Chapter 21.
TO YOUNG MEN IN BUSINESS.
One great difference between serving Christ and manifesting Him is that the former is necessarily intermittent, the latter continuous.
Especially is this true of those in business, whose opportunities of service are but few.
During the hours of work I need hardly say that direct service to the Lord cannot find much place, the truest service to Him then being to work for our earthly master faithfully and well, to remember that the time we are in business is his and not ours. The "righteous Lord loveth righteousness." and nothing pleases Him better than to see His child humbly, faithfully, steadily, and conscientiously giving all his energies during his master's time to carrying out his wishes and furthering his interests.
“Render, therefore, unto, Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's," is a word as true of time as of money, and that perfectly maintains the balance between what we owe to our earthly and heavenly masters.
None are more quick to perceive the value of a truly faithful servant than worldly men, and although in a consistent Christian they do not find that push and dash, and what, alas, is often called for, "business" deviations from the truth, they look for, and ought to find, a thorough hearty service, and a strict integrity.
Let us remember that we cannot think of, speak of, or do two things at a time. If I am posting a ledger, or casting up an account, I cannot at the same time be pondering the last address I heard, or thinking over some favorite Scripture. If I do, most likely my ledger will be wrongly posted, and my account wrongly added.
I am sure we all need to remember this, lest we bring reproach upon the name of Christ. We cannot do many things in business that others can, and we are therefore bound in common uprightness to devote our whole business time the more strictly to what we are engaged in; and if there be a spare quarter of an hour, rather give it to our master than use it for ourselves, that our service to him may be as God's grace ever is to us, "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”
Another matter of much importance is always to come to our work, especially at the beginning of the week, with all our faculties in good order.
Surely it is no little disgrace to the Lord if we are found, like so many others, fit for little or nothing for the first three or four hours we come to business, and although we may be worn out with working hard and late for the Lord, while our companions are exhausted with dissipation, the difference of the cause does not excuse the sameness of the effect in our master's eves, or hold us blameless before God.
It cannot, of course, be supposed for a moment that working for the Lord, however hard, can have any such injurious effect upon the body as is brought on by dissipation; but those who have tried it will bear witness that it is impossible to bring the energies and faculties into the full use that is required by business in the present day, unless the body and mind have had sufficient rest.
In this, as in everything else, if the heart is right with the Lord we shall not go far wrong, either on the one hand, of selfishly using for ourselves the hours of leisure instead of rendering them as a thank offering to the Lord, or on the other, of overstepping the right limit, and bringing the precious name of Christ into dishonor through failing in our engagement with our earthly masters.
I would seek to write tenderly and carefully on this subject, for I know how great the harvest is, and how few the laborers; how near the Lord's coming, and how infinite the value of one precious soul; and yet there is one thing that is more precious than all beside, and that is the precious name of Jesus.
While thankfully owning, therefore, that many hours on the Lord's day can be fairly devoted to His service, even by those regularly employed in business, we must remember that we have to present ourselves fresh and ready for work at a certain time the next morning, and our labors must therefore cease at such an hour the night before as will insure that our "good" on the Lord's day will not be "evil spoken of" on the Monday.
Having already seen that for those actively engaged in business, the opportunities of direct service to the Lord are but few, it is happy to know that there is a way in which we can continually glorify Him. Manifesting Christ involves no neglect of our master's work, interferes with no daily occupations, and finds as honorable and appropriate a sphere in the counting-house or wareroom, as in the family circle or Christian gathering.
The believer who manifests Christ in business life, makes Him known to many whom his active service could not reach: for hundreds, who never think of listening to any word spoken about the Lord, cannot but mark and own His graces when brought under their notice in daily life by the unobtrusive walk of a true disciple.
But do we fully understand what is meant by "manifesting Christ"? Having believed in Him, He has given us Eternal Life, which indeed is Himself. ("Christ, who is our life.") This life in us has an object outside ourselves, which is also Christ. So that Christ is in us all, as life, and is our all, as object, thus explaining Col. 3:1111Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:11). Just in proportion as the divine life in us is drawn out by its object, we become practically Christ-like, and so "manifest Him." If we study the first Epistle of John, we shall find eternal life displays itself in two ways, "light and love." or, in other words, as expressed in Christ (John 1:1414And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)), "grace and truth." Observe in passing that the Gospel of John is the unfolding of eternal life in Christ, the Epistle, the unfolding of the same life in the believer. The power to manifest it is by the Spirit, which dwelt in Christ and now dwells in us, so that the very fruits of the new life are spoken of in Galatians as the "Fruit of the Spirit." (Gal. 5:2222But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (Galatians 5:22).)
How, then, can this light and love be made to flow out from our daily lives? By having Christ truly before us as our object, and not ourselves in any shape or form; by having our hearts filled with His love, and our conscience with His light, we can alone practically exhibit both, and obey the apostle's exhortation, "Walk in love," "Walk as children of light." (Eph. 5:2, 82And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor. (Ephesians 5:2)
8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (Ephesians 5:8).) In business life light would show itself in honesty, strict integrity, truth, and practical righteousness; while love would flow out in longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, and patience. No one can doubt that these qualities are greatly called for and valued even by worldly men. Surely it is our place to exhibit them.
Nothing so arrests a man's attention as when he unexpectedly finds (it may be in some trifling action) a man whose code of right and wrong is not framed on the accepted basis of "commercial morality;" but who brings the light of the throne of God into the office or the shop; or, one who, instead of the natural impatience, the hasty temper, the sharp reply so often met with, displays the meekness and the gentleness that was in Christ. The very incidents of business life afford so many opportunities for the display of the treasure that is in the earthen vessel. It is the blowing of the north wind that causes the spices to flow out.
And now how far are we each thus manifesting Christ? Is every young believer so upright in the details of business, so gentle and patient in his manner as to render these few words unnecessary? Do we never hear of those, whom we know as true Christians, engaged in doubtful transactions, or giving way to a hasty temper?
Although service as generally understood, means some definite work for the Lord; and used in this active sense throughout this article, there is no doubt but that "manifesting Christ," is one way of serving Him. Many being unable in business, actively to labor for the Lord, feel themselves cut off from doing anything for Christ, being unaware that by thus manifesting Him, they can still serve Him.
I have spoken. a little on the way of doing this, but do we fully estimate the importance and blessedness of thus showing forth the life of Christ in us.
The truth is, beloved friends, that if those in business continuously displayed that practical righteousness and love in which Christ walked, it would bring a glory to His name and be a testimony to the reality of Christianity such as has never yet been given, and that no infidel could withstand.
Beloved reader, seek in the sphere in which you move thus practically to exhibit Christ; seek it prayerfully, seek it earnestly, seek it continuously, and rest not content unless the light that is in you also shines out of you. The very purpose for which you are left down here, is to grow into the likeness of Christ. The lines may be unformed, the resemblance indistinct, but let there be that at least, even in daily business life, that will show the most careless around, "that you have been with Jesus.”
A sketch, however rough and imperfect, is worth a page of description, and an illustration of the principles of true grace and truth is worth many discourses on the subject, and is of very especial value when shown in a place otherwise inaccessible to anything divine. And although those that see it, may find no beauty in the dim outline, the eye of One is gazing into the crowded wareroom, the bustling shop, or the busy counting-house, to whom the slightest resemblance of the Beloved Son is ever dear; and the meek answer, or the truthful reply, that may only raise a laugh and scoff around, ascends as a sweet savor to the throne of God. Ponder over these things, beloved reader, and seek to live them and there will be fewer wasted hours to account for in the morning of the resurrection.