“Lord, we would fain some little palm branch lay
Upon thy way.
If but the foldings of thy garment’s hem
Shall shadow them,
These worthless leaves which we have brought and strewed
Along thy road,
Shall be raised up and made divinely sweet,
And fit to lie beneath thy feet.”
One of the best tests of Christian work is in the way Christ is honored in it. When people think and say little about themselves and much about the Master the lesson of faith has been well learned. There is always a temptation to try to draw attention to ourselves, even when doing good, when engaged most seriously in Christ’s service. We like to have our work commended. It is pleasant for us to receive full recognition and credit for what we do. It is natural for us to desire to have our own name written plainly on any piece of work we make, even though it be something manifestly for Christ. It hurts us to be overlooked, not to get the honor which we think is due to us, not to have our service or our faithfulness commended.
The danger is, therefore, that we seek our own honor instead of Christ’s when we are engaged in his service. The minister is tempted, at least, to think of his own reputation as well as of the glory of Christ in the building up of the church over which he is placed. He has his name to make among ministers. He does not like to fall below neighboring pastors in the measure of success he achieves.
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