| Devotional Hours with the Bible |
Chapter 20 |
Page 7 |
But this is part of our lesson — the cross in daily life. Not to forgive is to love your own life, and that is to lose it in the end. To forgive is to hate your own life, not to insist on having your own way, in demanding your rights, but to bear the wrong, the insult, the injustice, to return good for evil, kindness for unkindness, to turn the other cheek when one cheek is already smarting with the smiting. Oh, what a new world we Christians would soon make if this old earth would only get the law of the cross into our conduct and spirit for a time! What heart-burnings we should cure! What hurts of love we should heal! One of the fine sayings of Lincoln quoted before the recent centenary of His birth was this, “Die when I may, I want it said of men by those who know me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I though a flower would grow.” That is one of the ways of hating one’s own life in this world as Christ spoke about. It is so easy to plant thistles instead of plucking them up! It is so easy to pluck up roses instead of planting them! It is so easy not to deny ourselves, just to let the old unregenerate self rule our spirit and go on with its bitter jealousies, envyings, resentments, injustices, believing evil of others, judging others. Do you know what such life will come to in the end? “He that loveth his life” — that is, cherishes all these evil things, thinks only of his own wishes, demands always his own way, no matter who is crushed or hurt — “He that loveth his life shall lose it.”
“If any man serve me, let him follow me.” That is our lesson. It is not easy — it is very hard. Nature never can learn it. When we no longer love our own life, and instead instantly give it up to do a kindness to another, to give help, whatsoever the cost; when we forget our own interest and put another forward instead of ourselves — then we are following Christ. “He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
There is still another thing to learn — sharing. “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be.” perhaps in this age of materialism we do not look on enough to think what will come after this life is over. “He that loveth his life shall lose it.” Look ahead and think what that means — loving self, loving life, losing it, having nothing out of it but death. That is the end of selfishness, living for self, having one’s own way. “He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” That is what came out of Christ’s life of self-denial here, His hating His own life. You will reach the same glory. “Where I am, there shall also my servant be.” Where is Christ today? Think of being with Him when you have finished your life of serving and following Him here.
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