Something to Do by Baptist Weekly

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 14, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 31.

Something to Do.

By Baptist Weekly

THEY that eat must work. They are to be "doers of the word and not hearers only." Every truth taken into the life wants to be wrought out in loving service. Just now there is need of Christian fiber of the hard and sinewy type. Stalwarts are in demand in the churches—men, women, and children, who can "take a square meal" and do a day's work of ten hours, through heat or cold.

Whatever may be the ailments of the older members of the flock, the lambs should not be nursed into spiritual dyspepsia. Every pastor will need to study the "whats" and the "hows," as related to the activities of young converts. They are to be taught to creep, to walk, to run, to bear burdens, to endure toil and hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. There is great danger of failure just here. If you inquire into the causes of inactivity of older members of the church, you will find them lying far back in their religious experience. They were quietly slipped into the church and given an easy seat. They have filled it ever since. Out of mistaken tenderness, we pastors sometimes want to make it easy for those coming into the church, and we put them in bed. They are still tucked under the covers, and we cannot start them now out of their warm nests. Let us never commit the error again. The discipline of work is scarcely less helpful than the discipline of grace. We learn to do by doing. Young converts should be kept moving on.