| Devotional Hours with the Bible |
Chapter 20 |
Page 6 |
You do not begin to know how many chance you have every day of hating your life in this world, giving yourself to help some other one upward. In the home life the chance comes continually, the chance of giving up your own way to make another happier; to put another upward; of keeping gentle and sweet, instead of becoming irritated and provoked; of speaking a soft answer instead of a cutting one; of taking the heavy end of some burden, that a more frail one may not be crushed; of giving cheer to one who is discouraged. There are a hundred opportunities every day of dropping yourself out and putting another in the way of receiving the favor, of laying selfishness on the cross and nailing it there, and showing love instead. How do the boys treat their sisters? How do people in comfortable homes, with plenty, regard and treat the neighbor who is having pinching times, or has a sick child? Do you hate your life, your comfort, your luxury, in the sense of doing without some of it to show kindness and give help? There is an almost infinite field of opportunities for denying self, sacrificing one’s own feelings, desires, preferences, to make life easier, happier, and more joyous to others.
There is another sphere of opportunities for living out the doctrine of the cross in every day life. “Do justice and judgment” (Gen. 18:19; Prov.21:3), runs the Bible teaching. Have you ever thought how grievously many of us fail in being just to others? We are unreasonable; we are exacting; we are unfair; we are partial. We criticize others unmercifully. We commend very few people; we condemn almost everybody for something. Oh, what ungodly judges of the acts of others we are! Then, do you ever think how little of real forgiveness there is among us, even among Christian people? We talk a great deal about forgiveness, ad we pray it every time we say the Lord’s Prayer; but how much Christian forgiveness do we practice? “How often must I forgive?” asked Peter. He thought seven times would be enough. “Seventy times seven,” said Jesus — that is, without counting. It is hard to forgive an enemy — it is not a natural disposition or act — it is divine — it is Christ in us. But do not forget it is Christian, and you cannot be a Christian yourself in anything; You need Christ living in you. You need Christ in you to forgive as He forgives.
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