Pressing On
Faithfulness is consecration in overalls. It is the steady acceptance and performance of the common duty and immediate task without any reference to personal preferences because it is there to be done and so is a manifestation of the Will of God.
It is Elizabeth Leseur settling down each day to do the household accounts quite perfectly (when she would much rather have been in church) and saying, “The duties of my station come before, everything else.”
It is Brother Lawrence taking his turn in the kitchen, and Saint Francis de Sales taking the burden of a difficult diocese and saying, “I have now little time for prayer, but I do what is the same.”
The fruits of the Spirit get less and less showy as we go on. Faithfulness means continuing quietly with the job we have been given, in the situation where we have been placed; not yielding to the restless desire for change. It means tending the lamp quietly for God without wondering how much longer it has got to go on.
—Evelyn Underhill
The Fruits of the Spirit
Every body at rest atrophies. In other words, when you stop “pressing on” you inevitably slip or regress. This isn’t a mystery. We’ve all experienced it. If you’ve forgotten, stop exercising for a month and then climb back on a treadmill. You’ll be able to measure atrophy by your huffing and puffing! This is true of our physical bodies, it’s true of our spiritual lives, it’s true of our talents and abilities—when they’re not exercised, they cease growing and start to atrophy. Growth is not about being showy but being consistent in your disciplines and humble in your service. God gives the increase. Press on today! —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics