Courage and Perseverance in the Ministry
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would be a rising from the dead and a coming to life through Jesus
Christ.
Christ meant something when he said, “And every one that hath
forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or
children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundred-fold,
and shall inherit everlasting life.” He intended to impress upon us the
fact that we must make eternal things of first importance, and so relate
ourselves to the cause and work of God that we shall not be hindered
by things of a temporal nature. Everything of this character must come
in secondary. The armor of God, once put on, is not to be laid off for
slight excuses.
What we need now is untiring energy and perseverance, so that
we will not be broken off from the work by difficulties and home
perplexities. If we do allow our interest to be thus separated, the enemy
will understand it, and he will make trouble right in our families to
draw us away from the work. But if we firmly take our stand as God’s
workmen, saying, “The Lord has given us a message, and we cannot
be faithful watchmen unless we stand at our post of duty; we will carry
the work through at all hazards,” then we shall find that angels of God
will minister to our households at home, and will say to the enemy,
“Stand back.” It is a great and solemn work in which we are engaged,
and God will help us to carry it forward, if we learn to rely wholly
upon him.
Oh, my brethren, put on the whole armor of God, and move with
wisdom and intelligence. Do not work weeks and months to bring
around a condition of things that will bind you hand and foot so that
you cannot engage in the warfare as bold soldiers of Jesus Christ, and
then mourn and complain because your circumstances are such that
you cannot give yourselves wholly to the work. It is not God who lays
upon you this burden. He has given you reason, and he wants you to
use it. He would not have you arrange things at home so that when
you go out to labor your minds will be continually upon your families.
Before you make any move with reference to your families, he would
have you consider carefully whether you are piling up burdens that
will hinder you from engaging in his work. I have felt sad as I have
heard different individuals tell how difficult it was for them to give
themselves to the work of God. They do not like to consider the steps
that they have taken to place themselves in this position. If God should