Anxious for Nothing.
Likely as not some one will say, "We knew all that before. But how are we going to quit worrying? That"s what we need to be told." Well, I can tell you. Sometimes a man speaks cautiously, but here one can speak with great positiveness. There are three simple rules how not to worry. They are infallible. I heard of a society whose purpose it was to cure worry. There were _thirty-seven_ rules, I think. It would worry some of us a good bit to memorize any such length of instruction as that. The remedy seems to be on a high shelf. And in standing up on a chair and reaching there is some danger that the chair may tip over and the last state not be an improvement on the first.
But here are three very simple rules, easy to follow, and they will never fail. They are not my rules, that is, not of my making, or I might not be speaking so positively. They are given by the blessed Holy Spirit, through our dear old friend Paul. In Philippians, chapter four, verses six and seven, are the words that contain the rules: "In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto G.o.d. And the peace of G.o.d, which pa.s.seth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus."
The first rule is this, _anxious for nothing._ In other words, _don"t_ worry. Deliberately refuse to think about annoying things. Set yourself against being disturbed by disturbing things. Say to yourself, it is useless, it has bad results, it is sinful, it is reproaching my Master, I _won"t._ That is the first simple rule.
Thankful for Anything.
The second helps to carry out the first. It is this, _thankful for anything._ Thanksgiving and praise are always a.s.sociated with singing.
When you feel the worry mood creeping on--it is a mood that attacks you--when it comes sing something, especially something with Jesus" name in it. These temptations to worry are from the Evil One. He can come in only through an _open_ door. Remember that. Yet the open doors seem plenty. Even when we trustingly and resolutely keep every door of evil shut the circle in which we move will open doors upon us. Singing something with Jesus" name in it sends him or any of his brood off quickly. They hate that Name of their Conqueror. They get away from the sound of it as fast as they can.
A friend was calling upon another and began pouring out a stream of personal woes. This had gone wrong, and this, and this other would go wrong. Everything was wrong. And her friend, who knew her quite well, had her get a pencil and paper and asked her if possibly there was _one_ thing for which she could be thankful. Reluctantly from her lips came the mention of some particular thing for which she felt indeed grateful. Then a second was gradually recalled, and then more. And as the train of thought grew on her she suddenly asked, "Why was I so despondent when I came in? Everything seems so changed."
It"s a fine thing to go about one"s work singing some hymn with praise in it, and with Jesus" name in it. And if singing may not always be allowable under all circ.u.mstances, you can _hum_ a tune. And that brings up to the memory the words connected with it. I know of a woman who was much given to worrying. She made it a rule to sing the long-meter doxology whenever things seemed not right. Ofttimes she could hardly get her lips shaped up to begin the first words. But she would persist. And by the time the fourth line came it was ringing out and her atmosphere had changed without and within.
This was David"s rule. He said: "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage."[18] He is not speaking of the time when he was acknowledged king over both Judah and all Israel, when the fortress of Jerusalem was his own capital. No, he is talking of the earlier days of his _pilgrimage_. When he was being hunted over the Judean fastnesses by King Saul. When with his band of faithful men he was ever fleeing for his life. He slept in caves and dens or out in the open, and always with one eye open. There he used to sing G.o.d"s praises. A messenger would come breathlessly in some morning with the news that Saul was just over yonder ravine with a thousand men. And as David planned what best to do, and arranged his men, he would be singing.
Maybe he would sing that Twenty-third Psalm:
"For Thou art with me; and Thy rod And staff me comfort still."
Or, maybe sometimes,
"To Thee I lift my soul; O Lord, I trust in Thee: My G.o.d, let me not be ashamed Nor foes triumph o"er me."
Or, likely, he often sang:
"The Lord"s my light and saving health; Who shall make me dismayed?
My life"s strength is the Lord; of whom Then shall I be afraid?"
Or if perhaps Ezra wrote this psalm it takes one back to his weary, dangerous journey over from Babylon to Jerusalem and the very difficult work he was undertaking in Jerusalem in reorganizing the life of the people again. He used to sing on the way, and through all his difficulties.
It is a great rule.
