WHAT IS OUR MOTIVATION?
WHAT is the motivation behind our service in the cause of God?
Many might be mentioned, but the one that is most vital is set forth by the apostle Paul: "The love of Christ constraineth us." This in reality is saying, "The love of Christ in our hearts compels us to work above and beyond the call of duty and even beyond the expectation of any other worker in any other capacity." We must be willing to give, to work, to spend, and to live without regard to personal cemi'ort, safety, or convenience. We must be moved by the love of Christ to work day and night in willing, joyful service for others. We must give ourselves without reservation to advance the work of His kingdom. This must be uppermost in our minds, and everything else must be of secondary importance. Our concern will not be wages, rewards, recognition, or position. We will not care who gets the credit. We will do our honest best so that we may reveal the love of Christ in everything we do. We will become so committed to Him that our greatest joy and our sense of fulfillment will be found in total involvement with our Lord and His sacred work. This will color our attitude toward people, the world, the church and its activities and goals. The love of Christ constrains us to make full dedication of life, time, talent, and means to the finishing of His glorious work. We thrill at the challenge and gratefuly engage in the task.
N. R. D.
HELIOTROPISM
THE heads of men today are pivoting, whirling, and turning toward everything under the sun. Like distracted ants, mankind swarms to and fro over our globe engaging mostly in the trivial and unimportant.
In the world of nature, even the flowers exhibit better judgment than most humans. Certain plants, such as the sunflower, through the interesting phenomenon called heliotropism turns and lifts its face toward the rising sun and accurately tracks it across the sky, absorbing its warmth and light right down to the last moments of sunset time.
A divine heliotropism on the minister's part would surely produce results. Clarity of goals, disentanglement from the world, watchdogging our time, are prerequisites for this experience. To set our faces toward the Sun of Righteousness from morning until night demands constant care for the things of the spirit.
Youthful Jesus defined this divine heliotropism by declaring to His perplexed parents, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49). What better question could we preachers ask of those who wittingly or unwittingly seek to distract us from our task of witnessing? In the judgment our citation of circumstances or environment for our failure to carry out the gospel commission will be unacceptable excuses. Responsibility for focusing attention on our divine Leader and His commands is ours and ours alone.
J. R. S.
BLOWING IN THE WIND
THERE is a well-known folk song that poses problem after problem and leaves listener and singer just as confused at the end of the lyric as at the beginning, for, having filled one's mind with a variety of issues, the singer can only assure us that "the answer is blowing in the wind."
There is a well-known television quiz program entitled "Issues and Answers." After listening through the years to this highly informative program, my own- conclusion is that they pose more issues than answers, and that the guests selected sometimes spend more time evading answers than giving them.
Our world is full of problems, and most of us are aware of them. We need little preaching that will simply tell the world how bad it is without proposing solutions to our delinquency. The great need of the world today is for answers. The often frantic search for satisfaction in forbidden paths is but a pathetic cry of needy souls for "solutions"!
Thank God, the Bible does give answers and the Scriptures hold solutions. You, man of God, do you believe this? Do you believe in your message? Do you believe in your Master? Do you believe in your movement? Then give the world the answers that it seeks. It matters not that they ignore you, or reject you, or persecute you. Give the message you must, and now, or a million souls will rise up at the last judgment and curse you to your face.
E. E. C.
Survey Reports 463 U.S. Priests Left Ministry in Eight-Month Period
At least 463 U.S. Roman Catholic priests resigned from the active ministry in the eight-month period from January 1 to September 1, according to an official survey compiled in New York. The National Association for Pastoral Renewal, which conducted the survey, said that its figures were undoubtedly incomplete and the 463 men whose names were compiled and verified could be considered only a part of the actual, unknown total.
R. N. S.
