Page 219 - That I May Know Him (1964)

A Will of Your Own?, July 22
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to
pass over a transgression. Proverbs 19:11.
There are duties to the body and duties to the soul, and these every
human agent must cooperate with God in seeking to perform.... Do not
submit to receive a cheap mold. The young need sound common sense, for
they are living for two worlds....
Apply the truth to your own individual case. You have a soul to save or a
soul to lose. Have a will of your own, but let it be subject to the will of God.
Be determined that you will not become angry, that you will not become
self-sufficient, that you will not be hasty and overbearing. If this is your
weak point, guard that point as a man would guard a broken limb. Watch
your spirit, and let not a hasty spirit conquer you. Be careful to examine
the weak points in your character, knowing that the evils which exist may
be overcome by steadfastly refusing to yield to your weakness. The evil
of hasty, wicked, indulgence of temper makes any youth a madman. Keep
sane. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Evil can and will grow ... through
repetition.
Do not underrate the importance of little things because they are little.
By action and reaction these little defects accumulate and bind themselves
together like rods of steel. That little action, that unguarded word, repeated,
becomes habit, ... and habit constitutes character....
Cultivate a kind, tender, sympathetic heart, and never call these at-
tributes weakness, for they are the attributes of Christ. Be careful of your
influence. Let it be of so pure and fragrant a character that you will never
be ashamed to have it reproduced in others.
As drops of water make the river, so little things make up life. Life is a
river, peaceful, calm, and enjoyable, or it is a troubled river, always casting
up mire and dirt. In this life you may place yourself under the discipline of
the Holy Spirit. Through the sanctification of the Spirit you will thus grow
more and more like Christ.37 [210]
37Letter 46, 1898.
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