| The Every Day of Life |
Chapter 21 |
Page 6 |
In many homes we find such lives – a patient wife and mother, or a gentle, unselfish sister – blessing, caring for, serving, giving perpetually love’s richest gifts, herself meanwhile, unloved, un-served, unrecognized, and un-helped.
We are apt to pity such persons; but may it not be that they are nearer the heavenly ideal of doing God’s will than are some of those who sit in the bright sunshine of love, receiving, ministered unto, but not giving or serving. Was it not thus with our Lord himself? He loved and gave and blessed many, at last giving his very life, but few came to give him blessing and sweetness of love in his own soul. It is more divine to love than we should to be loved. At least God’s will for us is that we should love, pouring out our heart’s richest treasures upon others, not asking meanwhile for any return. Loving is its own best return and reward.
“This is life–to pour out love unstinted,
Good and evil, sun-like, blesseth he;
Through your finite is his infinite hinted–
Children of your Father must ye be.”
Thus “as it is in heaven” shines ever before us as the ideal of our earthly life. It is not a vague, shadowy ideal, for it is simply the complete doing of God’s will. Perfect obedience is heaven. Sometimes it is serving others; sometimes it is quiet, patient suffering, or passive waiting.
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