Article July 10, 1915 Issue

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with contributions from Philip S. Moxom

[Rev. Philip S. Moxom in The Christian Register ]

We need to cultivate patience with ourselves. I have no encouragement for such as have sunk into supine contentment with their condition and attainments. They need to be aroused to a holy discontent, to a divine impatience with themselves. Apparently there are such, but they are few compared with the many who needlessly and harmfully fret over their own lot, their own attainments, their own little progress in the art of living. What they wish to achieve in days takes weeks, months, perhaps years. It is well to learn that most progress is made by doing today's task well, seizing today's opportunity, and meeting the present exigency with courage and steadfast loyalty to the highest that one knows.

As to our personal growth in character, if we are faithfully doing our duty, we need not greatly concern ourselves. Yet it is just this matter of personal growth over which many become anxious and despondent. But if we do not always clearly see our defects, neither do we see our points of strength and our actual achievement. Hence the need of patience. It is wise to think less about ourselves and more about our duties and privileges; and if we are amazed and cast down by a sudden preception of unsuspected weakness and unexpected defeat, there is always the possibility of improvement. Trust God and "do out the duty," leaving the issue to God. Then patience with ourselves resolves itself into patience with God, whose workmanship we are. He is making us while we are making ourselves, and if we lend ourselves to His disciplining hand, the workmanship will at last be complete, a worthy result of the long and often weary struggle with sin and pain and sorrow.

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