By
inheritance, by the influence of environment, and by the
effect of our own habits, we are weak, undeveloped, or
abnormal in many of the human traits and faculties which
grace either leaves untouched or only partly affects and
which we need to set ourselves about correcting,
improving, or developing. In many things we are the
product of our own effects. Grace does much, but grace
can never take the place of our own efforts in
self-development. Sin often weakens the will until it
loses its original power of control over desire. When we
let desire become master, we destroy the balance of our
forces. The will must rule over desire if we are to be
righteous; so if the will is weak, we need to set about
the task of strengthening it. To do this we must lay out
for ourselves a definite course of action, and then,
knowing what we ought to do, not let ourselves be turned
away from that, no matter what natural desire may
suggest. Form the habit of carrying out what you start
to do in spite of obstacles, in spite of fluctuation of
desire and the inclination to stop instead of going
forward. Carry out your purposes. Never be hasty in
deciding to do a thing; but when you have once decided,
carry out that decision fully unless you discover some
good reason why you should not do so. If you begin
things and do not finish them, but grow weary and let
them go or let yourself be turned aside to something
else, you weaken your will each time. It is better to
complete a few things than to begin many and finish
none. One thing carried resolutely through strengthens
you and makes success easier next time. By this means a
weak will can often be greatly strengthened in a short
time. When you say no, stick to it unless you see you
are wrong. Do not let your refusal become a yielding
later. If you ought to say no at the first, it ought to
be no to the end. If one no to temptation is not enough,
say it again and again. Either you or temptation must
lose. You have the power to make your first no a final
no if you hold your ground.
We may
have cultivated self-will until submission to any other
will is hard. We love our own way. We find it hard to
submit to God, to our brethren, or to circumstances. To
be successful Christians we must conquer this self-will.
We must compel ourselves to yield against our natural
inclinations until we form the habit of submission to
the extent that we should submit. Some never conquer
themselves sufficiently to yield gracefully, nor to
yield at all until circumstances force them to do so.
They lose many of the sweetest things of life because of
this self-will. They often feel that their rights are
being trespassed on; in fact, whenever you find a person
who is always standing up for his rights, you find one
of those self-willed individuals. Such persons never
progress very deeply into the grace of God, since they
are never willing to make the surrender necessary to
give God the chance to make the spiritual. Conquer your
self-will; cultivate submissiveness. It is the only way
to true happiness.
Another
thing that we need to cultivate is courage. The world
hates a coward, and the devil too, I think, has little
respect for him. The man who would be a successful
Christian needs courage. Life is a battle, and it takes
courage to win it. You can be brave just as well as
anyone else. Start in to face your foes just as if you
were brave, no matter how little courage you have not
how much you tremble. If you act as if you were brave,
it will produce the same results upon your foe as if you
were brave; and if you act bravely, you will soon come
to feel brave. If for a time you act more bravely than
you feel, that action will win, and the victory won will
produce confidence, which is the foundation of courage.
You will either cultivate courage by meeting your foes
and obstacles and overcoming them, or you will increase
your fears by yielding to them. Remember this: you may
be courageous if you will. You may become fearless if
you will, no matter how timid you are now. Set yourself
to the task of being a bold soldier for Christ. You may
be such if you will.
Some have
cultivated gloominess and despondency in their sinful
days by looking on the dark side of things until they
are discouraged most of the time. If you have formed
this habit, set about breaking yourself of it. There is
just as much sunshine in the world for you as for anyone
else if you will come out of your cavern of gloom.
Cultivate hope. God is on your side. Read his promises
and believe they are for you and begin to act in
conformity with your faith. So many people are always
looking at their trials and their failures, and
consequently they see but little else in their lives.
This is always discouraging. If you want to see
something worthwhile, look at "the pit from whence you
were digged." Look at the things in which you are
different from what you used to be. "Behold what God
hath wrought." Make yourself look away from the dark
picture. There is something better than this to look at.
Form the habit of right thinking, overcome your
morbidness. God wills that you be happy, and there are
enough good things around you to make you happy if you
will give them your attention.
Wherever
you find yourself weak or undeveloped, set yourself the
task of making yourself what you ought to be. God will
help you, but he cannot accomplish the desired result
alone. You must do your part. Grace has its part, but
only a part. Train your own faculties, develop your own
powers. Do not be content to be a weakling. Be a real
man for God. Do not be satisfied to be less than your
best. Do not fold your arms and lament because you are
what you are. This will not make things better. Get into
the harness and go to work. Many people never develop
their resources. Their lives might count twenty-fold
more if they would have it so. You can make of yourself
more than you have ever hoped if you will set resolutely
about the task in an intelligent way. Be your very best
if it does cost earnest effort. You will not regret the
effort when you see the results.
