It is understandable that a feeble, flabby young man would be unable to speak above a whisper or to move beyond the pace of a tortoise. But a strong, vigorous young man who makes his way in the world and pushes himself forward by the force of his character, and who, being a Christian, is dull, timid, and, for all intents and purposes, next to useless in the battles of the Lord, this is an unaccountable mystery. How is it that there are so many Christian young men of the feeble and the flabby type? Too timid to give away a tract—too slow to move to do even menial service for their Lord and Master! What ails them? Are they incurable?
We met, some twenty years ago, a young man who was looking for work. Over and over again we saw him on this painful quest. A few days ago, we saw this same individual once again—no longer young, but grown to be a portly, middle-aged man. He was still looking for work—still on the same old quest! He made us think of men of a similar type in Christian things—men who spend a lifetime in looking for work, by looking the wrong way, and who are busy doing nothing for Christ till their hair grows gray, and who give promise of dying, while doing nothing. There must be a purpose of soul and determination, by God’s grace, to effect the purpose, or there will be no result.
“Quit you like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:1313Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)), said the Apostle to the well-to-do and easy-living saints of Corinth. They needed stirring up to zeal and self-sacrifice; they knew little of the Apostle’s hardship, and but little of his spirit burned in their hearts. “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake,” he said, “for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:1010Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)).
In the things of God, we have seen useless young men—as the world reckons value —thoroughly useful for God; though not favored with half the usual gift of wits, they served God with what wits they had, while clever, bright, well-educated Christian young men by their side were notable in work for God only for doing nothing.
We most earnestly appeal to young Christian men to lay themselves out for God’s service—to pray and to labor, to pray and to search the Scriptures, to shake themselves out of their ease and selfishness, and to give themselves up to hearty work for the Lord!