Quiet Talks with World WinnersGordon, S. D. (Samuel Dickey)
Religion
Quiet Talks with World Winners
Gordon, S. D. (Samuel Dickey)
Christian life
It is very difficult to use such an illustration from life. There is
danger that the words will sound critical in a bad or unkind sense. I
earnestly pray to be kept from that. You will know that I am talking to
myself first of all; and speaking of this only to help. The bother is that
this man is not an exception. Rather he represents the habit and standard
of his generation.
I recall another Christian man as I speak, of large wealth, by inheritance
and by dint of business keenness. His face showed plainly his fine
Christian character. He gave liberally in many directions, sometimes very
large sums. But he lived in a home whose value ran close to a half-million
of dollars. When he died, full of years and honors, he left many millions
to a son who does not inherit his father's generous hand with his wealth.
Of course, the son didn't <i>need</i> the vast wealth.
And I wondered, silently, within my heart, how things looked to that man,
as he slipped out of life up into the Master's presence, and looked down
on the earth through the eyes of the One whose teaching we have been
talking about. He could see China and India and Africa then as plainly as
America.
How did the lost opportunity of laying up his treasure in the lives of men
look to him then, I wondered. He was a good man. I saw him smile once, and
his face seemed to shine as an angel's. I think probably no faithful
friend had ever talked to him of the plain meaning of Jesus' words, and of
world-winning being a <i>first</i> obligation. He hadn't been taught it from
the pulpit. And he hadn't thought into it himself.
<u>Money Talks.</u>
Many are losing a great opportunity of silently preaching Jesus to their
fellows by their habit of giving. Two men were discussing the evidences of
the Christian religion. The one was a Christian; the other not, and
inclined to be sceptical. Arguments were freely exchanged. At last the
sceptic, who was a blunt, out-spoken man, said frankly, to his friend and
neighbor: "I think we might as well drop this matter. For I don't believe
a word you say. And, more than that, I am quite satisfied in my own mind
that you do not really believe it yourself. For to my certain knowledge
you have not given, the last twenty years, as much for the spread of
Christianity, such as the building of churches and foreign and domestic
missions, as your last Durham cow cost. Why, sir, if I believed what you
say you believe I'd make the church my rule for giving, my farm the
exception."
That Christian man's life was contradicting every word he uttered to his
neighbor. Money talks. His was talking very loudly to his sceptical
neighbor. His neighbor was unusually frank in saying out what thousands
are thinking. He had lost a great opportunity of winning his friend.
<u>Debts.</u>
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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