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Singing
In Activity
Activity is a law of life. Life in the body continues only
so long as there is activity of function. Soul rest does
not imply stagnation. Rest is the result of the soul's
attitude toward and relations with the spiritual, mental,
and physical universe. It is its adaptation to other
things that produces harmony, that prevents discord and
friction.
When the machinery of life is well oiled it is smooth
running. It is not needful that we withdraw ourselves from
the activities of life to shut ourselves up in a convent
or cloister in order to have soul rest. We can mingle in
life's activities, we can fully do our part and yet have
that inner rest that brings calmness, peace, and
satisfaction. These qualities are not the result of
inactivity. They are not the result of death but of life
and often the most active and vigorous life is the one
that is most restful. Activity begets a mental attitude
that naturally bursts forth into song. It produces soul
vigor as it does mental and physical vigor. Vigor creates
energy. Energy finds its normal expression in activity.
Activity produces satisfaction and gratification. These
are expressed in rejoicing.
Lack of activity is often the source of many troubles.
Lack of proper physical exercise causes the muscles to
grow flabby, the various bodily functions to grow slugish,
and creates a disposition toward further inactivity. It is
also the cause of many diseases. It weakens the body and
leaves it a prey to destroying germs. The man who does not
use his mental faculties so as to keep them keen comes to
the place where he does not want to think, where it is a
real task for him to think, and where he will not think if
he can avoid it.
The same laws apply to the spiritual being. The less
active we are in spiritual things the less inclined we are
to be active. The longer we are inactive the less power to
be active we have. A great many people are weak and
powerless Christians because they are inactive Christians.
They are unable to meet the difficulties of life and to
overcome them readily because of the weakness induced by
their lack of spiritual exercise. Everyone of us should be
active. It is the only way to develop spiritual vigor and
strength. It is the only way to be a happy, rejoicing
Christian.
Our activities, however, should be of a proper sort. There
are many religious activities that are useful, helpful,
and that build up and strengthen and bring out all our
good qualities and develop them into Christian manhood and
womanhood. There are other religious activities that
produce an evil erect. That which places the body under an
undue strain in any direction, that which uses up too much
nervous energy, that which robs the body of its vitality,
always results in hurt to the body.
In like manner whatever religious activities injure the
soul should be carefully avoided. Religious excitement,
extremism, unbalanced enthusiasm, and similar things such
as we see in some religious movements today, are
distinctly hurtful to the soul. These have an effect upon
the soul such as stimulants have upon the body. There must
always be a reaction from them. That reaction is
distinctly hurtful. We should see to it therefore that our
religious activities are wise activities, not the result
of fanaticism or extremism, not unbridled enthusiasm or
animal excitement. Our activities should be sane,
moderate, reasonable, and within the bounds of Christian
propriety.
There is nothing that will give zest to life like a great
purpose. Too many lives merely drift. When we look back
through history to the rejoicing Christians outstanding on
its pages we see the truly happy people were the ones who
were inspired with a consuming purpose to accomplish
something. Jesus went about doing good. He was under the
urge of a great love. Notwithstanding all the opposition
of those who should have been his helpers he rejoiced in
spirit. Jesus was devoted to an ideal. That ideal was to
uplift and save men. In the strength of that ideal he
never faltered.
You and I need such an ideal in our lives. We, too, need
the urge of a great love, a love for humanity. There are a
multitude of opportunities around us for activities in
doing good. The heart of the world is longing for a word
of love and comfort, for kindly deeds, for helpfulness and
mercy. What are we doing to supply this need? How much of
devotion have we in our lives? Let us note the devotion of
Paul. He poured himself out to people, not only in his own
nation, but to strangers, to those who had no natural
claim upon him. He counted not his life dear unto himself
that he might accomplish the great purpose that inspired
him. It was his activity, ceaseless, and self-forgetful,
that enable him to be exceeding joyful in all his
tribulations. It was that very activity that made him
joyful.
Drifting always becomes monotonous. We may enjoy it for a
time, but if we want really to enjoy ourselves we must
"get our backs into it." There is a great
difference between being weary as a result of labor and
the feeling of weariness that comes from idleness. When I
was growing up I lived in the country. Sunday was usually
a weary day. I longed for its passing that I might get to
work again, not because I cared so much for work but
because mere idleness and inactivity could give no
satisfaction to my youthful spirit. When one is weary from
labor he can rest and enjoy resting. When one is weary
from idleness rest has no charms.