"When the day is gloomy Sing some happy song; Meet the world"s repining With a courage strong."
Some one asked me if whistling would do. She was a busy housewife and said that was her rule. I have gone to singing myself. But maybe whistling is just as good. I"m inclined to favor giving it a place within the range of this rule.
There"s a bit of deep, simple philosophy here. Music is divine. There is no music in the headquarters of the enemy. He has used it a great deal on the earth. That"s a bit of his cunning. But he always has to steal it from G.o.d"s sphere, and work it over to suit his own crafty purposes. Music, singing, is an open doorway for the Spirit of G.o.d to come in, and come in anew and move freely. Its sweet harmonies found their birth in the presence of G.o.d where sweetest harmonies reign. Lovers of music should be lovers of G.o.d, for He is the one great Master-musician.
When Elisha was asked to prophesy victory for Israel over the enemy at one time, he refused. He was not in harmony with this king nor his a.s.sociates.
His spirit refused to respond to their request. But at their urgent request he yielded, and called for a musician. And as the strains of music fell upon his ear and entered into his spirit he felt the divine presence and influence anew. We should use the musician more in our days of battle. And G.o.d has wonderfully provided every one of us with a music-box of sweet melodies. If we would only open the lid, and let frequent use wear off the rust, and sing His praise more. In music G.o.d speaks to us anew with great power. This is the second rule, _thankful for anything_.
Prayerful about Everything.
The third rule helps to make both first and second effective. These three are closely interwoven. They always work together. Each suggests the other two. They are an interwoven trinity. The third is this, _prayerful about everything_. There are some unusually fine bits from the old Book to help here. Referring to the discipline which G.o.d"s love makes Him use, David says: "For His anger is but for a moment: His _favor_ is for _a lifetime_.
Weeping _may_ come in to lodge at even, but joy cometh in the morning."[19] There _may_ be weeping. There _shall_ be joy. Weeping won"t stay long.
There"s a morning coming, always a morning coming, with the sunshine and the chorus of the birds. Love"s discipling touch that seems at the moment like anger is only for a moment. (The printer wanted to change that word discipling to disciplining; but G.o.d"s tenderness comes to us anew when we realize that _disciplining_ with its sharp edge means the same as _discipling_ with its softer warmer touch.) The loving favor is for always, a lifetime of eternal life.
Again David says, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall _sustain_ thee."[20] The margin explains that the thing that weighs as a burden is something G.o.d has given us. He has sent it or allowed it to come. He has strong purpose in all He does. Here the promise is not that the burden will be removed, but that He will pick up both you and your burden into His arms and carry both. Many a man has praised G.o.d for the burden that made him know the tender touch of strong arms.
The same thing is repeated in the Sixty-eighth Psalm[21] with tender variations. "Blessed be the Lord who day by day beareth our burden."
Probably Peter knew a good bit about this subject. His temperament was of the impulsive sort that knows quick squalls at sea. But he had learned how to ride through them undisturbed to the calmer waters. He says, "Casting all your anxiety upon Him because He careth for you."[22] The force of the French version is said to be "_unloading_ your anxiety upon Him." Back the cart up, tilt it over, let down the tail-board, let it all slip out over upon Him. The literal reading of that last half is, "_He has you on His heart_."
"Is not this enough alone For the gladness of the day?"
But many of us have an inner feeling that some matters are too small, too trivial to take to G.o.d. We will take the great things, the serious things to Him and find the help needed. But it seems childish almost to be bothering the great G.o.d about trifling details, we are apt to think. We are even annoyed with ourselves to think that we have allowed such petty things to make us lose our balance and control. We want to underscore and italicize this fact: _if a thing is big enough to concern you, it is not too small for Him "because He has you on His heart_." For _your_ sake He is eager to help in anything, however small in itself it may seem.
Indeed it is the little things that fret and tease and nag so. The big things are more easily handled. But the little insectivorous details that will not down! Have you ever had this experience? You have retired on a hot summer night, tired and heavy with sleep. You are almost off when a mosquito that in some inexplicable way has eluded all screens and nettings comes singing its way about your face. It is just one. It seems so small.
