The World's Esteem

There is a great difference between giving up the world, and the world giving us up. We may do the one with comparative ease; but when we feel the world despises us as Christ was despised, we shall discover unless He fills and satisfies the heart, that we had a value for its esteem that we were not aware of. When obedience is as important to us in our measure, as obeying was to Christ, we shall go right on with whatever is before us, without regarding the world; not that we shall be insensible, but when Christ is the Object, we shall be occupied only with Him.