October 23Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant — Matt. 20:27.
Among the Gentiles the rulers are lords, who do no serving but are served; but among the followers of Jesus the rule is to be reversed: he who would serve most was to be esteemed most highly. What a beauty there is in the Divine order of things! How thoroughly all who are right-minded can sympathize with the principles here laid down! How reasonable they are and how contrary to the spirit of the world. Truly, the Lord's followers will in this sense of the word be a peculiar people in their zeal for good works—for serving one another and for doing good unto all men as they have opportunity—Z '04, 140 (R 3362). The world's ideal of greatness is unusual talent, wealth, power, authority, knowledge, reputation or achievement. The Lord's ideal of greatness is the service of disinterested love. Therefore in His eyes we are great in proportion as we render service from a disinterested love, in harmony with wisdom, power and justice, laying down our lives in the interests of His Plan, especially in gathering and edifying the elect. To such a greatness as this we may aspire; yet not with the idea of surpassing others, whom we are to prefer in honor. We are to be useful to others in every good way in our power. Because He was such, Jesus is the greatest of all—P '30, 166. Parallel passages: Prov. 15:33; Matt. 18:1-6; 20:20-26, 28; 23:11; Mark 10:42-45; Acts 20:35; Rom. 12:10, 16; 15:1-3; 1 Pet. 5:3, 5; Isa. 14:12-15; Gal. 6:2, 10; Phil. 2:5-9; Luke 22:27; John 13:14. Hymns: 95, 299, 114, 198, 47, 229, 146. Poems of Dawn, 169: The Time is Short. Tower Reading: Z '15, 312 (R 5785). Questions: Have I this week sought to serve? Did I seek to do something to be seen or to be useful? What helped or hindered therein? What was the effect so far? |
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THE TIME IS SHORT
UP, up, my soul, the long-spent time redeeming;
Sow thou the seeds of better deed and thought;
Light other lamps, while yet the light is beaming;
The time, the time is short.
Think of the eyes that often weep in sadness,
Seeing not the truth that God to thee hath taught;
O bear to them this light and joy and gladness;
The time, the time is short.
Think of the feet that stray from misdirection,
And into snares of error's doctrine brought:
Bear then to them these tidings of salvation;
The time, the time is short.
The time is short. Then be thy heart a brother's
To every heart that needs thy help in aught.
How much they need the sympathy of others!
The time, the time is short.
UP, up, my soul, the long-spent time redeeming;
Sow thou the seeds of better deed and thought;
Light other lamps, while yet the light is beaming;
The time, the time is short.
Think of the eyes that often weep in sadness,
Seeing not the truth that God to thee hath taught;
O bear to them this light and joy and gladness;
The time, the time is short.
Think of the feet that stray from misdirection,
And into snares of error's doctrine brought:
Bear then to them these tidings of salvation;
The time, the time is short.
The time is short. Then be thy heart a brother's
To every heart that needs thy help in aught.
How much they need the sympathy of others!
The time, the time is short.
