Chapter 17
You
Don’t underestimate the power of God in you, nor yet what you, by working quietly and steadily with Him, may accomplish. Paul tells not to think too highly of ourselves. (Romans xii. 3.) But he said of himself, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Philippians iv. 13.) He thought of himself linked to the illimitable strength of Christ, and therefore omnipotent for any work Christ set him to do.
The future before you is big with opportunities and possibilities. Open doors on every hand invite you to enter and do service for the Master and for your fellow-men, and the strength that worked in Paul works in you, if you do not hinder it by selfishness and unbelief.
The future success of The Army depends upon its religion — its relation to God in Christ — And no one can tell, my dear reader, how far that may depend on you. ‘Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth!’ Keep the fire of love and faith and sweet hopefulness burning in your heart, and you may start a blaze that will some day sweep the country or the world. I mean you, reader, whoever you are, whether the highest-placed Officer or the latest Convert; ‘thou art the man’ — the woman, upon whom the glory of the Lord may so shine that through you a great quickening may come to The Army, which will make its future so bright that the past will pale before it.
Would you like to be that man or woman? Then seek the Lord, seek Him daily, constantly, with your whole heart. Seek Him through His Word, seek Him in secret prayer in the night watches and in the noonday. Seek Him in glad obedience, seek Him in childlike faith. Seek nothing for yourself. ‘Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not,’ is the word of the Lord to you if you want Him to work in you mightily.
If honor comes, thank God and lay it at the torn feet of Jesus, and forget it, lest it ruin you. ‘Love is not puffed up.’ If honor comes not — if men seem to forget you in the distributions of rewards and honors and promotions, still thank God and go on. Still seek the honor which comes from God only, the honor of walking in the footsteps of Jesus, of loving, of serving, of sacrificing, of suffering for others, and you shall have your reward. You surely shall, and it will be great, exceeding abundantly above all you ‘ask or think.’ The crowning joy is yet to come. The final and all-sufficient and unfading rewards will be given by the Master’s own hand. Fret not, if you fail of some lesser reward, lest through your fretting you fail of the honor which cometh from God only, and miss the crown Christ keeps in store for you. Oh, beware of fretting over rewards and promotions and honors which man can give! It is a snare set for you by the enemy of your soul. Take your eyes off other people and see Jesus only. If others are good and spiritual and devoted to the Lord, emulate them, follow them as they follow Christ; but if they are faulty, fret not your soul because of them (Psalm xxxvii. 1-5), but pray for them, and remember the word of Jesus to Peter: ‘What is that to thee? follow thou Me.’
Be filled with the spirit of Jonathan and his armor-bearer. They went up alone and routed the Philistines. They were jealous for the glory of God and the overthrow of His impudent and insolent foes, and were willing to jeopardize their lives to defeat God’s enemies.
Be filled with the spirit of Paul, who wrote: ‘What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ,’ and ‘Neither count I my life dear unto myself ‘; also ‘I will very gladly spend and be spent, for you: though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.’
Bless God, this spirit of Paul abounds in The Army, but may it abound yet more and more, and may it abound in you! This is Holiness; this is Heaven begun; this is the spirit of Jesus still abiding in men.
Don’t forget that ‘you hath He quickened (made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sins.’ (Ephesians ii. 1.) And don’t forget ‘your calling. brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen ‘ — note well — ‘God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen’ (What a chooser is God!); ‘yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are; that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus.’ (I Corinthians i. 26-30.)