Character and Conduct – 10 November – Rest

NOW, what is the first step towards the winning of that rest?   It is the giving up of self-will and the receiving of God’s will as our own-and what that means is clear.   It is to make our life at one with God’s character, with justice and purity, with truth and love, with mercy and joy.   It is the surrender of our own pleasure and the making of God’s desire for us the master of our life.   That is the first step – a direction of the soul to God.   The second has to do with mankind.   It is the replacing of all self-love by the love of our fellow-men;  a direction of the soul to God through man.

These two ways are in reality one;  and there is no other way, if we search the whole world over, in which we may attain rest.   Simple as it sounds, it is the very last way many of us seek.   We fight against this truth, and it has to be beaten into us by pain.   Clear as it seems, it is a secret which is as difficult to discover as the Elixir of Life, but it is so difficult because we do not will to discover it.

The Gospel of Joy, STOPFORD BROOKE

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These quotes are from ‘Character and Conduct’ A selection of helpful thoughts from various authors arranged for daily reading.

Collected by Constance M Whishaw and first published in 1905 as a follow up to her volume of Daily Readings for members of the Being and Doing Guild who asked for an additional volume

In her preface Whishaw writes:

‘This collection of noble thoughts expressed by men and women of past and present ages who have endeavoured to leave the world a little better than they found it.’

It is my hope in publishing them here readers may be inspired to imitate the example of the authors.