Living for God by John M. Hopkins

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 17, 1903

Living for God

By John M. Hopkins

JOHN M. HOPKINS

Every one who studies the Word of God well knows that it always and everywhere inculcates the principle of industry and faithfulness in every honorable worldly pursuit. Shiftlessness and carelessness and indifference find no approval on the sacred page. Jesus said, “Occupy till I come.” And his wise counsel has always had an application, and will have as long as time and opportunity last. Whatever the natural gift, or qualification, or acquirement, or privilege, the Lord imparted it for a wise use.

But while this is true, it does not follow that the Lord would have his people so completely absorbed in earthly pursuits as to forget him and heaven. Instead, all our most cherished undertakings should be entered into and carried forward only with reference to him and eternity. He who divorces the Lord from his business robs it of its chief delight. It is in him that “we live, and move, and have our being.” “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.” If we would at all times consider that in our secular, as well as in our spiritual work, we are “workers together with him,” it would lend a wonderful charm to life. To be associated with the God of heaven—what companionship! What a blessed co-partnership! God in our business, our toil, our hopes, our all! Sweet, blessed life!

And I have often thought of those who assume all of life's burdens, who dig and delve for many hard, long, eventful years, accumulate many acres and many thousands of earth's possessions, become weary and worn, perhaps prematurely, then die and leave it all. Live unloved, and die unlamented, unwept—what a sad, unsatisfactory life is this! No God, save the god of this world; no love, save the selfish love of self; no rest, no joy, no heaven!

Not long ago I knew a man of this type. He had been a very hard-working, industrious man, and had accumulated many thousands. He had an indomitable will, and great perseverance. At one time he lost a fortune of two hundred thousand dollars. But did he become discouraged and give up the battle for gold?—Never! Rather, he appeared to enter the strife with more determination than before. I knew his history for more than thirty years, at least much of it. At one time we were standing together on an eminence; he raised his arm, shaking with old age and palsy, and pointing off to the north and east, remarked, “In that direction I can look over twelve hundred acres of land, all my own. I possess seventeen thousand acres of land, and do not owe more than twenty-five dollars.” I saw him again; he was anxiously contemplating buying another farm that joined one he then owned. As I had done before, I tried to introduce Jesus and eternal life. “I have no time to talk about that to-day,” he replied, and feebly tottered away. He was then more than eighty years old. In a few months the poor old man died, and was buried, not on any part of his vast estate, but with even the poorest. I think as I write, what a sad sequel to a hard, unhappy, unloving, unloved life! Who has his vast estates to-day? Who even cares for and cherishes his memory? The fact is that his former townsmen rush along scarcely mindful that he ever lived. And this pen picture simply illustrates the lives of thousands.

How much better the life that has God in it,—the busy, industrious life, the successful, accumulating life, but the life that accumulates to dispense, to bless.

And e'en the life unblest with gold Is oft the life of joy untold; for when Christ is in the heart, when his blessed peace and life-giving presence are with us, directing, strengthening, encouraging, and cheering, even the life of toil and poverty is a life of joy, and the end thereof is peace.

Then let us bring God and heaven into our lives. “Occupy till I come.” Be earnest, industrious, honest, God-fearing, God-loving men and women. Associate Christ and heaven with all your endeavors, and your life, in any station, will be blessed and successful, and eternal life will be assured.