The Bible object book : $b A book of object lessons which are different, written in plain English and in common wordsWoolston, C. H. (Clarence Herbert)
Religion
The Bible object book : $b A book of object lessons which are different, written in plain English and in common words
Woolston, C. H. (Clarence Herbert)
Children's sermons
Let us examine ourselves and see if we are putting idols to bed also.
Secure three images of Buddha. They can easily be purchased in the
shops as they are now sold for incense-holders. The first idol we
will label "Irreverence." I am afraid that most all of us have this
idol in our possession. We pray to God on Sunday, and then the rest
of the week we live any old way. Sometimes when we are in church we
whisper, talk, and run about during the service, or look about the
room during prayertime, and pay but little attention to the minister
who is speaking to us for God. We often pay more attention to our
earthly friends than we do to God who is our Chief Friend. All this
is a display of Irreverence. Do not let us do this, but put this idol
out of our life, and worship the true God only. The best way to
cultivate reverence is to go to God's house and learn how to worship
him. The music, the message, and the holy surroundings of the place
of prayer all make it easy for us to be reverent.
Oliver Wendell Holmes said he had a tender little plant in his heart
which he called "Reverence," which he needed to water once a week to
keep it fresh and fragrant, so he went to church to water that plant;
there he came under the showers of blessing which God sends to his
people who are reverent and worship him. Reverence grows fast when we
go to church. After you have said this, put the idol in an old bag
which you have made to hold cast-off things.
The second idol we will label "SELFISHNESS." When we put ourselves
first and are self-willed and always want our own way, then we are
putting the idol of "selfishness" to bed. This idol is like the white
ant of Africa which is a secret destroyer. It feeds on wood.
A man built himself a house on a piece of land that he thought was a
safe place, and after it was finished all the people said it was a
thing of beauty. But suddenly one day it fell with a great crash. Now
look over the wrecked timber, and you will discover that the inside
of the timbers had been eaten clean away. This ant is no respecter of
things. It eats books, furniture, trunks, chairs, dolls, and toys, or
anything.
Selfishness is like this ant. It secretly eats away the heart of
love, and we are dead to the appeal of the world for sympathy. No boy
or girl can love himself or herself above all others without dying
inside. Like the African ant, selfishness destroys from within, it
kills the heart.
Bishop Butler, one of the most learned men, said, "Be more afraid of
thyself than of the world." Be afraid of the idol of selfishness, it
is yourself at your worst. Put it away, _not_ to bed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account