the wall's restoration from rubble is a thrilling one. Each family had its own segment of the wall to rebuild. As enemies threatened, some would "serve as guards by night and workmen by day" (Nehemiah 4:22). And finally, "the wall was completed on the 25th of Elul, in 52 days. When all the enemies heard about this...(they) lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God" (Nehemiah 6:15).
When our people today, together "work with all their heart," amazing achievements will likewise be celebrated-to the glory of our God.

How Our Heavenly Father Feels about Our Uncompleted Task
It is said of one of the famous composers that he had a rebellious son who used to come in late at night after his father and mother had gone to bed. And before going to his own room, he would go to his father's piano and slowly, as well as loudly, play a simple scale, all but the final note. Then leaving the scale uncompleted, he would retire to his room. Meanwhile the father, hearing the scale minus the final note, would writhe on his bed, his mind unable to relax because the scale was unresolved. Finally, in consternation, he would stumble down the stairs and hit the previously unstruck note. Only then would his mind surrender to sleep once again.
God's labor seems never to be complete until the final note on the scale, the concluding, still time, a pause that looks backward and pronounces completion and value.

Avoiding the R
Jimmy had trouble pronouncing the letter "R" so his teacher gave him this sentence to practice at home: "Robert gave Richard a rap in the rib for roasting the rabbit so rare."
Some days later the teacher asked him to say the sentence for her. Jimmy rattled it off like this: "Bob gave Dick a poke in the side for not cooking the bunny enough."
He evaded the letter R.
There are many useful, committed Christians at church, but it is sad that so many others are evading the R meaning R-eady: ready to serve, sing, visit, teach and be truly committed.
These friends are saved, we believe, they are good people, accommodating, and are religious, but are just not committed.
It is possible to be so religious that we cannot be Christian.
Are you handling the letter "R" right? To Need and Be Needed
"I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me" Philemon 1:10-11).
Keith Robinson asks (for all of us):
"What use am I in the world? Has my life really made a difference in anything? Would anything be appreciably different if I were not here? What is the old saying about putting your hand in a pail of water and withdrawing it: the hole that remains is how much you will be missed when you are gone! I am not pessimistic, depressed, or tired of living, but in reality, I have to recognize that my life has not made much of an impact on the world, certainly nothing like I had intended when I was 18 years old. But I am encouraged by the fact that human worth is not measured only in terms of fame, fortune, and sociopolitical influence. Perhaps the greatest measure of our value is how much we are needed by some other human being. John Mark was important because Paul needed him in a time of extreme anxiety and distress. The once useless Onesimus became 'useful'to Paul and to Philemon.
"When the final books are balanced and closed, the greatest tribute anyone could receive would be: They were useful! Someone needed them! And what greater ambition could a person entertain than to be needed, to be useful. My input is not desired or needed for the Mid-East peace talks. It is doubtful that those involved are indispensable. But I fill a need in the lives of a few people that cannot be filled by anyone else. If there is someone who needs my love, if there is someone who looks forward to my presence, even if I can be nothing much more than just the object to someone's love, then I am not worthless. My life is not in vain. My existence is not futile. I may not be much, but I can love someone and make them feel needed. I can be the object of someone else's love and thus fill their needs and mine. No one is useless unless they give up on life and love.
"'Onesimus'means 'useful.'" Being a Servant
Jesus was the greatest servant who ever lived. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
Christ came to serve and to give, and God desires the same for us. "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Matthew 20:27-28).
The finest model of serving, except Christ Himself, was the Apostle Paul. Almost without exception he begins every one of his epistles with words to this effect: "Paul, a servant...." or "Paul, a bond slave...." He was indeed an apostle, but he conducted himself as a servant.
Very few of us want to be known exclusively as a servant. We want to be known as a servant and a great preacher, or a famous missionary, or an outstanding elder, or a well-known business man. What we fail to realize is that true servanthood does not have hidden aspirations to be great in the eyes of men.
When we think of our relationship to Christ, can it be said of us that we want only to serve Him?
Although his religious philosophy was questionable, Albert Schweitzer was a man willing to abandon a great career in order to serve his fellow man. In 1913, he sailed for Africa, having turned his back on fame, money and prestige. His first hospital was an old abandoned hen house and his first operating table an old campboard.
On a trip to the United States, a reporter asked, "Dr. Schweitzer, have you found happiness in Africa?"
"I have found a place of service," he replied, "And that is enough for anyone."
This does not represent the feelings of many of us who are members of the church. It is not sufficient to simply have a place of service. Many of us want a place of recognition and a road to fame.
All of us need to do some serious thinking and praying about this matter of being a servant.
We need to make this prayer ours: "O God, help me to be the master of myself, that I may be a servant of others."

