| The Joy of Service |
Chapter 9 |
Page 8 |
No doubt, if the thoughts of men’s hearts were read, it would appear that much of the uselessness of people’s lives can be traced to self indulgence, unwillingness to make self denials and sacrifices for the sake of Christ’s kingdom. The centring of thought and effort on ourselves is always a fatal error in a life, and draws a curse with it. He who saves his life loses it.
Yet it is easy to allow the self indulgent spirit to creep into one’s life. Others need us; but we are busy with our own affairs, and are not wiling to put ourselves out to serve them. To what is required we should have to miss some pleasant engagement – a dinner or a party, or give up our own comfort and ease for a day or for an evening. There is a brief struggle, and then we decide that we cannot turn aside to give the help. That is, we come not to the help of the Lord. We have saved our life. We are spared the discomfort of the self denial. Our hands are not soiled with the rough work. We have our money still in our pocket. But as we go back to our self seeking pursuit we hear the echo of a curse “Because they came not to the help of the Lord.” Browning puts it in his strong phrasing thus:–
“For I say, this is death, and the sole death,
When a man’s loss comes to him from his gain,
Darkness from light, from knowledge ignorance,
And lack of love from love made manifest.”
Page 8