I remember hearing of some great
public occasion at which one speaker tried to silence another by remarking,
"Why, I remember when you used to brush my boots."

 

But the remark had the very
opposite effect to what was intended; for he who had once been the shoe-shine
boy immediately replied, "Yes, sir; and didn’t I do them well?"

 

Now the children of this world
are constantly teaching us that they are wiser in their generation than the
children of light; and we do well to take a leaf out of their book this time,
or rather out of God’s book, for it is there the leaf really is.

 

We have a great truth taught
here; it is that "whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy
might" (Eccl. 9:10). "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the
Lord, and not unto men" (Col. 3:23). If it is the "Lord’s work"
you are doing, do not undertake more than you can do. Rather undertake very
little, but do it well, "do it with thy might," throw your
soul into it; "do it heartily."

 

Quantity appears well in the eyes of the
world and of our brethren; but it is quality God deals with. There is no
getting over the fact that we never read of a reward to the man who has gone
through much work and done many things; but we do read, "Well done,
thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things"
(Matt. 25:21). It may be very little the Lord gives me to do; but very little
though it be, I want to do it well, because it is for Him. How sweet
will it be to hear Him say, "You did it well!"

 

But to do it well applies to my
everyday work just as much as the Lord’s work; indeed, we ought to be able to
call all our work the Lord’s work. It may be in brushing the
boots like the one who did them well, or in sweeping the floors, or mending the
stockings, or cleaning up the house, or bringing a cup of cold water—it matters
not. The Lord says I am to do it heartily; I’m to do it well. It may be my lot
is cast in a factory, a mill, a shop, an office—the same rule applies.
"Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily"; "do it with thy might."

 

An idea seems to prevail that
conversion to God is a sentimental thing that we carry about with us in our
pockets, so to speak, to be brought out at prayer meetings and the like. But it
is nothing of the kind. It is a "new creation" in Christ Jesus; and
the new creation is to manifest itself in everything we do, and
everywhere our lot may be cast; "Always bearing about in the body the
dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in
our body" (2 Cor. 4:10).

 

"But sanctify the Lord God
in your hearts:and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh
you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:having a good
conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be
ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ" (1 Peter
3:15, 16).