Servants Do Not Choose Tasks
Throughout the ages, God has referred to His faithful people as His servants. The Bible even calls Jesus "His holy servant."
Unlike the religious leaders who exercised unquestioned authority over the people, Jesus came not as a ruler, but as a servant. From the example of His own life He teaches, "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:43-45).
Christ ransomed us that we, too, might serve God and man. In our zeal to serve, we often overlook a critical truth: The servant does not choose his tasks. Our concept of serving God may be doing what we would like to do-for God. We tell God what we will do for Him, and what we will not do; where we will go for Him, and where we will not. We even tell Him what must not interfere with our plans. In doing this we forget He is the Master, and that the Master assigns the task. Our part is to give ourselves to Him, accepting the assignment He bestows.
A servant is not free to serve on his own terms. Jesus said, "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you to go and bring forth fruit" (John 15:16). So, we have been chosen to "run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). The race set before us may not be on the track we would choose. Perhaps we would not choose the people God has placed around us, or the location or circumstances we find ourselves in, but a servant is not above his Master. "A disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord" (Matthew 10:24-25).
Christ's life was one of sacrifice and doing the Father's will. Though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor (2 Corinthians 8:9). He counted equality with God a thing not to be grasped but emptied Himself and became a servant (Philippians 2:6-7). He came to do God's will (Hebrews 10:5-7).
As servants following in the footsteps of Christ, we must present our bodies as "living sacrifices" and say, "Here I am-I have come to do Your will," regardless of what the task may be.

"I Can't Get No Satisfaction"
John Gipson shares this lesson:
"As I turned the key in the ignition my car radio sprang to life. Some popular singer was belting out the lyrics, 'I can't get no satisfaction.'I didn't care for the song and turned the dial. But the memory lingered. I wonder how many people there are in the world who cannot find satisfaction? Do they even know where to look?
"Countless people are on record to testify that satisfaction does not come in gathering up things for ourselves. As Horace said, 'Those who seek for much are left in want of much. Happy is he to whom God has given, with sparing hand, as much as is enough.'
"And satisfaction does not come in showing off a Gold Card, or bragging about one's possessions. In fact, 'If the crow had been satisfied to eat his prey in silence, he would have had more meat and less quarreling and envy.'
"I learned something last week from a commercial. Normally, I do not care for commercials. They carry about as much weight with me as a political jingle. But this one caught my attention. The man was explaining that when he was growing up he tried everything in the world to make his sister cry. Nothing worked. Then last week he decided to send her a bouquet of flowers. And you know what? She cried.
"Sometimes we get the desired results in the most unexpected ways.
"Take the young woman with a busy schedule and small children who went out of her way to minister to a family in need. After her mission was complete she said, 'I just have to do more of that. It really makes me feel good inside.'
"David knew people who were saying, 'Oh, that we might see some good!'But he confessed to God, 'Thou hast put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound' (Psalms 4:7). Only by drawing near to God would he ever find complete satisfaction. Thus he says, 'As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with beholding thy form' (Psalms 17:15).
"It is sad that a lot of people cannot find any satisfaction because they do not know where to look. Take out your Bible and read John 10:10."

