Someone says: "You are putting an awful responsibility upon us. Would
you have us go out and begin speaking to everyone we meet?" No, that is
not what I am saying just now. Though there is a truth there. But this:
Surrender yourself to Jesus as your _Master_, for Him to take
possession. Turn the channel over to Him, that He may tighten the
connections, upward and outward, and clean it out, and then use as He
may choose. He has a passion for winning men, and He has marvelous tact
in doing it. Let Him have His way in you. Keep quiet and close to Him,
and _obey_ Him, gladly, cheerily, constantly, and _He will assume all
responsibility for the results_.
There is a law of personal service. It is this: Contact means
opportunity; opportunity means responsibility. To come into personal
contact with a man gives an opportunity of influencing him for Christ,
and with opportunity goes its twin partner--responsibility.
There is another law--a higher law--the highest law of the christian
life. It is this: In everything hold yourself subject to the _Holy
Spirit's leading_. Whenever these two laws come into conflict remember
that the lower law always yields to the higher. It is a law of life that
where two laws come into conflict the lower law always gives way to the
higher. That is a supreme law both of nature and in legislation. Now,
the highest law of the christian life is to yield constantly to the
leading of our Companion--the Holy Spirit. Then quiet time alone with
the Master daily over His word for the training of the ear, and the
training of the judgment, and the training of the tongue becomes the
great essential.
But to-night the great question is: Have you turned the channel of
power--your personality--over to Him to be flushed and flooded with His
power? Will you?
"Only a smile, yes, only a smile,
That a woman o'erburdened with grief
Expected from you; 'twould have given relief,
For her heart ached sore the while.
But, weary and cheerless, she went away,
Because, as it happened that very day,
You were _out of touch_ with your Lord.
"Only a word, yes, only a word,
That the Spirit's small voice whispered, 'Speak';
But the worker passed onward, unblessed and weak,
Whom you were meant to have stirred
To courage, devotion and love anew,
Because, when the message came to you,
You were _out of touch_ with your Lord.
"Only a note, yes, only a note,
To a friend in a distant land;
The Spirit said, 'Write,' but then you had planned
Some different work, and you thought
It mattered little. You did not know
'Twould have saved a soul from sin and woe--
You were _out of touch_ with your Lord.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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