The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-02
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

| The old story of the Israelites' free
| gifts for the tabernacle presents an in
| teresting analogy for Christian En-
deavorers. Not all of them gave the
same thing, and not all of them gave
articles of great value. Some gave
onyx stones and rich spices. Some of
| fered jewelry and gold. Others brought
goats hair or badger skins. The wise
hearted women who, perhaps had no
| jewels and gold to offer, and who
could not go out and kill a badger or
ram as they pleased, set to work
with their hands and spun goats hair
Every one did according to his ability.
But everyone did something. What
shall Christian Endeavorers do "for
Christ and the church? The best
they can. If they cannot offer Jewels
and gold. they can give goat or badger
skins, and if they cannot give goat or
badger skins they can spin with their
hands. and all the gifts will be equally
pleasing unto God. If you cannot
preach the gospel from a pulpit, you
can humbly do a layman's work for
Christ. and. if perchance you have no
special abilities at all in so-called
Christian work. you can help in hum
bier ways the cause of Christ. There
is crying need Of multitude of work
ers who are willing to run errands for
the Master.
y IS
We may serve Christ by serving the
church. 1t is possible for us to run too
far afeld in search of special work
to do for the Master. when right at
hand in our own churches there are
pressing and important duties awaiting
US There is something radically
wrong with the principles of the young
person who is active and prominent in
outside work but non-effective in the
affairs of his own church.
One Of the messages of Christian
Endeavor's history has been that re-
ligion is an everyday affair. The
movement has pledged young men and
women to serve Christ at the post of
daily duty. 1t has emphasized the truth
that the desk and kitchen and forge
and pillow may be as sacred as the pull
pit.
What shall we do "for Christ and
the Church ~ What else but Doe We
service by taking up the dutv next at |
hand. Only on this line of duty can |
We progress into wider service. Nehe- |
miah's splendid company of Christian |
against his own house. So should we. |
The young people of today have been
stirred to passion for the universal |
presentation of the gospel of a univer-
sal Saviour The world for Christ
and Christ for the world have be-
come rallying cries for the generation.
A million young people are TODAY
trouble about the choice of life
work Their perplexity arises from the
fact that they are viewing the future
from the wrong standpoint They are
asking what the world can be made to
yield them; how they themselves get
the most out of life. But difficulties
disappear when we turn the question
about and ask: How may best give
my life to the world p" At once a
thousand doors of opportunity open a
thousand causes call for supporters. n
thousand hard but glorious posts of
and service ask for OCCUPANTS
When a young person seriously offers
70 the world. or better to the worlds
a life of devoted labor. that |
young person at once insures for him
self a large and useful and noble IN
ture. There is no career like a ca
reer OF service.
Over and over again Christian En-
deavorers need to hear the grand old
word layalty, which is the slogan Of
the society. Christ commando orr
loyalty; so does His church. ITnless
we are of the heroic stun that is FOR
ever and unswervingIy true, We can
not be faithful Endeavorers. The fTS+
and last word of the cause is. 1ova1tvW
loyalty The loss of the spirit Of Iov-
atty in Christian Endeavor wou1d No.,
the failure of the cause.
The reason that such multitudes
nave thronged to join the Christian