I'll Take the Job
On a Friday morning an eager young man from Stanford University stood before Louis Janin seeking part-time employment. "All I need right now," said Janin, "is a typist." "I'll take the job," said the young man, "but I can't come back until next Tuesday." On Tuesday he reported for duty. "Why couldn't you come back before today?" Janin wanted to know. "Because I had to rent a typewriter and learn to use it," was the unexpected answer. That quickly-prepared typist was Herbert Hoover. Do you know of a place where there is almost no witness for Christ at all? Learn the job that will take you there. No Idler
King Antigonus, when he had not seen Cleanthes, the philosopher, for a long time, said to him, "Do you continue to grind (referring to the occupation by which he supported himself)?" "Yes, sir," replied the philosopher, "I still grind; that I do to gain my living, and not to depart from philosophy."

Joy in Being Useful
A discouraged young doctor in one of our large cities was visited by his father who came from a rural district. "Well, son," he asked, "How are you getting along?" "I'm not getting along at all," was the reply. The old man's countenance fell, but he spoke courage and patience and hope. Later in the day he went with his son to the free dispensary. He sat in silence while twenty-five poor unfortunates received help. When the door had closed upon the last one, the old man burst out, "I thought you told me you were doing nothing. Why, if I had helped out twenty-five people in a month, I would thank God that my life counted for something." "There isn't any money in it, though," objected the son. "Money!" the old man shouted. "What is money compared with being useful to your fellow men?" How true! Mercifulness carries within it its own reward and joy. The Sympathetic Jewel
A man visited Tiffany's jewelry store in New York City. He was shown a magnificent diamond with its gleaming yellow light and many other splendid stones. But he observed one stone that was perfectly lusterless and said, "That has no beauty about it at all." The friend who was with him put the stone in the hollow of his hand and held it there for a few minutes. When he opened it, the man said, "What a surprise! There is not a place on it the size of a pinhead that does not gleam with the splendor of the rainbow. What did you do with it?" His friend answered, "This is an opal. It is what we call the sympathetic jewel. It only needs contact with the human hand to bring out its wonderful beauty." How many lives there are that need only the warm touch of human sympathy to make them gleam with opalescent splendor.

Raising the Bell
The story is told of a heavy bronze bell that had sunk into a river in China. The efforts of various engineers to raise it had been of no avail. At last a clever native priest asked permission to make the attempt on the condition that the bell should be given to his temple. He then had his assistants gather an immense number of bamboo rods. These are hollow, light, and practically unsinkable. They were taken down by divers, one by one, and fastened to the bell. After many thousands of them had been thus fastened, it was noticed that the bell began to move, and, when the last one had been added, the buoyancy of the accumulated rods was so great that they actually lifted the enormous mass of bronze to the surface. You may think your bamboo rod is too small and light to make any difference, but it is necessary in God's sight to help in lifting souls to God and to lend strength to the others.

Seeing through God's Eyes
On one occasion a prime minister of France summoned an eminent surgeon to perform a very serious operation upon him. "You must not expect to treat me in the same rough manner that you treat the poor miserable wretches at your hospital," said the prime minister. "Sir," replied the surgeon with great dignity, "every one of those miserable wretches, as you are pleased to call them, is a prime minister in my eyes." How important it is for us to realize that the soul of a rich, famous, or highly educated person is not more precious in the sight of God than that of an ignorant beggar. We are all God's field. There isn't a soul on earth to whom we ought to give nothing but our best in cultivating it and making it what God originally meant it to be. Let us look upon the whole of humanity as God's own field deserving our best service.

Help Dispel the Darkness
An Australian native preacher went to a little church in the bush to preach. It was dusk when he arrived, the place was without light, and he wondered what to do about it. Presently, he saw twinkling lights moving about through the bush. His congregation was arriving. Each person carried a hurricane lamp, and as they came in they placed their lamps upon a shelf around the chapel wall. Soon the whole place was flooded with light. Each had contributed light that had dispelled the darkness. Your share is needed in a world which desperately needs the illumination of the gospel. A Higher Honor
When an important building was about to be erected, a certain artist begged to be permitted to make one of the doors. If this could not be permitted, he asked that he might make one little panel of one of the doors. Or if this, too, were denied him, he craved that he might at least be permitted to hold the brushes for the artist to whom the honor of doing work should be awarded. If so small a part in a work of earth were esteemed so high a privilege, it is a far higher honor to have even the least share with Christ in His great work of human redemption.

