| The Beauty of Self Control |
Chapter 16 |
Page 6 |
Nine of every ten persons you will meet tomorrow will be carrying as many and as heavy loads as they can possibly carry. They will not need to have their burdens lifted away – that would not be the truest kindness to them; their burdens are God’s gifts, and in bearing them they are to grow; but they will need cheer, strength that they may walk steadily, bravely, and unfalteringly under their loads. There is nothing the world needs as much as cheer. A discourager is always a misanthrope. He makes it harder for everyone to be good, to be strong and true. An encourager is a friend of men. He is the boon of his race. He is a benefactor. He is an inspirer of joy. He is a fountain of love. Christ himself was always an encourager. He never spoke a discouraging word to any man or woman. In the most hopeless life he saw the possibilities of heavenly glory. We must be like our Master and must live like him if we would do our part in making the world better and putting sunshine into it.
Let us then cease forever our miserable habit of prophesying evil. Men do go to church, and the way to get more of them to go is to make our churches sunnier, more cheerful, more human, more helpful, more like sweet and holy homes. Things good are not all decaying and dying out – and the way to get more good into the world is to stop our ungrateful fault finding and discouragement and begin to help everybody to be good and brave and true. Thanksgiving is the word; if we have thanksgiving lives we shall have lives of blessing, and everyone who knows us will begin to love Christ more and love his neighbour more.
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