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In Contact With Others
359
Study carefully the divine-human character, and constantly in-
quire, “What would Jesus do were He in my place?” This should be
the measurement of our duty. Do not place yourselves needlessly in
the society of those who by their arts would weaken your purpose to
do right, or bring a stain upon your conscience. Do nothing among
strangers, in the street, on the cars, in the home, that would have
the least appearance of evil. Do something every day to improve,
beautify, and ennoble the life that Christ has purchased with His
own blood.
Always act from principle, never from impulse. Temper the
natural impetuosity of your nature with meekness and gentleness.
Indulge in no lightness or trifling. Let no low witticism escape your
lips. Even the thoughts are not to be allowed to run riot. They must
be restrained, brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Let
them be placed upon holy things. Then, through the grace of Christ,
they will be pure and true.
We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure
thoughts. The only security for any soul is right thinking. As a
man “thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Proverbs 23:7
. The power
of self-restraint strengthens by exercise. That which at first seems
difficult, by constant repetition grows easy, until right thoughts and
actions become habitual. If we will we may turn away from all
that is cheap and inferior, and rise to a high standard; we may be
respected by men and beloved of God.
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Cultivate the habit of speaking well of others. Dwell upon the
good qualities of those with whom you associate, and see as little as
possible of their errors and failings. When tempted to complain of
what someone has said or done, praise something in that person’s
life or character. Cultivate thankfulness. Praise God for His won-
derful love in giving Christ to die for us. It never pays to think of
our grievances. God calls upon us to think of His mercy and His
matchless love, that we may be inspired with praise.
Earnest workers have no time for dwelling upon the faults of
others. We cannot afford to live on the husks of others’ faults or
failings. Evilspeaking is a twofold curse, falling more heavily upon
the speaker than upon the hearer. He who scatters the seeds of
dissension and strife reaps in his own soul the deadly fruits. The
very act of looking for evil in others develops evil in those who look.