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Daughters of God
you may strengthen and build him up. Let Jesus into the soul temple
to preside there, and all things will then be after the order of God.
I do not write you because I do not love you. I write because I
love you. You are the purchase of the blood of Christ. I want that you
should perfect Christian character. The great respect which you cherish
for self creates a moral deformity. You will never perfect Christian
character until you think less of self and have a better opinion of others.
You should not try to excuse yourself from coming in contact with
obstacles and overcoming them. You will become strong in spiritual
sinew and muscle by lifting responsibilities. You argue your own
feebleness too much and shun the very things which will give you
strength.
Religion is an active, working principle, and furnishes a stamina
sufficient for the stern realities of life. Religion even has power to
restrain and control self, to overcome sharp hereditary tendencies. It
has a true transforming power upon life, modulating the character.
Christ was a worker; He toiled for a livelihood, working in the car-
penter’s shop. Thus He ennobled and dignified even common labor.
Now, my sister, intelligence and education are never designed to make
ordinary labor disgusting and disinteresting or distasteful. Even the
most common duties of domestic life may be elevated and dignified.
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Religion ever imparts power to its possessor to restrain, control,
and balance the character and intellect and emotions. It has a power to
persuade, entreat, and command with divine authority all the ability
and affections. Religion—oh, I wish we all understood its workings!
It lays us under the weightiest obligations. As we connect ourselves
with Christ we solemnly pledge ourselves to walk as Christ walked.
Whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do, all must be done with
self out of sight and God’s glory in view. Every act of ours has its
influence upon others, therefore every thought and every motive is to
be under the control of the Spirit of God.
Our notions, our peculiarities, are wholly human and must not be
humored or indulged. Self is to be crucified, not now and then, but
daily, and the physical, mental, and spiritual must be subordinate to the
will of God. The glory of God, the perfection of Christian character, is
to be the aim, the purpose of our life. Christ’s followers must imitate
Christ in disposition. The Pattern is given us to copy, and no excuse
will be accepted of God as a reason for not meeting the divine standard,