29. WHAT CAN I DO
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"What can I do?" asked one, "I am a poor, feeble, erring creature. I know nothing aright until I am taught of God. I find my strength to be perfect weakness. My wisdom is folly. I make many mistakes. When I would do good, evil is present with me."
Now, dear sir, let me say a few plain things for your guidance and encouragement. It is true that, if you are left to yourself, you are as weak as water. Think as little of yourself as the truth will allow, and yet say, "Surely, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength." Look away from yourself. You have, no doubt, often trusted in yourself in a foolish and sinful way, forgetting that "even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." We cannot be too much emptied of self; we cannot too confidingly trust in the Lord.
A just sense of your weakness, therefore, so far from being a disqualification for usefulness, is really a preparation for it. "When I am weak, then am I strong," is true of the people of God in all their ways and duties. Let me advise you never to put yourself in a state either of indifference or of hostility to any good work or plan. It is impossible for every man to give effective aid in every enterprise. But let him not discourage or hinder others who can push it forward.
Be careful, too, lest while you are doing nothing good, you are doing something wrong. Some professing people do a world of mischief. They display such carnal affections, are so much like men of the world, practice so little prudence, so often allow their good to be evil spoken of, and manifest such lack of tenderness of conscience—that they give great occasion to the enemy to speak reproachfully.
If you would be useful on a large scale, take these hints:
1. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. Pursue no good thing with languor. Feeble exertions court opposition and create embarrassments.
2. Believe assuredly that God can and will bestow a blessing on right plans rightly conducted. Be not faithless. Take God at His word. It is never relied on in vain.
3. Be patient and not fretful and restless. The farmer has great patience and waits for the precious fruits of the earth. Many a scheme cannot be executed in a day or a month. If a man would raise a forest of oaks, he must not expect to see his desires fully accomplished in even one long lifetime. Let us sow seed. Let us plant acorns.
4. Do not try to control Providence, but find out and conform yourself to its plans. Men may sometimes dream of making water run up stream. But they never really succeed. "Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate."
5. Be not easily discouraged. Hope on. Hope ever. A very experienced laborer says that he has frequently seen the happiest results flowing from labors performed under the greatest discouragements. Many have said as much. Look not much at discouragements.
6. Pray much. "To pray frequently is to pray fervently." Pitch your tent close by the mercy-seat. Pray without ceasing. Never be at ease in Zion. "The voice that rolls the stars along spoke all the promises." Plead them before God. Adopt the language of one of old: "I will not let You go except You bless me."
7. Enlist, so far as you can, the prayers and cooperation of others, especially of humble godly people. Waiting on the great for help and patronage is very tedious and discouraging. Hardly anything is more so. People of good sense and ardent piety, in the middle walks of life, are commonly, the best helpers.
8. Having done your best, cast yourself and your endeavors wholly on God's great mercy in Christ Jesus. Seek to have yourself and your labors washed in atoning blood. Freely admit that you are nothing, that you deserve nothing, and that all you dare to hope to be and to obtain—is wholly through God's sovereign grace. Be humble.
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