A Will of Your Own?
The
discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a
transgression. Prov. 19:11.
There are duties
to the body and duties to the soul, and these every human agent must cooperate
with God in seeking to perform. . . . Do not submit to receive a cheap mold.
The young need sound common sense, for they are living for two worlds. . . .
Apply the truth
to your own individual case. You have a soul to save or a soul to lose. Have a
will of your own, but let it be subject to the will of God. Be determined that
you will not become angry, that you will not become self-sufficient, that you
will not be hasty and overbearing. If this is your weak point, guard that point
as a man would guard a broken limb. Watch your spirit, and let not a hasty
spirit conquer you. Be careful to examine the weak points in your character,
knowing that the evils which exist may be overcome by steadfastly refusing to
yield to your weakness. The evil of hasty, wicked, indulgence of temper makes
any youth a madman. Keep sane. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Evil can and
will grow . . . through repetition.
Do not underrate
the importance of little things because they are little. By action and reaction
these little defects accumulate and bind themselves together like rods of
steel. That little action, that unguarded word, repeated, becomes habit, . . .
and habit constitutes character. . . .
Cultivate a
kind, tender, sympathetic heart, and never call these attributes weakness, for
they are the attributes of Christ. Be careful of your influence. Let it be of
so pure and fragrant a character that you will never be ashamed to have it reproduced
in others.
As drops of
water make the river, so little things make up life. Life is a river, peaceful,
calm, and enjoyable, or it is a troubled river, always casting up mire and
dirt. In this life you may place yourself under the discipline of the Holy
Spirit. Through the sanctification of the Spirit you will thus grow more and
more like Christ.
From That I May Know Him - Page 209
