SERVICE AND MEEKNESS

-Spurgeon, "Rest, Rest" "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart..." Matthew 11:29 If I actively labor for Christ I can only find rest in the labor, by possessing the meek spirit of my Lord. For if I go forth to labor for Christ without a meek spirit, I shall very soon find that there is no rest in it, for the yoke will gall my shoulder. Somebody will begin objecting that I do not perform my work according to his liking. If I am not meek I shall find my proud spirit rising at once, and shall be for defending myself; I shall be irritated, or I shall be discouraged and inclined to do no more, because I am not appreciated as I should be. A meek spirit is not apt to be angry, and does not soon take offence. Therefore if others find fault, the meek spirit goes working on, and is not offended-- it will not hear the sharp word, nor reply to the severe criticism. If the meek spirit be grieved by some cutting censure and suffers for a moment, it is always ready to forgive and blot out the past, and go on again. The meek spirit, in working, only seeks to do good to others; it denies itself; it never expected to be well treated; it did not aim at being honored; it never sought itself, but purposed only to do good to others. The meek spirit does not look to be exalted-- it is fully contented if it can exalt Christ and do good to his chosen ones. Your labor will become very easy if your spirits are very meek. It is the proud spirit that gets tired of doing good if it finds its labors not appreciated.