Living for Others
If you were to visit Paris, you could see the statues of two men, both named Louis. The first is of Louis XIV, France's absolute monarch, who is remembered today chiefly for his exclamation, "I am the State." He represents one of the supreme achievements of greatness through power. His philosophy of life was that the whole nation and the world, insofar as he could compel it, should serve him. A few blocks away is a less pretentious statue. There is no uniform on this figure carved in stone, no badge of office, no sword, no crown. It is a memorial to Louis Pasteur, the servant of humanity and servant of God. His life of unselfish, devoted research conferred immeasurable benefits upon all humanity in the years to come through overcoming disease and suffering. The statue of the monarch is nothing more than a piece of sculpture; the statue of Pasteur is a shrine where pilgrims from all over the world pay grateful homage. It is the uncrowned servant of mankind who wears the real crown of men's love and honor. As you look back, would you rather be remembered as Louis XIV who became supreme ruler of France and now has just a statue to commemorate him or Louis Pasteur who is now crowned as an apostle of mercy? God's Word enjoins us not to be affected by the glamor of the moment but rather by the judgment of eternity.

Good Service Required
A boy who applied for work was told by the manager he did not think they had enough work to keep another boy employed. The boy said, "But I am sure, sir, that you must have enough work to hire me. You don't know what a little amount of work it takes to keep me busy." Many so-called disciples are like this boy. They want to follow Jesus, not to see how much they can do for Him, but how little. To such the Lord never says, "Follow me." Any who enter Christian service for the sake of having an easy time will be disappointed. Christ is a busy Commander of busy soldiers. Not for Money, for Christ
Is our first interest in life the accumulation of wealth, or are we like that Burmese boatman who, when asked by a missionary whether he was willing to preach the Gospel to his fellow countrymen at only one-fourth of the salary he was now getting, said to the missionary, "I will not go for that small pay, but I will go for Christ." A Life of Service
A certain family had two sons. The older said he must make a name for his family, so turned his face toward Parliament and fame. The younger decided to give his life to the service of Christ and turned his face toward China and duty. He was Hudson Taylor, the missionary, who died beloved and known on every continent. "But," someone wrote, "when I looked in the encyclopedia to see what the other son had done, I found these words, 'the brother of Hudson Taylor.' " It may be that some were inclined to ridicule him when he went to the mission field, but in the end, he was respected and admired. His mercifulness had not been in vain, even as far as the world was concerned. But the merciful also receive recognition and reward from God Himself. This takes place both in this world and, in its full measure, in the world to come.

Mansion or Cottage
A rich woman dreamed that she went to heaven and saw there a mansion being built. "Who is that for?" she asked of the guide. "For your gardener." "But he lives in the tiniest cottage on earth with barely room enough for his family. He might live better if he did not give so much to the miserable, poor folk." Farther on she saw a tiny cottage being built. "And who is that for?" she asked. "That is for you." "But I have lived in a mansion on earth. I would not know how to live in a cottage." The words she heard in reply were full of meaning: "The Master Builder is doing His best with the material that is being sent up." The Master and the Violin
A wealthy Englishman had in his valuable collection a rare violin which Fritz Kreisler, the celebrated virtuoso, greatly longed to possess. When the owner persisted in refusing to part with it, Kreisler begged permission to play it just once. That was granted. With trembling hands the artist tuned the instrument and then played. He played as only genius can play. He poured his heart into his music. The Englishman stood as one transfixed until the playing had ceased, and he did not speak until Kreisler had tenderly returned the instrument to the antique box, as gently a mother puts her baby to bed. "Take the violin," he burst out. "It is yours. I have no right to keep it. It ought to belong to the man who can play it as you did." That was odd reasoning, and yet it has something compellingly illustrative of the attitude that Paul wanted to arouse in the Corinthians who were made rich in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:5). In a sense, ought not an instrument belong to the master who can draw the finest music from it? Ought not your life and mine belong to the Master who can draw the noblest harmonies from them?

