Finding What We Seek For by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 14, 1911

Finding What We Seek For

By F. M. W.

We may make our lives largely what we will. Under God our destinies are in our own hands. We may take large views of life and life's purposes, relating ourselves to life's experiences with hope and faith and courage; or we may narrow our view and circumscribe our vision, seeing only the lions in the way and the difficulties to be met. We shall see in our own experience, and in the lives of those around us, largely what we look for. If we look for evil, it will appear; if for good, it also may be found. There is no man in the world so good but that something wrong may be found in his life; and it has never yet been our fortune to meet one so evil but that some good was intermingled with the bad.

The world at large, the members of the church, even the members of our own families, will be cold or cordial, interested or indifferent, hateful or loving, largely as we relate ourselves to them. Love will beget love, and coldness and indifference will bear as well their natural fruit. The Lord does not take out of our experience occasion for doubt if we wish to cultivate this negative quality. Even in his own relationship to man, he does not apparently remove

all occasion for those who wish to find in his dealings something for criticism.

Says the psalmist: “With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward.”

God possesses nothing of frowardness. In him is absolute perfection, but the froward man, viewing the dealings of God through his own perverted vision, clothes his Maker with his own unstable attributes. The world to-day needs broad-minded, generous-hearted men and women. It needs those of warm hearts and generous natures and cheerful, optimistic dispositions. It needs those who look forward instead of backward, who look to the sunshine instead of the darkness, who will see the rift in the cloud and the rainbow of promise even in surrounding darkness.

Let us cultivate this spirit, and see what response we shall find among our fellows. This old world, even with all its mistakes and sin and darkness, will appear more pleasant. Life will seem worth living. Our own hope in God will be brightened, and with stronger faith and courage we may take hold of all of life's conflicts, meeting them bravely, manfully, and cheerfully. The exercise of this spirit is well worth while; its fruit will be seen not only in this world, but in the world to come.

“Do not look for wrong and evil, You will find them if you do. As you measure to your neighbor, He will measure back to you. Look for goodness, look for gladness, You will find them all the while; If you bring a smiling visage To the glass, you meet a smile.”

F. M. W.