| Strength and Beauty |
Chapter 1 |
Page 6 |
Spiritual beauty is holiness. Nothing unclean is lovely. Character is Christ like only when it is both strong and beautiful. Sometimes there is a tendency to exalt the gentle qualities, but, if there be not strength as well, the life can only be wrecked in the world’s temptations. The key to all noble character is masterly self control. Not to be lord of one’s self is to be a captive. “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls,” wrote the wise man.
The life that is complete in God’s sight must be a life rich in blessing to others. Uselessness never can be pleasing to the Master. Jesus said much about fruit – fruitfulness is the test of a life. Neither the strength nor the beauty of a seed is in itself. Imagine an acorn, which has been picked up by someone, carried into a beautiful room and laid on the mantel piece, congratulating itself on its escape from the usual fate of acorns – falling into the ground to be buried away in the darkness. Imagine it saying: “How fortunate I am! Here I have a warm home in a dry and cheerful place. I lie in this quiet room all day and people see my beauty. How I pity other acorns which have to stay our in the cold and rain and sink away into the muddy earth!” Yet we know well that this acorn’s lot is by no means enviable. It is kept dry and safe, but it never can reach God’s thought for it in this way. Only when it gives itself away to die in the earth does it become either truly beautiful or strong. Then it grows into a majestic oak whose strength defies the wildest storms and whose beauty wins the admiration of all who behold it.
No human life can ever truly please God by saving itself, by keeping itself from self denial and sacrifice. No matter how magnificent its natural powers, nor how graceful its form and its accomplishments, it has neither strength nor beauty in heaven’s sight until it has devoted itself to service of love. It must die to live.
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