Tried by Fire
Pompeii in Italy and St. Pierre in Martinique can both teach us a lesson. On both of these, fire caused by a volcano brought unprecedented destruction. The museums that contain relics of these catastrophes display nothing that was made of wood. All that survived the fire were metallic objects. In Pompeii, pitchers, bowls, jewelry, and other ornaments survived the fire because they were composed of gold, silver, and precious stones. But no remains of wood, hay, and stubble have ever been discovered, for these things were completely destroyed in the heat of the catastrophe. A True Servant
Someone asked an elderly Scotswoman what she thought of Robert Murray McCheyne's preaching. She hesitated for a moment, then replied, "He preaches as if he was a-dying to have you saved." Is that our spirit? Those who watch us will know. How appropriate was Spurgeon's advice to a young minister who complained of the smallness of his congregation: "It is as large a one as you will want to give account for in the Day of Judgment." The first thing others should discern in us, Paul says, is that we are servants of Christ-subservient, obedient to Him; that He is Master and we listen to what He says and do what He commands.

Losing the Bonus
Suppose a wealthy merchant were to charter a ship to go to some distant country and bring back a valuable cargo. To encourage speed and faithfulness, the merchant offers a bonus to officers and crew if they bring the ship home by a certain date with the cargo intact. The ship arrives at the foreign port, and the cargo is placed on board. But unfortunately a quantity of whiskey is also taken on board, and on the way the back the officers and men indulge in it too freely. They drive the ship upon the rocks, with the result that the cargo is lost. They send out an SOS, and men with life-saving equipment put out from a nearby port and save them. They are thus saved from death, but they have lost the bonus they might have earned. Unrewarded, and with the loss of all their possessions, they return to their home port at the expense of others. Likewise, some souls escape hell by the skin of their teeth, but they have lost their reward.

Poor Service
A preacher went to see a dying old man who was very anxious about his soul. After a few visits by the preacher, the truth dawned upon him, and through repentance and faith he experienced the joy of forgiveness and the assurance of eternal life. Just before he died, he said to the preacher with obvious regrets, "I feel such a sneak because I've served Satan all my life and only now at the end have I yielded my heart to God." His conscience told him it was a mean, despicable way to accept and serve his Master and Redeemer. In Partnership with God
A gardener expressed his idea of a co-worker: "As I work in the garden with the flowers and vegetables I feel that I am having a share in creation." And when a mother says to a little child who carries some small item into another room for her, "You are helping me," what stature it gives to that child and what a sense of dignity and place in life's affairs. This ought to take away any sense of the worthlessness of the countless small tasks you perform day by day. Look beyond the temporal and limited as you work in partnership with God. Your attitude will determine your sense of satisfaction with your task.

Singing in the Bishop's Choir
One day at Perth, England, Bishop Wilkinson noticed a thin-faced boy looking at him intently. He went up to him and asked if the boy wished to speak to him. "No, sir," said the lad, "only I sing in the same choir as you are in." The Bishop's friends laughed at the boy's idea of his association with the Bishop in the church, but the Bishop didn't laugh. It was precisely that spirit of partnership in God's work that he wished to encourage. Similarly what a wonderful sense of satisfaction a Christian has when he can look at an infinite and eternal God and say, "Lord, I am your co-worker." That is the most rewarding and unique privilege we can have.

Fellow Laborers
Visit a factory where thousands of persons are employed. There is the manager sitting in his central office where he directs all the operations of the factory. Everyone is doing his or her separate job. But they are all fellow laborers with the manager; they are all necessary. Not one could do without the other. If one does his work badly the whole organization suffers. If one does his work well they all benefit. Some feel they have important work, some less important. But there isn't one who is unimportant in the eyes of that man who is sitting in the general manager's office. The Wealthy Partner
A famous journalist abandoned a lucrative position for reasons of conscience. A friend asked, "Can you afford to do this?" "Well," said the journalist, "you see, I have a very wealthy partner." "Who is he?" asked the friend in surprise. "God Almighty," was the reply. A man who is in partnership with God can afford to lose his own independence, to surrender it to the interests of the Kingdom of God, to accept the Divine dictates, because the wisdom and spiritual resources of the heavenly Father are at his disposal.

