"See
then that ye walk circumspectly." Eph. 5:15. To walk
circumspectly is to walk cautiously; to look where one is
stepping; to be vigilant, watchful, diligent, attentive.
Be our pathway ever so light, if we do not look where we
are stepping, we may stumble. Conybeare and Howson render
the above text in these words: "See then that ye walk
without stumbling." We are not to walk as foolish
people but as wise. We would say that the man acts
foolishly who does not look at all in the way he is
walking. Those who are wise in business walk carefully and
look where they are going; they take advantage of every
opportunity to make their business a success. In our
Christian walk we are to seize upon every opportunity to
make progress. There is no time in this short life for
ease. Carelessness and indolence are dangerous and
destructive to spirituality. An indolent man will never
accomplish much for God nor be of any great benefit to his
fellow men. But oh, how easy to become careless!
Many begin the Christian walk in
carefulness and diligence, but soon give place to
carelessness and neglect. How prone people are to lose
interest in anything when the new has worn away! They take
great interest in the new preacher, but they will become
familiar with him and so accustomed to him that they will
lose interest. They have never heard any one preach so
well as the new preacher. and what he says has such weight
and authority; but behold, after the new has worn away, he
can not preach any better than any other. They have no
more regard for his words than they have for the words of
others. There is an old adage which says, "A new
broom sweeps clean." The boy is eager to cut wood
with the new ax. A child will carefully write like the
copy for the first few lines; but the farther down the
page, the greater the carelessness. The young lady takes
great interest in the music lessons at first; she wants to
practice all the time; but it soon gets old, and then it
is hard to keep up an interest. The husband is very
loving, kind, and attentive to his wife for awhile; but
alas! in a little while she becomes old to him, and then
he lets her shift for herself. This need not and should
not be; but it seems to be the nature of man.
In the Christian life there is a
strong tendency to let things run down. Some persons hear
a sermon and they are awakened, but they are soon lulled
to sleep again. Perhaps the example of some one has shown
them that they do not pray enough, and they resolve to
pray more, but they soon drift into the same careless way.
Maybe they see that they do not read enough and improve
themselves, and they are greatly stirred to do better, but
alas! how soon they allow that resolution to weaken and
become as negligent as ever. Nothing but the greatest
diligence and unyielding determination will save us from
getting weary in well doing. Keep up a strong faith.
Hold your mansion in the skies well in view and let
nothing hinder you in your journey home.
There are professed Christians who,
I am sorry to say, never take a good look at their mansion
in heaven, and it is to be feared that many who are really
God's children do not view their home above as often and
distinctly as they should. They see more of temporal
things than of eternal things. It is by faith that we see
eternal things, but if we have too keen a vision for
temporal things, it dims our spiritual vision. If you knew
you had a fine home in an adjoining state, and you had
never seen it, you would want some one who had seen it to
give you a description of it. Perhaps you would want a
photograph of it. You would take a look at the picture
often, and would learn all about it you could, and would
think of the time when you could go and live there. Now,
Jesus tells you that he has prepared a mansion for you in
heaven. He does not tell you much about it, but you know
full well that a mansion that Jesus prepares is perfect
and complete. Why not think much about this mansion? Why
not view it often by faith? why not learn all about it you
can? Getting too much engaged with the things of this life
is the reason why. To walk circumspectly is to see that
every step bears us heavenward, to have our faces set
toward God, to have our eternal home in view, and to be
journeying that way. We are not to be sauntering along,
but to be industriously living for God and heaven.
How often have you decided that you
would be more prayerful, would read more, would love God
more, and the souls of men, would do more for the cause of
God! How often you have decided to walk more worthily of
God, to be more patient, to live a higher life, to be
slower to speak, to cultivate a spirit of love and
kindness, to be more like Jesus! You started out well and
with great diligence, but alas! ere long you became weary
in well-doing; you became less vigilant; you did not walk
so carefully and were less attentive to your way. One day
a circumstance occurred that caused a brother to see that
he was not as attentive to others as he should be and let
many opportunities of helping others in little things go
by unimproved. He decided that he would be more watchful
and thus be more helpful; but, as he said, he soon became
as negligent as ever. Time after time he resolved and as
often became negligent. Do not be discouraged. A little
more determination, a little more faith in God for help,
and you will triumph.
