Work for Church Members
21
will labor so diligently that they will have neither time nor disposition
to weaken the hands of their brethren by unkind criticism. Their one
desire will be to carry the truth to the regions beyond.
The Lord has presented before me the work that must be done
in our cities. The believers in these cities can work for God in the
neighborhood of their homes. They are to labor quietly and in humility,
carrying with them wherever they go the atmosphere of heaven. If they
keep self out of sight, pointing always to Christ, the power of their
influence will be felt.
[21]
As a worker gives himself unreservedly to the service of the Lord,
he gains an experience that enables him to labor more and more suc-
cessfully for the Master. The influence that drew him to Christ helps
him to draw others to Christ. The work of a public speaker may never
be laid upon him, but he is nonetheless a minister for God, and his
work testifies that he is born of God.
It is not the Lord’s purpose that ministers should be left to do the
greatest part of the work of sowing the seeds of truth. Men who are
not called to the ministry are to be encouraged to labor for the Master
according to their several ability. Hundreds of men and women now
idle could do acceptable service. By carrying the truth into the homes
of their friends and neighbors, they could do a great work for the
Master. God is no respecter of persons. He will use humble, devoted
Christians, even if they have not received so thorough an education
as some others. Let such ones engage in service for Him by doing
house-to-house work. Sitting by the fireside, they can—if humble,
discreet, and godly—do more to meet the real needs of families than
could an ordained minister.
* * * * *
Why do not believers feel a deeper, more earnest concern for those
who are out of Christ? Why do not two or three meet together and
plead with God for the salvation of some special one, and then for
still another? In our churches let companies be formed for service.
Let different ones unite in labor as fishers of men. Let them seek to
gather souls from the corruption of the world into the saving purity of
Christ’s love.