The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-11-25
Strength !" !. God ID.
Lesson for November ~, 1860

Lesson IOr november n, lSOU
What is needed in this world
is not always better people. It's
people who will stay as good as
they are, just a while longer.
You have your best moods. don't
you? Or if you don't, some
people around you surely have
some good moments. Suppose
those moments became hours or
days? The difference between
one really good person and an
other who really isn't, may not
always be that one is good, the
other bad. They both may be
good, only one of the two is able
to stick with it, he has staying
power, he doesn't fade; while the
other one folds up in a hurry
Strength Against
When you read the 9Th chapter
of Ephesians you get the impress
sion that life is a fight, even for
the Christian. Yes. that is true,
we must say especially for the
Christian. The non Christian
doesn't try to swim against the
tide, he goes with the crowd. If
a man sets out to be Christian
he soon enough discovers that it
is no bed of roses. He discovers
where strength is needed: for
one thing. against the pull Of
temptation. Strength of body may
help, but ones very physical
strength may be source of
temptation. Strength of mind
may help; but strong mind
again may itself be a temptation
to doubt and pride. It is strength
inside, strength of spirit, that
counts most in the fight against
temptation Many an alcoholic. or
others who find liquor a real
temptation even if.not rated cal
coholics," knows how this is!
just to say NO-how hard it is!
Other people can help. but the
fight is really on the inside of
the one who is tempted. The
battlefield may be out of sight,
but the battle is terribly real.
Strength For
Just as a Christian needs inner
strength to hold out longer
against temptation Of all kinds,
so he needs strength within so as
to keep his good intentions 60
ing. All of us have generous i'm
pulses. We aim to do something
for someone. We have a picture
of ourselves helping someone out
in trouble and that's all it
ever is, picture. We hand the
walls of our mind with these pic
lures of ourselves, all noble :.
but pure imagination. They are
pictures of what we intended do
ing, what we maybe started to do
but never finished.
Or perhaps we really do get
going on these fine projects, but
get too tired too soon. We are
like the grain in Jesus parable
that fell on rocky soil. 1t came up
all right, but a few days sun
and it was gone. The good start
had no follow-up. There was life
in the plant but it had no stay
ing power. What we need is inner
strength, the will that says Hold
oni"
How To Find Strength
One thing should be kept in
mind at all times inner, spiritual
power is not like physical or men
tai power. Some people are born
with better physiques than 9th
ers. Some are born with high los
and the low-IQ people just never
will catch up. Not everybody. in
short. can be an athlete. not
everyone can be a brain" But
everyone can have the inner
strength about which we have
been talking. If everyone does not
have it equally. and some not
at all. it is not because any are
barred off by God S decree. 1t is
because some do not fulfill the
conditions.
The very first condition. and
the continuing one, can be put in
a question Do YOU want it? Here
as in other matters, God is more
willing to give than we are to
receive. We do not have to make
ourselves ready or fit before
Gods spirit comes into our
hearts. We do have to do one
thing. quite seriously. We must
put ourselves at the Spirits dis
posal. The Spirit Of God will not
come to the help of anyone who
uses. or tries to use. the Spirit
for his own private ends. Only
the Spirit God within US is able
to give us that inner strength
which we so continually need. But
the Holy Spirit is not to be
bought. wheedled. harnessed or
controlled. Only those who vel
come the Spirit and yield to Him
may have Him.
BASED on outlines copyrighted
by the Division Of Christian Edu-
cation. Nation Council Of the
Churches Of Christ in the U. S. A.
Released by Community Press
Service.)
JOB OFFERS