The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-01-06

TINS paper several months ago.
(By REV. GEORGE H. DeKAY)
Giving God a Chance" That
sounds rather unorthodox coming
from a preacher. doesn't it? For most
of us are used to thinking that God
being the Almighty One has about
everything His own way, and to talk
about giving Him a chance seems to
imply that He cant do anything He
pleases.
Well, that's just what | want to say.
For centuries practically the whole
Christian world believed, and a large
part of it still believes. that God has
everything His own way with the des-
tines of men and that men have moth
ing whatever to say about it. Our
grandfathers were taught exactly that
No matter what a man desired to be
or hoped to be, If God wanted that
man saved He elected him to saliva
ton, and if He wanted Him Tanned
that settled it. and it was all for the
glory of God anyway and that ought
to satisfy any man
Charles G. Finney was a great
evangelist. He preached a new
theology" in his day which caused a
regular revolution in the thinking of
our grandfathers. He preached an
awful theology of hell-hre and dam
nation which no one dares to preach
today. One of Finney's favorite illus
trations was Of a little bird carrying
this earth off TO some other planet
one grain of sand at a time. And
when that was all accomplished eter-
nifty would have just begun and the
lost sinner would be only started on
his punishment. But with it all Fin
ney preached (and this was his new
theology which gave men hope) that
every man elected himself and that
instead of God having all the chance
in His favor it was at least a $3.50
proposition.
Man Deserves Fair Chance
Every man ought to have a fair
chance at all the happiness and pro
gress he is capable of. Millions new
er have that chance as society is or
ganized today. No chance for an edu-
cation because poverty complies him
to go to work as a boy when he ought
to be in school. No chance for legiti-
mate pleasures hat sweeter and en-
rich life for the loss of a day at work
lltduS luigi ulOullS lllllttl, anu II
few days illness means debt hard to
repay. No chance hardly 10 get ac-
quainted with his own family. to say
nothing about the acquaintance with
great souls and minds through hooks.
What chance, for instance, have the
men whom the steel industry works
twelve hours a day, seven days a
week to really become men? Instead
of being but little lower than the an
gels as Scripture speaks Of man, he
is but little higher than the beasts
of the field. He is only a human ma
chine-worth less than the costly ma
chimes at which he may labor.
And a whole lot of mistaken good
folk talk about the low mentality and
the animalism and the difficulty of do
ing anything with labor" And many
think it's because God has never CIV
en- them a chance at anything better.
Or perhaps doesn't wan them to
have anything better. But it's really
because God has never had a fair
chance to do anything for oil with
them.
A Personal Question
Let's not be too ready to pass the
buck" to someone else for my not be-
ing all | ought to be. Perhaps l
might have been a good deal better
educated if / hadn't had to 20 to work
so early in life. Perhaps | might
have been a much better man and citi-
zen if someone else had not eXerted
a wrong influence on my young man
hood. Perhaps | ought to have a lot
of allowances made that people do
not make because they don't know
my history. But how about today?
Jesus promised men life More
abundantly."He promised them peace
and freedom from sin, and millions
of men have found the fulfllment of
these promised.
But the world is still too full of
restless lives, unhappy hearts, and en-
shaved souls. And | mea among
those 10 whom life has brought the
largest opportunities.
Secret of Happy Life
Many years ago a widely-read book
had that title. To me the secret OF
a happy life is to be found in one lit
tie word. I'd like to write it in CAPT
tails all owe this page. Let"
A happy life comes through know
ing and doing Gods will.
Oh, yes! of course that's preaching.
But only as a mar tries to find out
what God van him to be and do, and
then tries to be and do that will be
ever known peace and Joy.
Peace and joy are very real expert
ences. Any man may know the ex-
perience. Here's the secret:
Let the word of the Lord dwell in
you richly" Let the peace of Christ
rule in your hearts" (Collossians
3:15-16.)
Did you eve study the history of
a word? Many words in our English
language have today a meaning ex-
actly opposite to the original. Let"
is n such. Originally it meant to
hinder, to oppose, to forbid. Today
it means TO allow, to permit.
Which way shall | use the word in
my personal experience? Shall l
hinder the word of God from enter
ing my life with its divine wisdom
and enrichment, or shall | allow it to
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