How to Win Our Loved Ones continued Lord. For it was not until after a series of meetings in which I had to face up to some things I needed to do in my own life, that convic tion began to come to my husband.” Here is their story with the Scrip ture references which they consid ered to have a bearing on it. one who is to be a “fisher of men” must use as much sense in the selection of and in the placing of his bait as the trout fisherman. A thoughtless, roughshod approach has no place in this specialized, pre cision work.
to win her husband may need to cultivate some interest in her hus band’s work and give him praise for every advancement; may need to be willing to go on a camping expedition, even though she may have a natural aversion to bugs and snakes; may need to learn enough about football or baseball so that she can at least listen intelligently. The Apostle Paul had a word for it: “All things to all men, that I might win some.” Another quality of the mature Christian p e r s o n a l i t y so much needed in those who expect to win others for Christ is inner poise! The natural reaction to this chaotic era is to indulge in worry and fear. Science has unleashed forces that threaten to destroy mankind; self ishness and the greed of men threaten his economic security; shocking acts of delinquency and immo r a l i t y threaten the mo r a l structure. It is no wonder that fear and anxiety generated by these events have resulted in an alarming increase of mental disorders. But in spite of such circum stances, there is no excuse for the Christian to operate on the same level as the worldling, for Christ teaches us implicitly that faith and trust must replace worry and fear. All of our much talking about trusting in the Lord is but hollow mockery if we worry and fret just like any one else. Inner poise can only come from a life of day by day faith and trust. Often living with our unsaved loved ones is not easy. Frequently it would appear that they are being difficult just to aggravate, to trip us up, to make us stumble so that they can make light of our profession. We are tempted to anger, to be come impatient; but here is the opportunity to demonstrate super natural grace which will bring con viction to them. Of course we live in difficult times. For that matter, every gen eration has. The very nature of liv-
A lady in a certain church, at prayer meeting, would exhort the people to join her in her prayers for the salvation of her husband and family. He was a local busi nessman. But her habit of discuss ing the gossip of the local congre gation along with her laments over being removed as church pianist did not impress the family with the quality of her profession. T he trite, cynical statement that the home is where we love each other the most and treat each other the worst, is too often true of those who are praying for unsaved loved ones. The home should be a place of courtesy. The one who is seeking to win his loved ones should prac tice deeds of thoughtfulness and k i n d n e s s . The habit of saying “Thank-you” for little things is golden. Other-centeredness is essential to a winsome life. The exhortation of the Apostle Paul, “Think not every man on his own things, but every man on the things of others” is a command to keep us from self- centeredness. The person who in fluences another for Christ cares for more than his soul, although this is of major importance. He must also care for him as a person — his likes and his dislikes, his interests and hobbies. The unsaved one may show little interest or con cern for spiritual things and for the new loves and interests of the Christian in the church. But this is no excuse for the Christian to retaliate by being so absorbed in the work of the church that he or she has no time for the interests of the one who is in need of the Sav iour. The Christian wife who wants
“ 1. The spiritual condition of the saved p a r t n e r before the Lord needs to be examined first (Ps. 34: 18; 66:18). 2. A quiet testimony in the home is essential — wherein the wife (if saved) should be sub jected to her head (the husband) in all things (1 Pet. 3:1). 3. ‘Count all things loss’ (Phil. 3:8-10). After the days of conviction on my hus band’s part and much strain, God brought me to the end of myself and it was when I could pray from the depths of my soul, ‘Lord, use me whatever the cost!’ that God began , t h a t mome n t , to work . Praise His name. The end result was a soul bom into God’s family (Gal. 4:19).” The Price They Paid is the name of a little booklet telling of the con ditions that brought revival to dif ferent mission areas. Invariably the missionary found that the first obstacle to revival was not the hard ness of the hearts of the people, but the lack of a surrendered self on the part of the missionary. When there was complete s u r r e n d e r , “rivers of living water” began to flow and impossible situations be came the “proving grounds” for the working of the power of God. Only as our inner attitudes are in har mony with God’s standards are we in a position to be channels for His power. Then, and only then, can we prevail in intercessory prayer. Faith and consecration must be accompanied by the outward prac tices of a mature p e r s o n a l i t y . Among these practices, tact and good judgment rate high. Some seem to possess a higher degree, naturallv, than others; however, the Scriptures enjoin us to pray for wisdom and understanding. The
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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