How Shall I Honor Jesus To-day?
AWAKING from a comfortable night's rest, strengthened and refreshed in body, before rushing into the business of the world, a few moments may be spared to ask a very necessary question, How shall I honor Jesus to-day? That we should aim to honor the Saviour, I suppose no one will deny, seeing he hath redeemed us by his precious blood, called us by his everlasting gospel, sanctified us by his Holy Spirit, and thus delivered us from a dreadful but deserved death. Our obligations to Jesus are infinite, and our gratitude to him should be deep, constant, and operative. I can honor him to-day. If I do not, I shall dishonor him; and if I dishonor him, I shall grieve the Spirit, bring guilt upon my conscience, and injure his sacred cause. Let us, then, seriously inquire, How shall I honor Jesus to-day? First, I must dedicate myself anew unto him. I must surrender myself, body, soul, and spirit, into his hands. I must present my time, talents, and property to him, beg his acceptance of them, and beseech him to give me grace to hold them for him, look upon them as his, and use them for his glory. The Saviour not only purchased our persons, but our all; so not only we are not our own, but nothing we possess is our own. We are the Lord's, and all we have is the Lord's. But we do not sufficiently realize this. Therefore we do not feel as David did when he gave to the building of the temple such stores of wealth, “Of thine own have we given thee.” If I hold all I have as the Lord's, if I daily dedicate all I have to Jesus, then I may dismiss my cares, encourage my confidence, and let the peace of God rule in my heart. Holy Spirit! give me grace that morning by morning I may dedicate my person, property, and all I value, to my Saviour's service, and day by day use all to his praise. I must look to him for all I need through the day. Wants will arise; but Jesus will supply them. There is no blessing we need but Jesus has it. Nor is there a blessing Jesus has but he is prepared to give it us, if we are prepared to receive it. He says, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father;” and again, “If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it.” It is, therefore, both my privilege and my duty to go to Jesus for everything that I need. And if I go to him first—if I go to him in faith, if I ask him in confidence—I honor him. But when I look to creatures instead of him, when I depend on means—instead of expecting of him through means—I dishonor him. If I would honor Jesus, I must look to him for all I need, both temporals and spirituals. I must carry everything to Jesus, whether great or small. I must make everything a subject of communion with him. So shall I pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks. I must imitate Jesus in all I do. He is proposed to us in his word as our great example; we should therefore strive to imitate him. My object should be to think as Jesus thought, to speak as Jesus spoke, to feel as Jesus felt, and to act as Jesus acted. Often, very often, should we pause, and ask, “Is this like Jesus? Would he indulge in such a temper? Would he employ such language? Would he encourage such thoughts? Would he do as I am doing?” Or if at a loss what to do at any time, we should ask, “What would Jesus do? How would Jesus act in this case? What would Jesus do under such circumstances? What would Jesus say? What temper would Jesus display?” This would often send us to his word. We should become familiar with his life. We should become well acquainted with his character. And what a preservation it would be! What humility it would produce! Jesus wishes us to be like himself. He has left us an example that we should follow in his footsteps. He says, “Do as I have done.” If, therefore, I would honor Jesus, I must make it my study, and I must daily seek grace that I may imitate Jesus in all I do, at all times, and in all places. Oh! to be like Jesus in my family, in my business, in the church, and when alone with God. If we do not make it our aim and daily prayer to be like Jesus on earth, can we expect to be like Jesus in Heaven? Are we not made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light? I must speak of Jesus to all I can. Jesus loves us to think of him; but he loves to hear us also speak of him. We should speak of him to sinners, that they may come to him for life. We should speak of him to backsliders, that they may return to his fold. We should speak of him to believers, to stimulate, encourage, reprove, or comfort, as the case may be. If I speak of any one at all, surely I should speak of Jesus. I cannot speak of him in vain. It must be useful in some way. It must accomplish some important end. How much there is to talk about, if we only set our hearts upon telling of Jesus. What fine opportunities often offer, if we were only prepared to take advantage of and improve them. We should talk of Jesus to all about us, to all we meet, to all we visit. We should talk of his glorious person and finished work, of his gracious words and wondrous deeds, of his holy life and painful death, of his triumphant resurrection and graceful ascension, of his prevalent intercession and anticipated advent. We may sometimes speak of his wrath, but much oftener of his love. We may speak of his invitations to sinners, and how he wept over them; of his promises to believers, and how he delights in them. Oh! for grace to speak of Jesus, to speak for Jesus, to speak like Jesus. If I would honor Jesus, I must walk with him. I must have him for my companion. I must make him my friend. I must go nowhere if I have no reason to believe that Jesus will go with me. I must engage in nothing if I cannot expect Jesus to look on and sanction me. I must prefer the company, the smiles, the approbation, of Jesus above everything else. This would be making him my all. This would be treating him as he deserves. This would be like an endeavor to render again to him according to what he hath done for me. O Spirit of Jesus, come down into my heart; fill me with thy grace, and teach me to make the honor of Jesus the great end of my life—the great end of every action. Reader, do you wish to honor Jesus to-day—every day? If so, this is the way—walk ye in it. My soul mourns before God that I have honored Jesus so little. Let us pray, pray right heartily, that God would give us grace to dedicate ourselves to him every morning, to look to him for all we need day by day, to imitate his example in all we do, to speak of him to all who will listen to our conversation, and to walk with him in peace and holiness. Oh! what blessed encouragement we have to honor Jesus, seeing he has said, “Them that honor me I will honor; and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” Sinner, beware how you despise Jesus. None can save you but him. There is no hope for you but in him. If you despise him in time, he will justly punish you in eternity.—American Reform Tract Society, Cincinnati.