It May Be Your Own Fault
By David Paulson
HAVE you been grieved because others would not listen when you talked the gospel to them? Have you concluded that they were hard-hearted, and that their minds were not responsive to the heavenly message? Are you certain your conclusions are correct? Suppose you earnestly desired to feed some hungry person, but instead of handing him a dainty slice of bread, you should undertake to muss it up between your hands until it was veritable chicken feed. You could hardly expect that individual to accept it, and much less to eat it. You might be surprised, and maintain that it was good bread, made according to the recipe, and that if the person were really hungry, he would be glad to eat your bread. So he would, if it had not been mussed up in your hands. Likewise, more people will accept the gospel from you if you will “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim. 2: 15. Most people love beautiful, fragrant flowers. But suppose you take a flower, and crush it in your hands until it is almost pulverized, and then try to give it to some one. More than likely he will refuse to accept it. You may say: “I cannot understand it. He ought to love God’s flowers. How little appreciation he has for the beautiful things in this world!” while the real facts are, he does love flowers, but he does not care for them after they have been mangled in your hands. There are more people who love the gospel than we imagine, but they will not accept it after it has been mangled in our hands. Perhaps if we would permit the Lord to have His way in our lives, so that we may “grow as the lily” (Hosea 14: 5), many more would listen to us with responsive hearts; for Christ is yet, as He has always been, the “desire of all nations.” Haggai 2: 7.