The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-09-14
Our Ideals.

CN0 VI illhB dlhhlii anu 6pAlb away
from help.
Our Ideals.
And we have our ideals of what we
ought to be and when we come to what we
are TO do many a man is so disappointed,
so heart sick, that he let's his hands
fall down and he turns away from tho
task that is appointed by God. losing
sight of the fact that he who performs
well whatever God gives to do, receives
the plaudit "well done, thou good and
faithful servant, thou hast been faithful
in a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things" 1t is to get that
truth into the mind so that 1t will work
out in life that the Bible in many places
seems to put pictures before us and to
urge by sober and earnest words upon
our consideration that we despise not the
opportunities that God gives us for the
doing of whatever work He has to hand
You may apply 1t in your religious life
and when there are calls for work In the
kingdom Of God oftentimes there are
very few who respond. The thing that Is
to be done appears to be so little that
you feel there Is a conflict between your
self esteem and your work 1t doesn't
correspond at all with what you think
the Lord ought to call upon you to do.
And yet leave It undone just leave that
ordinary task unperformed, and how this
great world suffersl
Have you ever noticed in the New Tes-
lament scriptures how many ordinary peo-
pie worked with the Lord Jesus Christ?
In the first chapter Of Johns gospel a
man came to Him named Andrew, and
Christ had few words of conversation
with him, and Andrew went out and
found his brother. the man Of rock, and
brought him to the Lord. There isn't
- t. all ho IQt1NIa thaf vyTit ten
by Andrew. There is not even a short let
ter or epistle that has his name at the
end of It, He had a work to do. In that
instance there was no conflict apparent
ly between what Christ desired him to
do and what he thought Of himself. He
had seen God, and he looked upon him
self as nothing. He desired above all
things any opportunity to do anything
for the one who appeared to be the ex-
press image of the Father, and he could
speak at least to his brother I do not
know that he could talk to strangers. He
appears from the scripture records to
have been a still man, silent on most oc-
casions, but here was the opportunity
to speak to his brother. His brother was
now not an illustrious man; he was an
unknown man; he was probably not rank
ed as superior to Andrew himself; but
Andrew had the opportunity and he spoke
to him At the close of the career OF
Simon Peter. we would not have wonder
cd az bjs wishing to have carried a mes
sage to the great apostle, but for him to
speak at that day was very differ
emf thing. Jesus Christ used that man.
He gave him an ordinary work to per-
form because he was an ordinary man.
Ordinary Men.
Now. my brethren, who are the men
who do the most in this world? Are not
all of US, as we compare ourselves with
God, ordinary? And are not the great ma
iority of us, as we compare our ability
with the ability of the men who do great
things in the earth. ordinary men? And
is not most of the work in the world
ordinary work? 1t is the same thing every
twenty-four hours that men live.
But let the ordinary work of the world
lag for twenty-four hours, and how
stupendous is the consequence! There
fore wherever we can find the scripture
strong enough to enforce the principle,
1t is profitable If we shall study it. Here
is Naaman, and here Is God. There is
between God and Naaman only Naaman's
of himself and what God
would have him to do. Here Is God and
here are you. There Is between you and
God only what you think about yourself
and what God appoints you 10 90. lake
SO simple a thing now as kindness. and
how much joy there Is In the world be-
cause of kindness. 1t goes long way.
The kind word that is spoken, and the
kind deed that is done, that cost you
nothing and yet there are a great many
men who seem to think that their posi-
ton In life is OF such Importance as to
keep them from being kind. Il may be
that God desires you to be just that more
than anything else, as you work In His
that you shall take the posi-
ton that you have and bring your ideas
down until that position shall work it.
self out in kindly deeds and kindly words
helping men to carry their burdens. max
ing life little easier. IT Is the bringing
down of yourself to the level of someone
who may really be beneath you. that en-
ables you to serve God effectively, you
can't do good to mankind until you give
up, in sacrifice. your wrong conception
Of the work that God has for you What
a contrast that Is between what you
thought you should be doing and what
God actually has you doing here In this
world. There are so many people in the
church of God who could make the church