| Week-Day Religion |
Chapter 3 |
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For example, I seek in the morning to give myself to my Master for that day, saying, “Take me, Lord, and use me today as thou wilt. I lay all my plans at thy feet. Whatever work thou hast for me to do, give it into my hands. If there are those thou wouldst have me help in any way, send them to me or send me to them. Take my time and use it just as thou wilt.” I think no farther on than today. I make no attempt to give months and years to Christ. Why should I, before they are mine? I have this one brief day only, and how can I consecrate that which I have not yet received?
This formula of consecration is a transfer of one’s plans and ambitions into the hands of Christ. It is a solemn pledge, too, to accept the plans of the Master for the occupation of the day, no mater how much they may interfere with arrangements we have already made, or how many pleasant things they may cut out of the day’s programme. We will answer every call. We will patiently submit to every interruption. We will accept every duty. We will go on with the work which seems best to us if the Master has nothing else for us to do; but if he has, we will cheerfully drop our own and take up that which he clearly gives instead.
So, sometimes, the very first one to come to me in the golden hours of the morning, which are so precious to every student, is a book agent, or a man with fountain pens or stove polish, or perchance only a pious idler who has no errand but to pass an hour, or it may be one of those social news venders who like to be the first to retail all the freshest gossip. Interrupted thus in the midst of some interesting and important work, my first impulse is to chafe and fret, and perhaps to give my visitor a cold welcome, not hiding my annoyance. But then I remember my morning consecration. Did I not put my plans and my time out of my own hands into my Master’s? Did I not ask him to send me any work he had for me to do, and to make use of me in ministering to others as he would? If I was sincere and would be loyal to my words, must I not accept this early caller as sent to me for some help or some good which it is in my power to impart to him? If I would carry out the spirit of my consecration, I must neither chafe, nor fret, nor manifest any annoyance at the interruption, nor do aught to give needless pain to my visitor.
I have an errand to thee, O man my brother! What it is I know not. Perhaps here is a heavy heart that I can cheer by a few kindly words. I cannot buy anything. I cannot give up an hour to hear my friend recount, for the hundredth time, the story of his past exploits. I cannot listen to the wretched gossip which my mischievous visitor wants to empty into my ear; and yet may I not have an errand to each? It may be that I can send my literary friend away with a little bit of song in his heart. He came from a very dreary home this morning. He is poor. He has gone from house to house, only to have door after door rudely shut in his face. He is heavy hearted, almost in despair. He greatly needs money, which perhaps I cannot give to him, but he needs far more. Just now a bother’s sympathy – which I can give – and a kind, cordial reception, a few minutes patient interest shown in listening to his story, a few encouraging words, any suggestion or help I may be able to give, will do him more good than if I were to buy a book in the usual unchristian way in such cases. Or may I not be able to drop some useful word into the ear of the idler or of the gossipmonger which may be remembered? I must, at least, regard my visitor as sent to me with some need that I can supply, or wanting some comfort or blessing which I can impart.
Or the errand may be the other way. He may have been sent to me with a benediction. All duty is not giving; we need to receive as well. We ought to get some good from every one we meet. God can oftentimes teach us more by interrupting our quiet hours and by setting all our pet plans aside than if he had left us to spend the time over our book or in our work.
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