THE CHRISTIAN IS TO WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY.


"See then that ye walk circumspectly." Eph. 5:15. To walk circumspectly is

to walk cautiously; to look where one is stepping; to be vigilant,

watchful, diligent, attentive. Be our pathway ever so light, if we do not

look where we are stepping, we may stumble. Conybeare and Howson render

the above text in these words: "See then that ye walk without stumbling."

We are to walk not as foolish people but as wise. We would say that the
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man acts foolishly who does not look at all in the way he is walking.

Those who are wise in business walk carefully; they look where they are

going; they take advantage of every opportunity to make their business a

success. In our Christian walk we are to seize upon every opportunity to

make progress. There is no time in this short life for ease. Carelessness

and indolence are dangerous and destructive to spirituality. An indolent

man will never accomplish much for God nor be of any great benefit to his

fellow men. But oh, how easy to become careless!



Many begin the Christian walk in carefulness and diligence, but soon give

place to carelessness and neglect. How prone people are to lose interest

in anything when the new has worn away! They take great interest in the

new preacher, but they will become so familiar with him and so accustomed

to him that they will lose interest. They have never heard any one preach

so well as the new preacher, and what he says has such weight and

authority; but behold, after the new has worn away, he can not preach any

better than any other they have no more regard for his words than they

have for the words of others. There is an old adage which says, "A new

broom sweeps clean." The boy is eager to cut wood with the new ax. A child

will carefully write like the copy for the first few lines; but the

farther down the page, the greater the carelessness. The young lady takes

great interest in the music lessons at first; she wants to practise all

the time; but it soon gets old, and then it is hard to keep up an

interest. The husband is very loving, kind, and attentive to his wife for

a while; but alas! in a little while she becomes old to him, and then he

lets her shift for herself. This need not and should not be; but it seems

to be the nature of man.



In the Christian life there is a strong tendency to let things run down.

Some persons hear a sermon and they are awakened, but they are soon lulled

to sleep again. Perhaps the example of some one has shown them that they



do not pray enough, and they resolve to pray more, but they soon drift

into the same careless way. Maybe they see that they do not read enough

and improve themselves, and they are greatly stirred to do better, but

alas! how soon they allow that resolution to weaken and become as

negligent as ever. Nothing but the greatest diligence and unyielding

determination will save us from getting weary in welldoing. Keep up a

strong faith. Hold your mansion in the skies well in view and let nothing

hinder you in your journey home.



There are professed Christians who, I am sorry to say, never take a good

look at their mansion in heaven, and it is to be feared that many who are

really God's children do not view their home above as often and distinctly

as they should. They see more of temporal things than of eternal things.

It is by faith that we see eternal things, but if we have too keen a

vision for temporal things, it dims our spiritual vision. If you knew you

had a fine home in an adjoining State, and you had never seen it, you

would want some one who had seen it to give you a description of it.

Perhaps you would want a photograph of it. You would take a look at the

picture often, and would learn all about it you could, and would think of

the time when you could go and live there. Now, Jesus tells you that he

has prepared a mansion for you in heaven. He does not tell you much about

it, but you know full well that a mansion that Jesus prepares is perfect

and complete. Why not think much about this mansion? why not view it often

by faith? why not learn all about it you can? Getting too much engaged

with the things of this life is the reason why. To walk circumspectly is

to see that every step bears us heavenward, to have our faces set toward

God, to have our eternal home in view, and to be journeying that way. We

are not to be sauntering along, but to be industriously living for God and

heaven.



How often have you decided that you would be more prayerful, would read

more, would love God more, and the souls of men, would do more for the

cause of God! How often you have decided to walk more worthily of God, to

be more patient, to live a higher life, to be slower to speak, to

cultivate a spirit of love and kindness, to be more like Jesus! You

started out well and with great diligence, but alas! ere long you became

weary in well-doing; you became less vigilant; you did not walk so

carefully and were less attentive to your way. One day a circumstance

occurred that caused a brother to see that he was not as attentive to

others as he should be and let many opportunities of helping others in

little things go by unimproved. He decided that he would be more watchful,

and thus be more helpful; but, as he said, he soon became as negligent as

ever. Time after time he resolved and as often became negligent. Do not be

discouraged. A little more determination, a little more faith in God for

help, and you will triumph.



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