… I said, I’ll gaze upon my Lord
And know his face,
That so my motives in a blest accord
May, by his grace,
Fashion a life growing in every feature
Like him I love,
So that, within, without, another creature,
Taught from above,
I, copying him and growing in his grace,
May in his likeness live, then see him face to face.
We should never be content with any mark but the highest. To strive for that which is less than the best in unworthy of a child of God. It is a great thing, also, to have a measure of definiteness in one’s ideal. Merely to want to be good may be a very vague longing. It is better if we know just what goodness is, if we can analyze it and resolve it into two or three simple elements.
We read, “God is love.” That is very beautiful. Love suggests all that is gracious, kindly, gentle, unselfish, merciful. But its meaning is so vast that thinking of it is like looking into the sun. The light dazzles our eyes. We understand it better when we study it in its elements.
So it is with the word “good.” We wish to be good, but what does the word mean? What are some of the elements which make up goodness? Strength and beauty are such elements. Strength and beauty blend in all truly noble character. Strength alone is not always lovely; it may be stern, oppressive, unjust, cruel, or selfish. Among animals, hugeness is not itself winning; it may be very uncomely, though strong. Beauty alone may not be pleasing, being weak, lacking in firmness and truth. There are plants that are lovely in their delicacy, but so frail as to be scarcely more than a dream, so fragile are they. But when the two qualities, strength and beauty, are united, we have a character which wins the approval of God and the commendation of men.
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