Only a Chinkstone by Dwight Lyman Moody

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 21, 1884

Only a Chinkstone.

By Dwight Lyman Moody

NO MAN is fit for God's service who is not willing to do little things. The people who are always waiting for an opportunity to do some great thing, never do anything. If you want to be wise in winning souls you must be ready to do just what the Spirit prompts you to do. It may be he will call you to go to the home of the drunkard, and stay there and mind the children while he or his wife goes to listen to the word. If this were done by Christians generally, streams of salvation would break out in every quarter.

I do not believe in dreams, but sometimes they illustrate a truth. I read of a man who wanted to do some great thing. He was going to endow a charitable institution, but his object was really to glorify himself, to build up a name. Let me say here that no young man or young woman is fit for God's service who is actuated by any such motive. If you are going to work for God you must let him take care of your reputation. If you look for your reward here you will be doomed to disappointment. The reward will come hereafter. This is the time of Christ's humiliation, and we are to go "outside the camp bearing his reproach."

The nearer you live to Christ the meaner will be the things that worldly people will say about you. If you want the applause of the world, you had better give up Christian work, because you cannot be useful in God's vineyard without the world beginning to slander and abuse you. This man was intent on building up a large fortune and endowing that institution. One night he dreamed that he was taken away to heaven and an angel took him into a temple of polished marble. Everything was complete, except one little stone left out, and he said, "How is this?" "The Master-Builder," said the angel, "intended that for you; but as you wanted to fill some greater place, you have been left out of the temple altogether."

From that time the man made up his mind that if he could only be a chinkstone in the building he would be content.—D. L. Moody.