Part 2 (1/2)
But the best thing that can be said about work is to repeat what our Lord said: ”My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” Work is a divine characteristic, a divine inst.i.tution. Our great G.o.d works. Jesus Christ His royal Son worked incessantly when upon earth, and works now continually. G.o.d the Father, G.o.d the Son, and G.o.d the Holy Spirit are the most tireless workers in the universe. Now what do you think of anybody who could despise work? What would you think of one who refused the work at hand and sat idly by, or went off on some useless excursion to escape it, while G.o.d, unwilling to lose a minute, ceaselessly works?
Of course, fellows, I'm not saying we should never go a-fis.h.i.+ng or play a game of ball. Recreation is in the divine program. Every proper recreation is a help to good work. We owe it to our job and to ourselves to keep fit, and recreation is a part of the keep fit schedule. We only need to be careful and keep work and recreation in their right proportions.
The bitterest pills a fellow has to take are those produced by idleness. Idleness usually lets down the portcullis and the devil comes across and takes charge. Not that work alone is sufficient to keep us clean and out of trouble; oh, no, that would be a fatal error, and many have fallen by it. The firm, you remember, is ”Faith and Work, Unlimited.” Mr. Christian Faith is the senior partner of this firm, and is absolutely necessary to the truly successful career in the great business of life. We are simply looking over Mr. Work to-day.
One other wonderful thought, to me, about this matter of work, fellows, is that when a boy is born into the world, his work is born with him--his own particular task, his life-work. G.o.d Himself arranges it. Isn't that fine? Who could do it so wisely? So you may depend your job somewhere awaits you, if you have not already discovered it, and it is a perfect fit.
How to know your task? First, ask G.o.d. Pray over this thing. Then do the thing next at hand, the duty calling now. Do it the best way you know and put your level best into it. It is the surest way I know for a fellow to find his best level; and usually you _work upward_ to it when you seek it in that way.
Listen, fellows, this is Gospel--”Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
_Read Romans 12:11 and Proverbs 22:29._
III
INVISIBLE!
Say, fellows, have you ever thought what a fight you could put up if you were invisible? Why, you could walk right up in front of a fellow and smash his nose or knock him down before he could put up his guard or smash back--and even then he couldn't see you to hit you. Of course that would be a cowardly thing to do, but I'm just saying ”Suppose.”
And this is to introduce right here your arch enemy, the devil, who is not a ”suppose” at all, but is very real, very personal, and very invisible,--always present and ready to do his cowardly, dirty work.
Somebody said people are like a lot of safes. We may be generally of the same pattern, but each has a different combination. Perhaps none of us knows the combination to any but our own, but the devil carries them all in his note-book, and he never makes the mistake of trying to throw a fellow with a drink when his combination is a cigarette, or vice versa.
The devil's finger is in all our affairs, and we can keep nothing secret from him. No matter what we try to do, he is ever present to try to make us do it his way. Even when we wors.h.i.+p G.o.d, or pray, or sing, he has the audacity to try to make suggestions. You think the Wright brothers were clever to ”conquer the air,” and they were; but the devil has won the t.i.tle of ”Prince of the power of the air”! His airplane is instantaneous and noiseless; he requires no special landing field, but can light on the lobe of your ear with a precision that is uncanny, and, lighting there, he whispers things into your heart that you would not dare to utter with your lips. _There_ are three points scored on the Wrights in one breath, and there are many others.
The devil has won victories over the best men we can think of. Oh, how he got David, and spoiled a wonderful record being made by the ”man after G.o.d's own heart.” All in a trice he tripped David and led him to break six of the ten Commandments at once--five to ten inclusive! And he got Moses for a bad fall, and Elijah and Abraham and Jacob. He simply crept up unseen and caught them with their guards down.
But in spite of the fact that he took a fall out of each of those strong and saintly characters, he met his match and more than his match when he tackled our Saviour. He made the strongest attack that could have been made, but Jesus overthrew him and put him to flight, and to-day's big news is that there is _a way_ for you and me to throw this fellow down. Simple enough, if you are on your guard. Did you notice how Jesus handled him? He quoted Scripture to him. Scripture to the devil is just like salt on a snail. He can't stand it.
Jesus used G.o.d's Word, and that is invincible even against the devil, our mightiest foe. Go into your Bible and select an a.s.sortment of ”devil-chasers.” Memorize them and have them ready for instant use.
Like David, choose five smooth stones from the ”Brook” and put them in your scrip; then you will be ready for this giant, who stalks abroad as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Only, he doesn't roar: he is noiseless and invisible--don't forget that.
_Read Matthew 4:1-11._
IV
MR. ALMOST
Say, fellows, meet Mr. Almost!
He is one of the saddest, most pathetic figures in all the Bible story, not because he was a villain or a murderer come to judgment, but because he was so good and fine, and so nearly perfect, ”on points,” and yet--flunked!
But he was a lot lower down on the honour roll than he thought. ”What lack I yet?” he asked Jesus. Really, he couldn't see that he lacked anything at all--and that alone was a sign of failure, if he had only been wise enough to see it.