Many weary Christians are weary from idleness. They let
the days pass and perhaps use but a few moments, if any
time at all, for spiritual development or exercise. They
know there are unsaved people all around them, but they do
nothing about it. They know there are sick to be visited,
but they do not visit them. They find a convenient excuse
for their idleness just as every physical idler can find.
They know there are sorrowing hearts that need comforting
and the poor that need ministering to. There are scores of
opportunities all about them, but they are not using them.
Then they wonder why they do not make more spiritual
progress, why their life is not more blessed. They wonder
why they have so many trials and difficulties to meet and
why they seem to have no spiritual energy.
They need not wonder. They know very well that should they
do the same physically as they are doing spiritually, what
results would be. Why then should they be in doubt as to
the cause of their spiritual state? So many say, "Oh,
if I had more joy in my Christian life!" We may as
well say, "Why do not we have more to eat on our
tables?" when we refuse to spend money to buy it.
We can sing the joyous song of the reapers if we are a
reaper. We can rejoice in accomplishments if we accomplish
something. But accomplishment means definite activity,
properly directed. A great many people are very active in
religious work, or what they suppose to be religious work,
which is really not religious work. What do the things we
do amount to from a spiritual standpoint ? We could
dispense with some things and be very little the losers,
and in many instances gain much.
Real religious activities are activities that use the
spiritual, not the mere physical faculties and powers.
They are things we get our hearts, our souls, into from a
spiritual angle. Real spiritual activity is entering into
the needs in a helpful way, comforting those who need
comfort, ministering to the poor and the needy, applying
balm to wounded spirits, encouraging the discouraged,
helping wherever help is needed. These are spiritual
activities that will start the song of joy in our own
soul.
When we throw light upon the darkened pathway of a fellow
traveler that light is reflected upon our own pathway.
When we minister to others we are ministered to. When we
bring joy to them joy comes to our own hearts. But the
trivialities with which so many religious people occupy
themselves can never bring real soul satisfaction.
Another thing to note is that it is not the greatness of
our labors but their purpose, the earnestness that we put
into them and the quality of our own desires that make
them worth while in results. It is not the greatness of
what we do but the spirit we put into the doing. We may
never have opportunities such as some others have; we may
never have a place of importance or authority. This need
not in the least hinder us from being as active as those
who have more responsibilities and seemingly more or
greater opportunities. If we make the most of our
opportunities whatever they are we shall be happy. It is
not how great the vessel but how much of ourselves that we
put into it. It is not how great the opportunity but how
greatly we rise to it. It is not so much what others think
of what we do or how great it may appear in their eyes; it
is how much unselfish devotion we put into the doing of
it.
Devotion to a worthwhile cause always has abundant reward.
Here is the secret of the singing heart. If you will learn
this secret and put it into practice you may have a heart
that naturally breaks forth into song from the inward
pressure of joy as the safety valve of a boiler blows off
every now and then under the pressure of the steam. The
pressure of the steam depends upon the fire; so the heat
and energy of devotion and love in our souls may be
fervent enough to produce constantly recurring and
overflowing songs.
Some in their imagination picture heaven as a place of
rest. They think we shall sit around and play on golden
harps or leisurely stroll over golden streets. That is not
my idea of heaven. I believe the law of life in heaven
will be the same as it is upon earth, that is, that
activity of a constructive kind will be necessary to
happiness. I do not know what heaven is like. No doubt it
is inexpressibly glorious, but my faculties are so limited
in this world, my activities so bound up by restrictions
and limitations of the body, that my soul longs for the
opportunity for greater expansion of its powers.
There are boundless possibilities for development in every
human being. There will be opportunities for this
development in the world to come. That development will
mean activity, not useless activity, but productive
activity. It has been written of that world, "His
servants shall serve him." The golden harps will
sound and the singers will sing in heaven, not because
they are resting, not because they have nothing else to
do, but because they are giving expression to those joys
that have come from their heavenly activities. After all,
the harps and the singing, the golden streets, the gates
of pearls, are only figures. They stand for spiritual
realities that mean far more than are expressed in these
feeble figures. We shall rest from our labors of this
world not in inactivity but in action. Very often in this
life the best sort of rest is activity of a different
sort. Let us remember that whether in earth or heaven, the
song of joy is born of activity.
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