Angels to Serve—Men to Love

In Luke 2 we learn that it was God's mind that the coming of Christ to this world should bring "peace, good will toward men." Peace was in the Person of His Son but He was utterly rejected. It is beautiful to notice the unselfish joy of the angels in singing forth praises that men should become the objects of God's love instead of themselves. God had angels to serve Him but He wanted men to love Him. Yet, for His love towards men, He got hatred and the crucifixion of His Son.
Luke 12:51 shows us that if we really take Christ's part, the world will surely hate us, while if we love the world, we are the enemies of God. Christ took nothing but the lowest place here in this world, beginning His history in the manger and closing it on the cross. There is not a snare, a cross, trial, temptation, persecution, peril of any kind in which we may not give the world proof that we love the Christ it has cast out and that we are His. If we follow Christ in all that He puts before us in our path, there will surely be the cross. But we shall have the full out-flowing blessing of God's own heart and presence.
Consult Christ as to your walk, service, and state of heart, for it will decide everything in the secret of your soul. Only in this way can you go on with Him in communion and learn the largeness of His heart.
This supposes we are in the place of a Christian and having the duties, blessings, and privileges of a Christian. This is all founded on Christ's work and God will never disclaim Christ's work, for it perfectly glorified Him. The Lord keep us very humble before Him, ever walking in the blessed sense of His love, and our perfect acceptance before Him in Christ.
F.G. Burkitt

Bits and Pieces
One special mark of "a sound mind" is readiness to take counsel of God.
It is not by change of circumstances that we can be made happy, but by submission to the will of God.