The state of the soul is the first thing; it must precede service. It is,
“Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning.”
Before we can serve, our own state is in question; not the service, but the quality of the service depends on it.
Christ, the revelation of Christ, must be applied to everything; it is a dirty world, and you must have your heart rightly tucked up as you go through it— “your loins girded.”
There must be these two things; the heart in order (kept so by the Word of God); and no will of our own. The instant we are not in the consciousness of God’s presence, self comes up—will is there: but if we are in earnest, running to attain, we are glad of the removal of every hindrance to our running.
Try your heart by this. Do you think a man running a race which he cared to win, would weigh himself by keeping even gold upon him?
I judge everything by one object: Christ being my object I judge all by Him, and I say, If this hinders me in running after, in apprehending, Christ, let it go.
Then when you have your heart in order, comes the full and unqualified confession of Christ before men: “Your lights burning.” If the heart be not right first within, of course profession is useless, but where it is true, let us show it out. There is always a shrinking from confession when there is not power within.
A Christian is one whose affections are fixed upon Christ, and who is waiting for Him. Everyone should be able to see that you are a man waiting for Christ. If we were so, it would cut up by the roots ninety-nine out of a hundred things people so live for down here.
Can the world say of all of us as of the Thessalonians of old: These are a people who have given up every idol to wait for God’s Son from heaven? The world ought to think so. It is, Blessed are those servants whom He finds, not only waiting, but watching for Him.