| Finding the Way |
Chapter 13 |
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An old painter, after standing long in silent meditation before his canvas, with hands crossed meekly on his breast and his head bent reverently, said, “May God forgive me that I did not do it better.” There are many of us who ought to have the same experience of penitence as we contemplate the things we have done. We should continually implore forgiveness for doing our work so poorly, for we are not doing our best. If only we would learn to put all the energy of our souls into each piece of work we do, we should make a radiant record for ourselves.
In our Christian life we should seek only one thing – the attainment of the highest reaches in character and service. If an absorbing passion for Christ ruled us, it would bring all our life into harmony with itself. A friend gave a college student a pure, inspiring and elevating picture, and asked him to hang it up in his room and keep it there for one year. The young man promised to do so. But he cared more for worldly things, for a good time, than for his studies. Then he was not as careful as he should have been about his pleasures. The friend was in the student’s room one day, and saw the picture on the wall, in a place of honour, but clustered about it were many common sporting prints, some of them of a questionable character. The beautiful picture in the centre seemed strangely out of place in such unhallowed company. Yet the young man appeared entirely unaware of anything unfit in the setting, as he spoke very gratefully of his friends beautiful gift.
Six months later, however, the friend was again in the student’s room. There was the picture still in its honoured place on the wall, but all the questionable prints were gone, and in place of them hung other pictures, pure, refining and beautiful, all of them in harmony with the picture in the centre. The friend manifested much pleasure as he looked about the room and saw the transformation. The young man said in explanation, “You see, I couldn’t leave those foolish things there beside that” – pointing to the other’s gift. “The contrast was too dreadful. At first I didn’t see it, but looking at your lovely picture opened my eyes to the unfitness of the others, and I took them all down and burned them. Then I bought other pictures to hang up in their place, but they all had to be pure and good, and in harmony with the one in the centre.”
It is always thus when Christ is taken into the chief place in the life. Everything that is not in harmony with His peerless beauty must go out, and only the things that are in keeping with the mind and spirit of Christ can have a place in the life.
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