Jewels
The Koh-I-Noor diamond, when it came into the Queen of England's possession, was a misshapen lump. It was necessary to have its corners cut off and its sides reduced to symmetry. No unskillful hand was permitted to touch it. Men of science were summoned to consider its nature and capacities. They examined the form of its crystals and the consistency of its parts. They considered the direction of the grain and the side on which it would bear pressure. With their instructions, the jewel was placed in the hands of an experienced lapidary, and by long, patient, careful labor its sides were ground down to the desired proportions. The gem was hard and needed a heavy pressure. It was precious and needed every precaution that science and skill could suggest to get it cut and polished into shape without cracking it in the process. The effort was successful. The hard diamond was fashioned into forms of beauty and yet sustained no damage by the greatness of the pressure to which it was subjected. "Jewels, bright jewels," in the form of spiritual children were the heritage God gave to Paul, as a spiritual father. God may permit us to play the same role as spiritual parents to our children, or to the children of God in the Church. Let us recognize in either case that children are unshapely and need to be polished; they are hard and cannot be reduced to symmetry without firm handling; they are brittle, and so liable to be permanently damaged by the wrong kind of pressure; but they are stones of peculiar preciousness and, if they are successfully polished, they will shine as stars for ever and ever, giving off the glory they reflect from the Son of Righteousness.

Seek God's Blessing Daily
When Sir James Thornhill painted the cupola of that world-famous structure, St. Paul's Cathedral, in London, he was obliged to work while standing on a swinging scaffold far above the pavement. One day, when he had finished a detail on which he had spent days of painstaking effort, he paused to evaluate his work. So well had he succeeded in his task that he was lost in wonder and admiration. As he stood there gazing at the structure, he began to move backward to get a better view, forgetting where he was. Another artist, becoming suddenly aware that one more backward step would mean a fatal fall, made a sweeping stroke across the picture with his brush. The shocked artist rushed forward, crying out in anger and dismay; but when his companion explained his strange action, Thornhill burst into expressions of gratitude.
This is an excellent illustration of how God blesses the material things in our lives and why we should ask Him to bless them. There are two possible outcomes: Either our plans will turn out as we hoped or they will fail. Having asked God to bless, we ask Him to be a partner. Only if that is our attitude shall we have the grace to praise God whatever the outcome may be. If we succeed, we shall give Him all the credit. If we fail, we shall take it that He has something different in mind for us. The Wise Pastor
A man who was greatly troubled came to his pastor because he said in all his good deeds he detected a mixture of selfish motives. "Should I stop doing these things," he asked in perplexity, "since I find some self-gratification in all of them?" The wise pastor assured him while we are in the flesh we shall always suffer the humiliation of knowing that nothing about us is perfect, even our motives. It is a matter of committing ourselves to God to love and serve Him in all that we do; and if the by-product of our actions is joy and satisfaction, there is nothing wrong in that. The Two Builders
Paul envisions two builders on the one foundation, Jesus Christ. The one builds a palace, the other a shack. No doubt in Corinth, as in other ancient cities, side by side with the temples shining in marble and brass were the huts of the poor and the slaves, built of flimsy materials such as Paul mentions. He envisions a sudden flame playing around these buildings, the fire of the Lord coming to judgment. The marble gleams whiter, the silver, gold and jewels more resplendently, while the tongues of light leap about the palace. But the straw hut goes up in a flare. The two builders stand before God, the ultimate Paymaster. The one man gets wages for work that lasts; the other gets no pay for what perishes. A Cup of Cold Water
Have you understood what is really involved in the "cup of cold water," as Matthew 10:42 calls it? There is more to it than appears on the surface. In Eastern lands the water is drawn up from a well in the court or fetched from a distance. The housewife brings in a supply in the morning and lets it stand ready for use. As the day goes on the water gets warm. It would be easy for her to give a cup of this water to a thirsty friend or stranger, but a "cup of cold water" implies the kindly thought that would lead her to take the trouble to draw it or fetch it straight from the well, perhaps in the heat of the day. So often we give what amounts to tepid water to save ourselves extra work. But I believe it is the "cup of cold water" that shall in no wise lose its reward. The principle would seem to be that going out of our way, making sacrifices to help the poor, will have a sure reward.

