Counsel and Help by J.R. Miller

CHOICE EXCERPTS A living, loving, personal Savior We are in the habit of saying that Christ saved us by dying for us on the Cross. In an important sense this is true. We never could have been saved, if He had not died for us. But we are actually saved by our relationship to a living, loving, personal Savior—into whose hands we commit all the interests of our lives; and who becomes our friend, our helper, our keeper, our burden bearer—our all in all. Christian faith is not merely laying our sins on the Lamb of God and trusting to His one great sacrifice; it is the laying of ourselves on the living, loving heart of one whose friendship becomes thenceforward the sweetest joy of our lives! "The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!" Galatians 2:20 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Inspirations to beautiful living The beauty of Christ in a human life—is not merely a heavenly yearning. It is intensely practical. It is . . . more than religious sentimentality, more than devout feeling, more than holy aspiration. True spiritual longing draws the whole life upward with it. True holiness does not unfit people for living well in this world. It has its visions of Christ—but it brings them down to brighten its daily path and to become inspirations to beautiful living. It has its joyful emotions—but they become impulses to self denial and patient work for the Master. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The divine philosophy for peaceful living "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Genesis 18:14 "I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted!" Job 42:2 Everything which threatens to give us anxiety—is to be taken at once to God. Nothing is too great to carry to Him. Does not He bear up all worlds? Does not He rule over all the affairs of the universe? Is there any matter in our life, however great it may seem to us—too hard for Him to manage? Is any perplexity too difficult for Him to resolve? Is any human despair too dark for Him to illumine with hope? Is there any tangle or confusion out of which He cannot extricate us? Nothing is too small to carry to Him. Is He not our Father, and is He not sincerely interested in whatever concerns us? There is not one of the countless things which fly like specks of dust all through our daily life, tending to vex and fret us—that we may not take to God. The Scriptures prescribe a cure for anxious care. The divine philosophy for peaceful living says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus!" Philippians 4:6-7 Refer every disturbing thing to Him—that He may bear the burden of it. "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you!" Psalms 55:22. "Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you!" 1 Peter 5:7 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Life is hard for most people "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2 We should train ourselves to such regard, to such respect for others, that we shall never hurt the heart of one of God's creatures, even by a disdainful look! Our love ought also to be patient. Our neighbor may have his faults. But we are taught to bear with one another's infirmities. If we knew the story of men's lives, the hidden loads and burdens which they are often carrying, the unhealed sore in their heart—we would have most gentle patience with them. Life is hard for most people; certainly hard enough without our adding to its burdens by our censoriousness, our uncharity, our jeering and contempt. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You will have many trials and sorrows "You may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows." John 16:33 There is no life into which do not come many things calculated to cause anxiety and disturbance of mind: there are great sorrows; there are perplexities as to duty; there are disappointments and losses; there are annoyances and hindrances; there are chafings and irritations in ordinary life; there are countless petty cares and frets. All of these tend to break the hearts' peace and to disturb its quiet. Yet there is no lesson which is urged more continuously or more earnestly in the Scriptures, than that a Christian should never worry, or let anxious care oppress his heart. He is to live without disturbance and with unbroken peace—even in the midst of the most trying experiences. "The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." Colossians 3:15. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Blue glasses One way to train ourselves to true and cheerful views of life, is resolutely to refuse to be frightened at shadows, or to see trouble where there is none. Half or more of the things which most worry us have no existence, except in a disordered imagination. Many things which in the dim distance look like shapes of peril, when we draw near to them, melt into harmless shadows, or even change into forms of friendliness! Much of the gloomy tinge which many people see on everything, is caused by the color of the glasses through which they look. We put on our blue glasses, and then wonder what makes everything blue and dismal. The greater part of our discontent is caused by some imaginary trouble, which never really comes. "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ His treasured possession! "I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep." John 10:14 When we think of the millions who are in Christ's flock, it seems strange to us that He knows and calls each one by name. Yet the truth is made very clear in Scripture. Every mother knows her own children by name, and it is as easy for the Good Shepherd to know each of His millions by name, as for any human mother to know each of her little children. There is comfort in this teaching. We are not lost in the crowd. Each one of of God's children, is the special object of His love and thought and care! "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine!" Isaiah 43:1 "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession!" Deuteronomy 7:6 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Truly beautiful and truly happy Only Christ can make any life, young or old—truly beautiful and truly happy. Only He can cure the heart's restless fever and give quietness and calmness. Only He can purify that sinful fountain within us—our corrupt nature, and make us holy. To have a peaceful and blessed ending to life—we must live it with Christ. Such a life grows brighter even to its close. Its last days are the sunniest and the sweetest. The more earth's joys fail—the nearer and the more satisfying do the spiritual comforts become. