Chapter 66—Emotional Needs
[
See section V, “Life’s energizing force,” and section XI, “Emotional
Problems”
]
* * * * *
Reason for Existence—God’s law is the law of love. He has
surrounded you with beauty to teach you that you are not placed on
earth merely to delve for self, to dig and build, to toil and spin, but to
make life bright and joyous and beautiful with the love of Christ—like
the flowers, to gladden other lives by the ministry of love.—
Thoughts
from the Mount of Blessing, 97
(1896).
Love Satisfies Inner Need—Love must be the principle of action.
Love is the underlying principle of God’s government in heaven and
earth, and it must be the foundation of the Christian’s character. This
alone can make and keep him steadfast. This alone can enable him to
withstand trial and temptation.—
Christ’s Object Lessons, 49
(1900).
Cultivate Love—Love for God and love for one another is to
be cultivated, for it is as precious as gold. We need now to make
the very best representation of the character of pure and undefiled
religion, which, both in its nature and its requirements, is the opposite
of selfishness. Love like that which Christ exemplified is incomparable;
[607]
it is above gold or silver or precious stones in value. The love that
Christ possessed is to be prayed for and sought for. The Christian who
possesses it bears a character above all human infirmities.—Lt 335,
1905.
All Need Love—The reason there are so many hard-hearted men
and women in our world is that true affection has been regarded as
weakness and has been discouraged and repressed. The better part
of the nature of persons of this class was perverted and dwarfed in
childhood, and unless rays of divine light can melt away their coldness
and hardhearted selfishness, the happiness of such is buried forever.
If we would have tender hearts, such as Jesus had when He was upon
184