The eye of GOD is ever upon us!
A flower blooms no more sweetly,
because it is gazed at by an admiring
crowd. It would be just as lovely, if it
grew in the depths of a great forest
where no eye ever saw it.
The stars look down with as much
brilliancy into the desert, where
no one looks up at them--
as into the streets of the great
city where thousands behold them.
The sea breaks with as much
majesty on an uninhabited shore--
as where its waves kiss the feet
of multitudes.
It is just so in all true Christian
life and work. When one is doing
any great thing, and shows by his
attitude that he is conscious of it--
more than half the greatness
is gone from the performance.
When a man knows that he
is living a life that is very
great in its service, when
he is conscious that he
is being noticed by others--
much of the glory is gone
from his life. We should live
just as sweetly and beautifully
when no one is looking upon us
to see our deed and praise our life--
as when all the world is beholding.
The eye of GOD is ever upon us, and
it is HIS approval and commendation
that we should always seek to deserve.
It is said of the great sculptor,
Michael Angelo, that when at work
he wore a little lamp fastened on
his cap, in order that no shadow
of himself might fall upon his work.
Just so, we need to take care that
no shadows of ourselves, of our pride,
our ambition, our self-seeking--
shall fall upon our work for CHRIST.
To labor in Christian work, that
we ourselves may have the glory--
is to dim and darken the beauty
of all we do, and also to make
ourselves vessels unfit for
the MASTER'S use.
We are ready for the most
sacred of all ministries--
only when we are content
to be nothing, that CHRIST
may be all in all.
of righteousness' before men, to be
seen by them. If you do, you will have
no reward from your FATHER in heaven.
So when you give to the needy, do not
announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and on the streets--
to be honored by men. I tell you the truth,
they have received their reward in full.
But when you give to the needy, do not
let your left hand know what your right
hand is doing, so that your giving may
be in secret. Then your FATHER, who
sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Matthew 6:1-4
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