Someone Forgot
A hungry, scantily clothed little boy was crying pathetically. "I'm cold, I'm hungry!" he whimpered. A stranger approached him and asked, "Do you believe that God can take care of you?" "Yes," replied the starving little boy with assurance. "Why, then does He not send someone to bring you warm clothing and some food?" "I know, sir, that He asked someone to do it, but I guess this somebody has forgotten it."

Motive for Work
An Egyptian architect was commissioned by one of the Pharaohs to build a lighthouse at the mouth of the Nile. On a piece of rock that was duly selected, Cnidus, the architect, erected a fine edifice. Engraved upon the cement covering the outside of the lighthouse was the name Pharaoh. In a few years the effect of wind and rain had worn the cement away and Pharaoh's name had vanished. Then it was discovered that the wily Cnidus had engraved his own name in the masonry beneath. Even Christian work may be done outwardly for the glory of God; but, when the underlying motive is laid bare, our own glory often turns out to be the real aim.

Works That Bear Fruit
A farmer was showing his fine orchard to a friend who admired its neat and regular appearance. "But," said the friend, pointing to a peculiarly shaped tree, "if that were my tree I'd root it up in order to preserve the uniformity of the orchard." The farmer smiled and said that he was more interested in the fruit than in the form. "This tree," he said, "has yielded me more fruit than any of those trees that conform to a more regular pattern." Sometimes Christian workers may become so accustomed to doing things in what they consider the traditional or time-honored way that they forget to evaluate its productiveness.

Compassion or Convenience
"Aunt Mary was very kind to stay with you this afternoon," said a mother to the small convalescent whom she had left in care of a relative, and whose wearied little face an hour later did not speak well for the success of the experiment. "I hope you are not overly tired when she was trying so hard to amuse you." "She wasn't; she just wanted to amuse herself reading a book of hers to me when I wanted to play puzzles," was the truthful reply.

Big Salary-Small Job
A brilliant young man with a magnetic personality went out to the mission field. His salary was just a pittance. A large commercial firm was so eager to obtain his services that they offered him ten times his salary, but he refused. They offered to make it even larger if he would accept. "Oh, the salary is big enough," he told them, "but the job isn't!"

Doing Versus Talking
A converted cowboy put it very well when he said, "Lots of folks that would really like to do right think that serving the Lord only means shouting themselves hoarse praising His name. Now I'll tell you how I look at that. I am working for Jim here. Now if I would do nothing but sit around the house telling what a good fellow Jim is and singing songs to him, I would not suit Jim. But when I buckle on my straps and hustle among the hills and see that Jim's herd is all right, not suffering for water and feed, or being driven off the range and branded by cow thieves, then I am serving Jim as he wants to be served." Let that be our philosophy, too, when the temptation is to talk instead of serving the Lord.

Earthly Body Expendable
We thrill to Nathan Hale's patriotic declaration, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country," yet all too often we make some slight infirmity of the body our excuse for not serving the Lord. We contemplate with awe the inspiring poems of Martha Snell Nicholson, so crippled by arthritis that she was bedridden for years and seldom drew a pain-free breath. Yet her writings are fragrant with praise of her Savior. Her secret? She "endured, as seeing him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27). Through her poems and example she brought encouragement to thousands.

Loyalty Reciprocated
Queen Elizabeth once sent an ambassador far away on important and difficult business. He objected, saying to the queen, "But what will become of my business and my family?" The queen replied, "You take care of my business and I will take care of yours." He went. In this he showed more faith than Christians who are unwilling to trust God's care for business and family. How many vacancies on the mission field exist because of such a lack of faith or unwillingness to serve the Lord.

First Be Reconciled to Your Brother
There were two brothers who had a quarrel and thereafter refused to speak to each other. The mother did all she could to reconcile them but to no avail. It greatly distressed her and robbed her of peace and happiness. One of the brothers saw how badly his mother felt. Hoping to please her, he brought her a fine gift. She refused it. "I don't want any gift," she said, "until you have become reconciled to your brother."