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The Bible Says
A little less anxious to have our way; A little less anxious to scold and blame, A little more care for a brother's name; And so we are nearing the journey's end, Where time and eternity meet and blend. A little less care for bonds of gold, A little more zest for the days of old, A broader view and a saner mind, And a little more love for all mankind; And so we are facing down the way That leads to the gates of a better day. A little more love for the friends of youth, A little more love for established truth; A little more charity in our views, A little less thirst for the daily news; And so we are folding our tents away And passing in silence at close of day. A little more leisure to sit and dream, A little more real the things unseen; A little nearer to things ahead, With visions of those long loved and dead; And so we are going where all must go, To the place the living may never know. A little more laughter, a few more tears, And we shall have told our increasing years, The book is closed, and the prayers are said, And we are part of the countless dead. Thrice happy then, if some soul can say, "I live because he has passed my way." Rollin J. Wells must have been old when he wrote that poem. Younger people don't really know what it's like to be old. When one is young and exuberant he is so occupied with current obligations, he doesn't have time to think of that time when some lifetime activities will have to be curtailed for lack of strength. We don't like to admit it, but we just can't do what we once did! Most of my contemporaries have gone to their eternal reward - many of them much younger than myself -- and their passing reminds me that my turn is coming. It is not that I fear death: my one concern is this, "Have I done my utmost for God and for my fellowman, during the short while I have had to work for Him?"
"There is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What do you do? Draw out all of it, of course! "Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning it credits us with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft."
- The Bible Friend (condensed). Work thro' the morning hours, Work while the dew is sparkling, Work thro' springing flowers. Work for the night is coming, Work through the sunny noon, Fill brightest hours with labor, Rest comes sure and soon. Give every flying minute Something to keep in store; Work for the night is coming When man's work is o'er. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, least anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works . . ." (Ephesians 2:8,9 NKJB). These verses tell me that we were all created for the purpose of good works, but because of the fall of Adam, none of us are capable of doing good, aside from the grace of God. Jesus Himself said, (and I paraphrase,) "Unless you are willing to acknowledge that I am the Son of God, don't call me good, for none are good except God" (Luke 18:18,19). "But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16 NKJB).
"Therefore the law was our schoolmaster (tutor) to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24).
A Christian does not live a useful life prompted by fear of the consequences, should he fail. Nor is he merely striving to win a Crown, even though that is promised to the faithful. The heart of a dedicated believer is so filled with love for God and for his fellowmen that he finds it a joy to serve God! The Bible expresses it like this: ". . . the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5 NKJB).
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