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Christian peace "The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 Christian peace is the calm of the heart which is not dependent on any external circumstances—and which no circumstances, however full of danger or alarm, can break. Its secret is—perfect trust in God. The lesson of peace, is one that has to be learned in the school of life. Christian peace is not gotten by the changing of life's conditions, so as to hide one away beyond the reach of storm. Nor is it gained through the deadening of the feelings and sensibilities—so that life's pains and trials will no longer hurt the heart. Christian peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. "You may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows." John 16:33 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." Col. 3:15 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ God often seems to be destroying His children "We also rejoice in our sufferings." Romans 5:3 We may learn to bear troubles submissively—but to rejoice in them is something which to many seems impossible. But the grace of Christ is equal even to this strange task—enabling us to rejoice in our tribulations. Thousands of Christians have done it. The secret of rejoicing in suffering—is perfect trust in the will and love of God. None can rejoice in pain or loss, who have not a settled confidence in the rightness of God's ways. Someone tells how a flute is made. Here is a piece of wood. It is solid and hard, and makes no sound. Then a craftsman takes it and cuts holes in it and makes a rift through it. It is by thus cutting as if destroying it, that it is made into a flute which gives forth sweet music. Just so, God often seems to be destroying His children by tribulations—but He is really preparing them to give forth sweet music. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The tongue's power "The tongue has the power of life and death!" Proverbs 18:21 The tongue's power to do good is simply incalculable. It can impart valuable knowledge; it can speak words which will shine like lamps in darkened hearts; it can pronounce kind sentences which will comfort sorrow, or cheer despondency; it can breathe thoughts which will arouse, inspire, and quicken heedless souls, and even whisper the divine secret of the life-giving Gospel, to those who are dead. What good we could do with our tongues, if we would use them to the full limit of their power for good, no one can compute! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ How to wear chains for Christ "I am in chains for Christ." Philippians 1:13 Paul teaches us by example—how to wear chains for Christ. He counted it a glory. It was that chained hand which wrote the Epistle to the Philippians—the most cheerful and joyous of the Apostle's letters. Paul's sweetest songs came from his prison! We shall not likely have the privilege of wearing literal chains for Christ—but there are many hindrances and limitations and hardships in every Christian life, which are really chains upon us: Sickness sometimes shuts us in. Poverty binds the hands of many. Household cares keep many a woman in chains. Few Christians are absolutely free to do what their hearts prompt them to do for Christ. We should study Paul, and gather the lessons . . . of rejoicing, of cheerfulness, of contentment, of usefulness. Paul's prison life was not idle. He continually sent out blessings, from his place of captivity. The influence poured out into all the world. "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advancement of the gospel!" Philippians 1:12 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Love, the Sweetener Love walks along life's ways with gentle step. Fragrant flowers grow in its path, and the air is always sweeter when it has passed by. Love is kindly, thoughtful, full of pity, and compassionate. It has patience with human faults, and looks with an eye of tender love on those who have fallen. It is tolerant of others who, through weakness, err or turn aside. It is forbearing and long suffering. It meekly endures injury and wrong, giving sweet love in return for the hurts of unkindness. It sees eagerly and joyfully the good things in others, and has a wide cloak of charity for their failings and sins. It is merciful, forgiving not seven times only—but seventy times seven. Conscious of its own faults and evils, it is lenient toward the blemishes it sees in others. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You say you want to be like Christ You say you want to be like Christ. You pray to Him to imprint His own image on your heart. The monks thought that they were like Christ, when they went into the wilderness, away from men, to live in cold cells or caves. But "to serve"—that is the Christ-like thing. Instead of fleeing away from men—we are to live among men, to serve them, to live for them, or seek to bless them, to do good, to give our lives. "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Choosing Amusements Christ does not frown upon pure and innocent pleasures. He Himself went, when He was on the earth—to places of enjoyment and festivity. He attended a marriage feast, and contributed to the gladness of the guests. He accepted invitations to family feasts. There is not a trace of asceticism in all the story of His life. And He would do the same if He were here now. Pleasures which are pure, innocent, and helpful, or which contribute to the joy and good of others —He would enjoy. And what He would do if He were in our place—we, as His followers, may do. But there are amusements in which we may be sure He would not indulge. A tender spiritual instinct will readily discriminate between those in which He would engage— and those in which He would not engage. This seems a reasonable and legitimate test for us, His followers— What Would Jesus Do? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Love doing little things

Be the first to react on this!

Counsel and Help

J.R. Miller

J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)

Group of Brands