p. 16 | How We Look at It by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA · Nov 14, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 44.

How We Look at It.

By Editor

An article comes to us from a good brother which deplores the condition of the followers of Christ. Here are two sentences: "They [men] would see . . . that spirit that was exhibited in the lives of His [Christ's] disciples. But where is it to-day?" What spirit exhibited in the lives of Christ's disciples? Is it the spirit of fear, exhibited in the storm on Galilee (Matt. 8:24-27)?—We see it to-day. Is it the spirit which would send away the Syro-Phenician woman (Matt. 15:23)?—We see it to-day. Is it the spirit manifest by James and John in wishing to destroy the Samaritans (Luke 9:54-56)?—There are many exhibitions of it now. Is it the spirit exhibited in the desire of being greatest (Luke 22:24)?—It is not wanting to-day. There are still other exhibitions we might name; this will suffice.

"All dust is frail, all flesh is weak, Be thou the true man thou dost seek."

Here is another sentence from the same article: "Men are too busy to exhibit love to-day." But may there not be the very highest love in their busyness, only another form of working business. Did not the early disciples show love when they "forsook all," in unseemly haste, from a world point of view, "and followed Him"? Are not men doing it to-day? Did they not exhibit love when at the Master's command they went forth with His urgent message, saluting "no man by the way"? Luke 10:4. The men who wanted to talk thought, perhaps, that it was no exhibition of love, because they would not do this. But "this is the love of God that we keep His commandments."

In the supper message God gives to His servants, He says, "Go out quickly." There is no time for dawdling when it is time for work. "The King's business [busyness] requires haste" oftentimes; and it is not love to linger then. "Be diligent" is an everlasting command. Whether we can see the things we long to see among God's people now depends upon how we look at it.