Willmar tribune., 1908-07-22

to visit him. He asked: "Well,
son. how are you getting along?"
''I'm not getting along at all, -
was his dislleartened answer. 81
am not doing a thing" The old
fathers countenance fell, but he
spoke of courage, patience and per-
severance. Later he went with his
son to the Free Dispensary, where
the young man had an unsalaried
position and where he spent an
hour or more each day. The father
sat there an intensely interested
spectator while twenty-five sick
and unfortunate people received
help. The doctor forgot his visitor
while he bent his skilled energies
to his task; but hardly had the
door closed on the last patient
when the old father burst forth:
81 thought you told me that you
were not doing anything. Not do
ing anything! Why, if l had
helped twenty five people in a
month as you have in one morning
l would thank God that my life
counted for something. There
isn't any money in it tho, lex
planned the son. Money! the
old man exclaimed. Money
What is money in comparison with
your being of use to your fellow
men? Never mind about money.
You go right on with this work
every day: I'll go back to the
farm and gladly earn money enough
to support you as long as I live
yes, and sleep sound every night
with the thought that | have helped
you to help your fellowmen.''
"That speech,'' says the one who
tells this incident, "went into the
bones Of the young doctors life and
strengthened him for life of un-
selfish usefulness. -
l would that it might go into the
bones of the young people in busi-
ness here today, leading you to rea-
lize that your success in business
life will not be determined, in the
sight of God, by what you get out
of it, but by what others get out Ct
it, by the use you make Of your
business in blessing the lives of
your fellow men. Every profession
AID every business in which the
Christian is engaged should be
made channel of bringing bles-
sings into the lives Of others. 1t
ought to be the motto, not only of
our Convention, but Of our busi-
ness: Not unio ourselves. - It
will take sacrifice to do that. But
can we be Christians without sacri-
fee? Can we be a blessing to our
fellow men without shouldering the
cross?
"A man cannot be Christian, "
says Charles M. Sheldon, without
bearing a cross. He cannot follow
the Christ of God unless he is will
ing to lose anything that makes
that following impossible. The
nominal Christians Of the world
the men and women who belong to
churches and profess to be disciples,
but who put their money and their
social position and tht ir family
name before the love Of their neigh
Dor, and who do not know what it
means to bear a cross, or who COM
plain if they are asked to bear bur
dens-these nominal disciples can
not expect to know anything of the
practical side of Christ ianity until
they have demonstrated it by their
cross bearing. AS soon as the
world sees the nominal Christian Of
the world losing money and posi-
tion and ease and luxury, for the
sake Of obeying their Masters com
mands, that minute the world will
acknowledge that Christianity is
practical. But I doubt very much
if the world will cease to ask: Is
Christianity practical?' as long as
disciples of Jesus continue to live
as the Gentiles live, placing money
before service and position before
discipleship. There is no other
way to eternal life except the way
of the cross. There was none for
Son of God and there is nCne for
the sons Of men,"
So, fellow Christians, no matter
what it costs, eliminate from your
business, your profession, your vo-
cation Of whatever kind it may be,
everything that makes it hind.
rance rather than a help, a bane
rather than a blessing, to your fel.
lowmen. | am sure that if Jesus
Christ were here today He woulC
say with His own divine lips what
| am trying to say in his name
BE a blessing in your business
life"
Be blessing in your COMMUN.
ITY. The sphere Of Christian ser.
vice is not to be confined to the
home or to the place of business
1t should extend to the whole com.
munity in which the Christian lives
and his presence in that commun.
ity should be blessing. Let the
Christian realize that there arc