For the Best Things

WE should seek only the best things in life. If everyone did, this would be an ideal world. The trouble is, however, that many knowing the good, yet choose the evil. What shall we call the drift in human nature that causes it to gravitate so often and so easily toward lower rather than rise upward toward higher things.’ We need not trouble about the philosophy of it, but it is worth while for us to find some way of overcoming the unhappy tendency. There is a way. It may not be easy — the easy course is just to let ourselves drift — but we know too well what the end of -this will be. We should be brave enough to take ourselves vigorously in hand and to get our faces turned toward the best things. Nothing will drift upstream; we shall have to use the oars if we want our boat to go that way. But that is the way to the best things.

What are the things that are worthiest and best? We do not need to say condemning words about the things of this world. It is our Father’s world. It is full of beauty. The Creator saw when It was finished that it was all very good. We are to accept our place in life contentedly and cheerfully, whatever the limitations, whatever the hardness, and set about living In such a way that we shall make one little spot of the world as much as possible like heaven.

We have only to turn to the Scriptures if we would learn what are the best things. Nothing can be worth while which will ever perish. We are Immortal and only immortal things will meet our deepest needs. Nothing is best which we cannot carry with us when we go away from earth. We cannot carry money, or jewels, or estates, into the other world, hence these are not the best things. Jesus Christ Is accepted as a divine Teacher — a Teacher come from God. Let us ask him, [41 “What are the best things?” and we find answers to our question on every page of the Gospels. In his Sermon on the Mount he says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of your Father and his righteousness.” He had been exhorting his disciples against anxiety. He assured them that their Father who cares for the birds; and clothes the flowers would much more surely care for them. They need never have any anxiety, therefore, nor give themselves a moment’s care about their physical needs. Instead of this, they should seek first and only the Father’s kingdom, and all else that they should need would be supplied to them.

The things of God’s kingdom, therefore, are the best things. We learn what some of these things are from the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” that is, the lowly, the humble. Those who think highly of themselves are not the highest in God’s sight, but those who forget themselves and hold all their gifts and powers at the bidding of the Master for any service to which he may send them. [5] for tle QBejst Ciingis

Jesus spoke only once of his own heart, and then he said he was meek and lowly in heart. His whole life was one of lowliness. His hands had made the worlds, but he used them without reserve in serving earth’s needy ones.

“Blessed are the meek.” The meek are the long-suffering, those who endure wrong patiently, uncomplainingly, returning love for hate, kindness for unkindness, prayers for curses. Men do not usually think of meekness as one of the best things, but Jesus writes it high in the list, and says that the meek shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.” It is not attainment only that heaven approves, but the longing to attain. Saintliness is beautiful, but it takes a long while to reach it. No doubt one of the best things is to be perfect, to wear the image of Christ, but the lofty reach seems almost impossible. This is the goal, but it shines far off, and it seems to us that we cannot come up to it till we gain heaven. It is a comfort [6]

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to us to know that one of the best things is longing for the best, hunger for righteousness.

“Blessed are the merciful.” Men do not praise the merciful. They commend what they call the heroic qualities. The strong, the brilliant, the clever, those who succeed even by trampling the meek under their feet, win the honors in this world. But the Master writes among those whom heaven calls blessed the merciful, those who are pitiful toward weakness, compassionate taward the erring, patient with the dull and slow, and almoners of the divine mercy toward all. “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Is there in all the range of the things one may live for anything that will mean more in the making of happiness than, amid all life’s experiences of temptation, to keep one’s heart pure? This is a secret of peace which insures joy and gladness, whatever the experiences may be. It transfigures the life, making it shine as with an inner light. It gives one influence over others, making one a benediction every- [7] for tie QBeiSt Citngjs

where. A pure heart is one of the best things.

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” The highest of all the commendations in the Beatitudes is given to these — “they shall be called the sons of God.” Unquestionably one of the best things in all the range of life is to be a peacemaker, to exert a loving influence over others, to help to bring together those who are in danger of falling apart, to deepen and strengthen friendships. There are enough people in the world who live to kindle strifes, to widen breaches and estrangements, to make men hate each other, to encourage quarreling and bitter feelings. No mission is diviner than to be a maker of peace between man and man.

These are suggestions only of some of the best things. Jesus indicates others in his teachings. His disciples contended more than once on the question of greatness. It is a proper desire to wish to be a worthy follower of Christ. A good man used to pray, “Lord, make me an uncommon Christian.” Christ [8] will never blame us for wanting to follow him with uncommon faithfulness and to live a life of unusual earnestness and godliness. But the disciples were thinking of rank, of priority in position. Jesus told them that the first places in his kingdom must be won — not by valor on the battlefield, not by favoritism, but by love. Those who serve others the most humbly, the most unselfishly, the most helpfully, are the best and most Christlike Christians.

On another occasion, the same lesson was taught by an act. Jesus quietly rose, laid aside his garments, girded him for the work of an actual servant, and then began to wash his disciples’ feet. The Master showed them that such serving was not degrading, but honorable. Jesus never did anything diviner in all his ministry than what he did that night. And no better opportunity of doing truly great and noble things will ever come to us than when it is our privilege to perform some lowly duties of love in serving or helping Christ’s little ones. The lowlier the [9] for tie Bejst CitngiS

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