If it were only big enough to hit, something worthy of one"s strength. But the mean little nagging specimen seems to elude every effort of yours.
Maybe you take calm, deliberate measures to end its existence, but meanwhile you are thoroughly aroused and lose quite a bit of the sleep you need.
Just such a mosquito warfare do the little cares make upon one"s strength, frittering it away. It cannot be too insistently repeated that whatever is big enough to cause me any thought is not too small for my G.o.d. He is concerned because I am concerned.
A Steamer Chair for His Friend.
It helps immensely here to recall the necessary qualities of a great executive, one who is concerned about the conduct of large affairs. There are two great qualities absolutely needful in any one occupying such a position. There must be the ability to grasp the whole scheme involved, and to keep one"s finger upon every detail, as well. G.o.d is a great executive, _the_ great executive of the universe. He planned the vast scheme of worlds making up the universe, and every detail. The whole universe in its immensity, and the intricacy of its movements, is kept in motion by Him. And every detail down to the smallest, the falling of one of the smallest birds, is ever under His thoughtful eye and touch. And He is our G.o.d. He has each of us on His heart.
We may learn of G.o.d by looking at man, made in His image. A story is told of a merchant well known on both sides of the water, ill.u.s.trating this.
His business interests are very extensive, with great stores in three of the world"s great cities. He has displayed great genius for controlling the details of his vast enterprise. It is said that at one time when his business was developing its greatness, this was his habit. He would come to a clerk"s desk unexpectedly and, sitting down quietly, note the transactions that came along. Here was a sales slip; three yards of calico, seven cents per yard, twenty-one cents; a bolt of tape, three cents, total twenty-four cents; cash fifty cents, twenty-six cents change.
He would very quietly note the calculations, and call attention to any inaccuracies.
He might stay there a half-hour. Then he was away again. It was never known when he might come, nor where. He was always marked for his genial courtesy toward all his employees. That was his habit for years, I am told. His talent for details amounts to positive genius. And with this goes the ability to originate and build up and keep ever growing his vast business operations. And this man is but one of a very large cla.s.s in our day of specialized organization. This faculty of controlling both the whole, and each detail, is a bit of the image of G.o.d in these men. Only man is ever less than G.o.d. The best organization slips sometimes, somewhere. But G.o.d never fails. Each of us is personal to Him. He can think of each as though there were no other needing His thought, and He does.
A little incident is told of George Muller of Bristol, England. He is the man who taught the whole world anew how to trust G.o.d. Poor in his own holdings, he expended millions of dollars in caring for orphans, supporting missionaries, and distributing printed truth. He never asked any man for money nor made any needs known. He trusted G.o.d for all and for each. The two thousand and more orphans, and the cutting of his quill pen were alike subjects of prayer with him.
At one time, in the course of his missionary travels around the world, he was embarking on an ocean voyage. He was an old man at the time, and accompanied by a young man who attended to the details of travel. After they had boarded the steamer his companion came up hurriedly to say that the steamer chair for Mr. Muller"s use was not on board and he could not get any trace of it. It would of course be a very necessary convenience for the steamer trip. Mr. Muller inquired if the proper notice had been sent to have it on board. Yes, all had been done that should have been done. And now the time was very short.
Mr. Muller breathed a quiet prayer, and then said to his companion not to be disturbed, that he felt sure it would be on hand in time. The attendant went off again to see what could be done, came back evidently annoyed at the possibility of his elder distinguished companion being inconvenienced.
But Mr. Muller quieted him with the a.s.surance that the chair would come.
They stood at the side rail above, overlooking the dock.
At the very last moment, just as the hawsers were about to be thrown off, and the gang plank pulled away, a truck of luggage was hurriedly run on board, and on top of the pile the friends watching above could plainly see a steamer chair with G. M. marked on it. Mr. Muller, standing in his group of friends, looked up past them and quietly said, "Father, I thank Thee."
Was G.o.d in that simple occurrence? He surely was. He was concerned that His faithful friend should have the chair for his bodily comfort. Man"s arrangements seemed in danger of slipping. His overruling touch was put in for His friend"s sake. A chair wasn"t too small for G.o.d because it was for His friend, Mr. Muller.