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The Gold Of Christian Character, June 15
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour
rather than silver and gold.
Proverbs 22:1
.
Men may aspire to renown. They may desire to possess a great name. With
some the possession of houses and lands and plenty of money, that which will
make them great according to the measure of the world, is the height of their
ambition. They desire to reach the place where they can look down with a sense
of superiority upon those who are poor. All such are building on the sand, and
their house will fall suddenly. Superiority of position is not true greatness. That
which does not increase the value of the soul is of no real value in itself. That
which alone is worth obtaining is greatness of soul in the sight of Heaven. The
true and exalted nature of your work you may never know. The value of your own
being you can only measure by the value of that Life given to save all who will
receive it.
Every man will have some estimate of his own worth when he becomes a
laborer together with Christ, doing the work that Christ did, filling the world
with Christ’s righteousness, bearing a commission from the Most High.... The
commission given to the disciples is given to all who are connected with Christ.
They are to make any and every sacrifice for the joy of seeing souls saved who are
perishing out of Christ....
The highest honor that can be conferred upon human beings, be they young
or old, rich or poor, is to be permitted to lift up the oppressed, to comfort the
feeble-minded. The world is full of suffering. Go, and preach the gospel to the
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poor; heal the sick. This is the work to be connected with the gospel message.
“The poor have the gospel preached to them” (
Matthew 11:5
). Colaborers with
God are to fill the space they occupy in the world with the love of Jesus.... The
love of Christ in the heart is expressed in the actions. If love for Christ is dull the
love for those for whom Christ died will degenerate....
True riches are genuine faith and genuine love. These make the character
complete in Christ. If there were more faith, simple, trusting faith in Jesus, there
would be love, pure love, which is the gold of Christian character.
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