April 2
TRUE HEART-ENERGY
"Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy
profiting may appear to all" I Tim. 4:15
This is, practically, a promise that, by diligent meditation and
the giving up of our whole mind to our work for the Lord, we shall
make a progress which all can see. Not by hasty reading, but by deep
meditation, we profit by the Word of God. Not by doing a great deal of
work in a slovenly manner, but by giving our best thought to what we
attempt, we shall get real profit. "In all labor there is profit," but
not in fuss and hurry without true heart-energy.
If we divide ourselves between God and mammon, or Christ and self,
we shall make no progress. We must give ourselves wholly to holy
things, or else we shall be poor traders in heavenly business, and at
our stock-taking no profit will be shown.
Am I a minister? Let me be a minister wholly, and not spend my
energies upon secondary concerns. What have I to do with party
politics, or vain amusements? Am I a Christian? Let me make my service
of Jesus my occupation, my lifework, my one pursuit. We must be
in-and-in with Jesus, and then out-and-out for Jesus, or else we shall
make neither progress nor profit, and neither the church nor the world
will feel that forceful influence which the Lord would have us
exercise.