| The Beauty of Self Control |
Chapter 5 |
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The truest life is that which is lived most fully and unbrokenly unto god. In one of his books Dr. W.L. Watkinson relates that Jenny Lind said to John Addington Symonds, in accounting for the motive and spirit of her wonderful singing, “I sing to God.” She meant that she looked into God’s face, as it were, and consciously sang to him. She did not sing to the vast audience that hung on her words and was held spellbound by them. She was scarcely conscious of any face before her but God’s. She thought of no listening ear but God’s. We may not all be able to enter into such perfect relation with God as did this marvelous singer, but this is the only true ideal of all Christian life. We should do each piece of work for God. The business man should do all his business for God. The artist should paint his picture for God. The writer should write his book for God. The farmer should till his ground for God. This means that we are always engaged in the Father’s business and must do it all in a way that he will approve. Jesus was a carpenter, for many years working at the carpenter’s bench. We are sure that he did each piece of work for his Father’s eye. He did it skillfully, conscientiously, beautifully. He did not skimp it nor hurry through it so as to get away from the shop earlier.
What a transformation it would make in all our work if we could say in truth, “I do it for God.” Now this is not an impossible ideal for Christian life. It was this that St. Paul meant, in part, at least, when he said, “To me to live is Christ.” He was living in Christ. He was living for Christ. His life was all Christ – Christ living in him. He had the same conception of Christian life when he wrote, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Even our eating and drinking are included in this high ideal. The sins of gluttony and intemperance in drinking are condemned. We must also eat hygienically – eat to live and not live to eat. To do anything to the glory of God is to do it so that it will reflect the divine glory and be for the divine honour. This is part of what St. Paul meant when he said, “We live unto the Lord.”
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