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Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers
will be overwhelmed with a sense of lost time,—the Lord’s precious
talent,—lost opportunities, which were given to them that they might
show their appreciation of the infinite compassion of God for fallen
men.
A Soul Hunger for Service
Every soul that accepts Jesus as his personal Saviour will pant for
the privilege of serving God and will eagerly seize the opportunity to
signalize his gratitude by devoting his abilities to God’s service. He
will long to show his love for Jesus and for His purchased possession.
He will covet toil, hardship, sacrifice. He will think it a privilege
to deny self, lift the cross, and follow in Christ’s footsteps, thus
showing his loyalty and love. His holy and beneficent works will
testify to his conversion, and will give to the world the evidence that
he is not a spurious, but a true, devoted, Christian.
Men are now earnestly plying every art and trade in order to
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satisfy their desire for more gain. If they would use this tact and
zeal and careful thoughtfulness in an effort to gain something for the
Lord’s treasury, how much would be accomplished! When men who
are thoroughly selfish accept Christ, they will show that they have
a new heart; and instead of grasping all they possibly can obtain to
benefit themselves, instead of making little, stunted sacrifices for the
Lord, they will cheerfully do all that they can to advance His work.
The spirit of grasping, which has been so largely developed, will
die, and they will heed the words of Christ, “Sell that ye have, and
give alms.” They will work as laboriously, with zeal and energy and
earnestness, to build up the kingdom of God, as they have worked
to obtain riches for themselves.
I tell you the truth. We are far behind our holy religion in our
conception of duty. Oh, if those who have been blessed with such
grand and solemn truth would arise and shake off the spell that has
benumbed their senses and caused them to withhold from God their
true service, what would not their well-organized efforts accomplish
for the salvation of souls! What a change would be seen in the
principles carried out! The world, the flesh, the devil, would not
blind men and women as to what constitute pure, sacred, loyal
principles.