March 29

“Be imitators of me–even as I also am of Christ.” — 1 Cor 11:1

You may think you have no influence over any other lives–but you have. There are those who will do what you do, and be what you are. If you are reverent, they will be reverent; if you are false, they are false. Your influence touches many other lives, and leaves either blessing or curse.

A gentleman told the story of his conversion to Christ: “If I had been going to damnation alone,” he said, “I would have gone on. But one night I came in from the wine-table, and looked at my sleeping babes as they lay in their holy innocence amid the snowy pillows. I held the lamp so that its beams fell full upon their sweet faces. As I stood there in the awful silence, unbroken, save by the ticking of the clock on the mantel, and the soft breathing of my little ones, there arose a terrifying vision before my eyes. I saw myself sweeping down toward perdition, and these, my precious children, clinging to my garments. I could not stand that. I could go to ruin myself–but to drag my angel babes there with me oh, I could not do that! So right there beside the crib, I fell on my knees before God, and asked him to save me for my children’s sake.”

Few motives in life could be stronger than the consciousness that the career and destiny of other lives will depend on what we do with our own life! We should be able always to say, “Imitate me–and you will live nobly!”