“EVEN a child is known by his doings." (Prov. 20:1111Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. (Proverbs 20:11).) Our Lord said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matt. 7:1616Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (Matthew 7:16)), and there are young as well as old trees, dear young friends, in our Master's garden. And now-a-days, through His grace, there are very many young trees of His own planting to be found, and all of these Jesus would have fruitful. And He says your “fruit shall remain” (John 15:1616Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16)), and all such fruit shall be found by-and-by in heaven.
How many happy letters have we received lately from our dear young friends, telling us they are the Lord's! Now we desire not only your happiness, but also that you shall bring forth fruit for the Lord's pleasure.
The Lord will not forget even a cup of cold water given to a disciple in His name; He will not overlook any true kindness of any of His people. The loving acts of little children who love Jesus will be had in remembrance forever.
God and angels and men watch us. Your parents and your schoolfellows, or your nurse, and the servants in the house, watch you who say you love the Lord Jesus. “Even a child is known by his doings," and the small things of daily life express what you are. It is not the things a child says, but the things he does, which prove what he is.
You know well enough which are apple trees in your father's garden, because of the fruit which the trees bear. Industrious love for others is fruit of a very sweet kind. By nature we all are selfish, but the love of Christ in the heart makes the Christian happy in serving others. A heart of love gives a quick eye. One child will see what his or her parent may require, where another will only see what self wants. One child will find his happiness in making others happy, where another seeks happiness in seeking pleasure simply for himself or herself.
Our Lord has left us an example that we should follow in His steps. He says to His disciples, “Follow Me." A true Christian is more or less like Christ. Selfishness is not Christ-like. Thoughtlessness and selfishness are brothers, and disagreeable companions they are.
“If William were really a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ he would not act as he does," is a sorrowful sentence about a boy we hope is a Christian. But men do not gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles, and “even a child is known by his doings."
I never knew a Christian boy or girl to be happy who was willful or selfish. God would not let His child be happy so long as the child was disobedient, while He fills the hearts of His obedient children with true happiness.
You, dear young friends, who are the Lord's, wish to please Him, Well, this is just what the hard work of Christian life is. You need to pray for strength, and then to have faith that He will give the strength for which we pray. The Lord will strengthen a young boy or girl to please Him, just as He strengthens older people who are His. And when a young Christian goes to Him, and seeks for grace to live to His praise, the little things he does day by day, and the way he does them, will prove that Christ is strengthening him. And we may thus happily say, “Even a child is known by his doings."