Week Fifty - Dirty Fingers

I have been reading this year from Spurgeon's devotional collection entitled Morning and Evening. Tom and I enjoy reading from the same devotion book because it gives us things to discuss. We have been reading only the morning ones while on furlough, and when the New Year comes, we will switch to reading the evening ones. Anyway, as I read the devotion on 2 Corinthians 6:17, I just couldn't cut it down, so I will share most of it with you. I hope it challenges your heart as it challenged mine.

He writes,

"The Christian, while in the world, is not to be of the world. He should be distinguished from it in the great object of his life. To him, "to live," should be "Christ." Whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does, he should do all to God's glory. You may store up treasures; but store them up in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. You may strive to be rich; but let your ambition be to be "rich in faith," and good works. You may have pleasure; but when you are merry, sing psalms and make melody in your hearts to the Lord. In your spirit, as well as in your aim, you should differ from the world. Waiting humbly before God, always conscious of His presence, delighting in communion with Him, and seeking to know His will, you will prove that you are of the heavenly race. And you should be separate from the world in your actions. If something is right, though you may lose by it, it must be done; if it is wrong, though you would gain by it, you must scorn the sin for your Master's sake. You must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Walk worthy of your high calling and dignity. Remember, O Christian, that you are a child of the King of kings. Therefore, keep yourself unspotted from the world. Do not dirty the fingers which are soon to sweep celestial string; do not let your eyes, which are soon to see the King in His beauty, become the windows of lust - do not let those feet, which are soon to walk the golden streets, be defiled in muddy places - do not let those hearts which are before long to be filled with heaven and to overflow with ecstatic joy, be filled with pride and bitterness."

And so the challenge is before us. In this world of darkness are we shining a clear light? Is our walk different, our words seasoned with salt, and our joys placed on heavenly things? We are bound for an eternal, holy kingdom. Are we keeping our eyes on the heavenly goal or dirtying our fingers digging in the dirt here below?