“Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”–Isa. 43:7

Were you made only to be a machine for digging holes, laying bricks, or cutting out pieces of wood? Were you created only to stand at a counter and measure or weigh out goods? Do you think your God made you for that and that only?

Is this the chief end of man–to earn so many dollars a week, and try to make ends meet?

Is that all immortal men were made for?

As a man with a soul, capable of thought and judgment–and not a mere animal like a dog, nor a machine like a steam engine; can you stand up and look at yourself, and say, “I believe I am perfectly fulfilling my destiny”?

God has made man that he may glorify him–and whatever else man accomplishes, if he attains not to this end, his life is a disastrous failure!

Others are lovers of pleasure. They are merry as the birds, their life is as the flight of a butterfly, which lightly floats from flower to flower, according to its own sweet will.

It cannot be that an immortal spirit was made for frivolities–spending all its time on the playthings of the world.

So great a thing as an immortal soul could not have been made by God–with no higher object than to spend itself upon trifles as light as air.

Oh, pause a while, you careless, godless one! There is something more than the fool’s laugh. All things are not a comedy. Death and Heaven and Hell are serious–and should not life be?

The charms of music, the merriment of the mirthful assembly, the beauties of art, and the delights of banqueting–there must be something more for you than these. Something more must be required of you than that you should waste your precious time from morn to night upon nothing but to please yourself!–Charles Spurgeon

 

“He shall choose our inheritance for us..”. (Psalm 47:4)

Our enemies would allot us a very dreary portion, but we are not left in their hands. The Lord will cause us to stand in our lot, and our place is appointed by His infinite wisdom. A wiser mind than our own arranges our destiny, The ordaining of all things is with God, and we are glad to have it so; we choose that God should choose for us. If we might have our own way we would wish to let all things go in God’s way.

Being conscious of our own folly, we would not desire to rule our own destinies. We feel safer and more at ease when the Lord steers our vessel than we could possibly be if we could direct it according to our own judgment. Joyfully we leave the painful present and the unknown future with our Father, our Savior, our Comforter.

O my soul, this day lay down thy wishes at Jesus’ feet! If thou hast of late been somewhat wayward and willful, eager to be and to do after thine own mind, now dismiss thy foolish self, and place the reins in the Lord’s hands. Say, “He shall choose.” If others dispute the sovereignty of the Lord and glory in the free will of man, do thou answer them, “He shall choose for me.” It is my freest choice to let Him choose. As a free agent, I elect that He should have absolute sway.–Charles Spurgeon

“…ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”— 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

All that you are and have–are His. You owe Him your whole selves! The Lord Jesus Christ, who created you and redeemed you from eternal damnation–is your Proprietor, Master, and King. Whom else then should you serve? To whom else should you devote your lives? Whose interest should you rather seek?

“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. ” Romans 14:7-8

Our religion is exactly in proportion as we cease to live for ourselves–and live for God alone. We have just as much religion–as we have of self-denial. The only evidence of attachment to Him on which we can rely–is that we make it our design and care to promote His glory and the accomplishment of His benevolent purposes, not now and then, but in the general tenor of our lives.

To live for God, is to regard His will as the rule and ground of our conduct, and His glory as our supreme object. Not merely one day in a week–but in our general course to act from a reference to His authority.

To live for God, is to choose our calling, to pursue our business, to frame our habits, to regulate our actions from hour to hour–from a regard to His will and honor.

To live for God, is to feel and act as those who are not at liberty to live to themselves, but have their work daily assigned them by a heavenly Master.

To live for God, is to live under a sense that we are not our own–not our own masters, not our own proprietors, not at our own disposal.

To live for God, is to live as though our time, talents, influence, property, and all that we are and have–are God’s.

To live for God, is to hold everything in readiness to use for Him, or resign all things to Him as He shall direct.

To live for God, is to to be submissive under afflictions, and willing to be at His disposal in all our trials.

To live for God, is to to be ready to deny ourselves for Him in every way which His Word or Providence may point out.

To live for God, is to desire life chiefly that we may serve Him.

To live for God, is to make Him the center in which all the lines of our life shall meet.

To live for God, is to make it the business of our lives to please Him and not ourselves.

The very core of all true religion, is not to live for ourselves–but for God; not to consider ourselves our own–but the property and the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ; not to feel as though we are set up in the world to work for ourselves, to spend the most of our time in pursuing what is termed our innocent gratifications–but to hold our time, powers, influence, and property as talents entrusted to us to be used for Christ–keeping our eye on His Word to learn His will, and aiming habitually to please and honor Him. This, and nothing but this, is true Christianity! Whatever our creed is–if this is not our character–then all our religion is vain!