Recreation
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Jesus will be the helper of all who put their trust in Him. Those
who are connected with Christ have happiness at their command. They
follow in the path where their Saviour leads, for His sake crucifying
self with the affections and lusts. These persons have built their hopes
on Christ, and the storms of earth are powerless to sweep them from
the sure foundation.
It rests with yourselves, young men and women, whether you
will become persons of trust, of integrity and real usefulness. You
should be ready and resolute to take your stand for the right, under
all circumstances. Our wrong habits cannot be taken to heaven with
us, and unless overcome here, they will shut us out of the abode of
the righteous. Bad habits, when opposed, will offer the most vigorous
resistance; but if the warfare is kept up with energy and perseverance,
they may be conquered.
In order to form correct habits, we should seek the company of
persons of sound moral and religious influence
If the youth could be persuaded to associate with the pure, the
thoughtful, and the amiable, the effect would be most salutary. If
choice is made of companions who fear the Lord, the influence will
lead to truth, to duty, and to holiness. A truly Christian life is a power
for good. But, on the other hand, those who associate with men and
women of questionable morals, of bad principles and practices, will
soon be walking in the same path. The tendencies of the natural heart
are downward. He who associates with the skeptic will soon become
skeptical; he who chooses the companionship of the vile will most
assuredly become vile. To walk in the counsel of the ungodly is the
first step toward standing in the way of sinners and sitting in the seat
of the scornful.
Let all who would form a right character choose associates who are
of a serious, thoughtful turn of mind and who are religiously inclined.
Those who have counted the cost and wish to build for eternity must
put good material into their building. If they accept of rotten timbers, if
they are content with deficiencies of character, the building is doomed
to ruin. Let all take heed how they build. The storm of temptation
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will sweep over the building, and unless it is firmly and faithfully
constructed it will not stand the test.
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Testimonies for the Church 4:655