The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-11-22
Inner P over
Lesson for November "a, 1868

Everyone who observes people
with even a little penetration Of
! insight, knows the difference be-
tween lives that have inner pow
er and lives that crurnple and
may even Shatter like mis-
fired rocket, for lack Of some in
ner power which more effective
lives possess. To put it in rail
road language. some people are
like locomotives. running on their
own power, power generated on
board. so to speak. Other people
are like freight cars they will
move, but only if pushed.
What is the secret of inner
power?
First-Level Motives
The time honored name for
what drives men, gently or
stormily as it may be, into &C
ton, is Motive. Some persons are
without motive entirely. They see
no reason for their existence
they do not march. they daWdle,
they drift. They are suggestible
they have no inner consistency
They follow the crowd, they new
er lead it. Other persons are
strong in a wrong headed way,
Wrong-hearted too. They are set
into action by wrong motives
such as pride, the desire for
pleasure. fame or terry.
Above such men in the scale Of
character are others moved by
what we can call Christian mo-
tiveS at the first level. level
not too difficult to reach. Putting
several factors together. Chris
tlanS. are mOtivated by the sim
pie wish to be thought we'll of
How M ! doing?" is a fair
question. one that ought to be
asked. Only let's make sure we
ask 1t of the right people. Saint
Paul. who holds high place on
the roster of world Christians,
certainly wanted both God and
men to think well of him. What
we are he meant what l am
is known to God. and | hope also
to your conscience The ludg-
ment Of God and the Judgment
Of the Christian conscience ~
these were both important tc
Paul. He mentions them in the
same breath in III Cor. sill. Not
that he thought as much Of the
approval of men as he did OF
the approval of God. but he was
eager TO have both What people
think of you is important. anc
above all it is God S approval
that comes first
For Him
Good as this is. it is not top
flight Christian living. The de-
sire to keep ones record clean
Will 90 a long way, but it viii
not take us as far as some Other
motives. For the pattern of the
Christian life. the dedicated life
is not mainly pattern Of or
derS and obedience. For some
people this is all there is tt
Christianity. God tells me what
to do and l do it." But there
IS a higher motive than simple
blind obedience to the word d
command. 1t is the motive OF
love. Paul does not use the wore
"love" in his letters very often
vet it comes out at crucia
points. Paul says 1.-THE love o.
Christ controls us.
Paul puts this another way
without using the word love" al
all He speaks Of Christian be
levers as living no longer fol
themselves but for Him who fol
their SakeS died" We so long
way farther for one we admire
and love. than VIC Will for orders
no matter what penalty may be
attached. Christian life. in short
is rot at its best when the dl-lv
ing motive is that Of passing tic
inspection of the all-seelng God
1t is at its best when ii is not
lived by rote or by rule, but
when the rote and the rule
when they must be. come from
one who has loved It's long The
Christian life. in short. is at its
best when 1t is mOtiVated hy
gratitude to the One who died
for all
The Ministry Of Reconciliation
God is not mans enemy. Coo
IS for us. This does not near
He smiles on every bit Of fool
lShneSS or sin We can think of
II that sounds familiar 10 the
Christian reader. it was not IA
mlhar when Paul discovered It
Many outside the church and IT.
side too need TO discover il
atreSh The feeling, the convlc.
ton, that God Is for me. that
He viii not let me 90 nor le,
me down or let me off the dis.
covery that His Intentions tor
me 50 beyond my own inagin.
lnss - this car be the most pow.
erfu inner drive known to man
Every person who accepts the
forglving mercy of God has a
right 10 confidence in the SUD.