Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-18
There !. No Standing Still.

We get a great deal of comfort al
times in persuading ourselves thai
while we have not been making the
progress we should. in spiritual things
yet we have not gone backwards in any
degree We are holding our GROUND
and therefore there Is no cause fol
anxiety. jeremiah tells Of how Goo
once told the people to obey his voice
and all would be well, but they took
their own way, walked in their owr
counsels and went backward"
Now can any one believe, that, re-
fusing to do the duties constantly pre-
sented to us, even for one day or one
hour. Is equivalent to standing still
and vet hold our ground in Gods
sight? Are we on as high plane al
evening time, when for a day we have
walked in our own counsels" and left
Gods will entirely out of that days ac-
tivities, so that while we may not have
engaged in any really sinful pursuit
yet we have stolen every moment OF
time, for the duties or the pleasures
that appealed to us. allowing his rea-
sonable demand to go unfulfilled?
True. we may go over every hour
and we may hold up our actions, one
by one for the keenest human criticism
TO pass judgment on, without fear OF
the result, and we may go away bear
ing the comforting assurance OF a
human judgment that we are worthy
TO stand on the same ground we occu-
pied when this lost day awoke US to
higher duties than ever before. Have
We not STOOD stir while 1t passed
over us. claiming only our time and
attention for the things our own hearts
clannored for, instead Of dividing the
, hours with God, so that his will might
be accomplished IN US. And 1t might
be well" with us for so doing?
Life is mountain climbing, and sc
steep the way that we dare not stop
to gather every flower that may appeal
to US, for in so doing we must saip
backward and lose ground, and who
ever attempts to turn out OF the way
the masters steps marked for his fol-
lowers. to take some other path that
seemed good because the world had
bordered it with the pleasures or the
successes which are earth confined and
never rise above 1t, such a soul Is
steadily going backward" 80 far as the
good things Of Gods kingdom are con-
cerned. and in danger Of, some day,
losing its way so completely that 1t
may never recognize the old landmarks
again, pointing to a higher, nobler
plane Of life here. and a well done
IN the always near hereafter.
We seldom ever deliberately go
''backward;" in fact, we are not al
ways conscious that we are not going
forward" at his command. We need
to recognize the fact in our everyday
life that progress means doing his will,
not our own. II OUTS leads us to neg
lect the duty we owe him for our own
selfish ends. We need to honestly ask
ourselves. why am neglecting GER
tain duties? Is It because I can do bet
ter things for God and my own soul
by choosing the things that appeal to
my desires, my ambitions, my love of
wealth, or Of personal comfort?' If 80,
may be going forward, If not am
not standing still" even, but steadily
and surely losing the ground alrea dy
gained. What are We sowing?
Whatsoever q man soweth that he
shall also reap" That is Gods Justice
Mrs. Waite in Burlington Hawksye.