SERVICE REWARDED by Christian Secretary

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 22, 1887

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 49.

SERVICE REWARDED.

By Christian Secretary

WHILE every Christian ought to serve God, just because he demands it, and also because love to him should furnish the true incentive, yet he is pleased to encourage us by promising us ample rewards for all service rendered to him. Christ says: “He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.” This promise of itself should be sufficient to stimulate us in the blessed work of ministering to the interests of God’s kingdom without flagging.

It is a cheering truth that never did a person try to do good without succeeding good to someone. The effort may at the time seem to have been in vain, but it was not. We may think that the kind word we have spoken and the little Christ-like act which we performed have been a failure, but it was not so. We may not speak with the tongue of the eloquent, nor talk with the lips of the learned, yet if we have uttered the truth of God under a deep sense of its importance, and with faith in its power,

we may rest assured that God's blessing will be upon it, and this is our reward.

There is a beautiful story told of a little girl who was so afflicted that she could not leave the couch. She was a poor, helpless creature, and had to be constantly lifted. But she talked to those who came to her room about her high joy in the Lord, and tried to persuade them to seek the grace and consolations of the gospel. Many were benefited and brought their friends to her. After a while they brought them from adjoining counties, that she might influence them. Finally she began to write letters to people far away, and that sick girl's bed became a center of blessing to people throughout a large region. She was richly rewarded, while in the very act of doing good to her fellow-creatures. And more than all, there awaits her in the heavenly habitations the choicest rewards for her fidelity to God.

And what was true of that sick and emaciated little girl may be true of all who, like her, are faithful servants of God. The great trouble with too many Christians is, they think they have not talent enough to do much, or that they have not just the right kind of talent to do what is needed, and so they excuse themselves. But this is all wrong. There is no Christian but who can say even a few words for Christ, or minister some little service to someone for Christ's sake. And it is the little services which often favorably affect great and eternal interests and destinies. Let us never forget these inspiring words of the Master: "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in nowise lose his reward."—Christian Secretary.