March 25

“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” — 2 Cor 4:5

It is said of a great artist, that when painting his immortal pictures on the ceiling of St. Peter’s Cathedral, he carried a little lamp fastened to his cap on his forehead, so that no shadow of himself should fall on his work. It would be well if we should learn always so to carry the light by which we work, that SELF shall never in any way come between our lamp and our work. We should so relate our own personality to our serving–that it shall never cast a shadow on the things we are doing for Christ.

It is not easy so to move through life that no mood or feeling of our own, shall ever affect our spirit or temper as we go on with our duty. Ofttimes the temptation is strong. Things do not go altogether to our mind. Other people do not accord to us the honor or respect we think we deserve. The tendency is to feel hurt, and then to allow our hurt consciousness to affect our interest in the work or our relations with our fellow-workers. But this is not the Christian way–not the way Jesus would act. No apparent or real slighting of us–should make us less faithful. Touchiness is not among the fruits of the Spirit.