One day I was standing outside the meeting-house with a little company of brethren when Uncle John came walking out, smiling as usual and praising the Lord. One of the brethren said to him, “Uncle John, how does it come that you are always so happy and never seem to get into trouble?” He stopped and looked at the speaker with a broad smile and answered, “I just praise the Lord and mind my own business.” He turned and walked away, but his words lingered in my ears and were indelibly impressed upon my memory. His secret was very simple but very effective. And thus he went on smiling, praising the Lord and minding his own business, and he was “Happy John” even to the end. Many years ago he went to his reward, but the lesson that I learned that day has never been lost.
Uncle John’s rule for keeping out of trouble seemed very simple. It looks very easy to mind one’s own business, but it is one of the hardest things in the world to do, because it is one of the hardest things in the world for us to be willing to do. The Scripture says, “Every fool will be meddling,” and it is so hard for some folks not to act like fools, anyway in this particular respect, even though they are ever so wise. The affairs of others are so interesting to them! This is a very human trait but it sometimes leads to unpleasant consequences.
God knew the failing of people on this line, so He said, “...Study to be quiet, and to do your own business.” I Thessalonians 4:11. You have, no doubt, studied a great many lessons, but have you studied this particular one? It is evident that many have not yet learned this, if they have studied over it. Probably they do not know that it requires studying. Possibly they never thought of it as being an object for study. But it is. We shall never graduate in the school of wisdom until we study this lesson and learn it thoroughly. “Study to be quiet, and to do your own business.”
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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When you make promises, keep them. They are a test of your character. I do not mean that you should be under bondage to your promises. Sometimes we fully believe we can and will perform them, but later find that it is impossible. In such a case we should explain matters and so relieve the mind of the one to whom the promise was made, and show him that the failure to make good our word is not due to neglect or unwillingness. Keep your business promises. Many persons get into debt and promise to pay and then just let things drift along. This is wrong. Pay your debts when you agree to or give a reason for not doing so and let it be a reason, not an excuse. If you promise to do work for someone, do it. Keep your promise, if you must sacrifice to do so.
Many parents are very careless and inconsiderate regarding their promises to their children. Children will “tease” for things if allowed. Too many times parents make promises that they do not expect ever to fulfill, just to be rid of the children’s asking. Children soon learn the value of such promises, and they learn the value of your character. Do not lie to your children; do not make promises to them unless you mean them. If you make promises to them and then are not able to keep them, value your word enough and their respect enough to explain to them the reason.
Reader, what is your word worth? What value do you place on it? What value do others place on it? What value does God place on it? God wants you to “speak the truth, and lie not.” Your standing, your influence, your usefulness—all depend upon your faithfulness, and if you are faithful you will be faithful to your promises. Think seriously over these things. If you are at fault, set about to amend. Such a fault will be a blight upon your life and upon your character until it is corrected. When the Psalmist pictures a righteous man, he says that he “sweareth [promiseth] to his own hurt, and changeth not.” Are you that sort of righteous person?
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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Do not make too many promises. He who is too free to promise places little value upon his promises. He forgets them readily or lets some trifle hinder the performance of them. He always has a ready excuse to ease his conscience and to release himself from the obligation. This indicates a want of character, a lack of real sincerity.
When you make a promise, do not forget it; do not break it. Never disappoint people when you can help it. They feel disappointment as keenly as you do. There is an old saying that “promises are like pie crust—made to be broken.” Are your promises of the pie crust variety?
Possibly you have heard the story of the old deacon. A man came to him one day to endeavor to get him to fulfill a promise that he had made. The deacon refused. The other urged and entreated him, but still he refused and finally said, “The Bible says that we should let our words be yea, yea, and nay, nay, and my words are so.” “Yes,” quickly retorted the other, “when you are asked to make a promise, they are yea, yea, but when you are asked to fulfill it, they are nay, nay.” This is one brand of yea and nay Christians, but not the kind in whom God delights or man trusts.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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Do not make careless promises. The Bible tells us that in our planning we should say, “If the Lord will;” that is, we should take into consideration that the unexpected may happen. We do not know the future; therefore we ought not to make our promises too positive. We ought to qualify them so as to allow for hindrances.
We ought to be honest in making our promises. Many promises are made when there is no intention of carrying them out. Many people, rather than say no, will promise and then refuse to perform, thereby making themselves liars. They have not manhood enough to refuse and honestly tell why, so they make a promise and break it. That is the coward’s way out. It is the dishonest way out.
Some people say, “If the Lord wills, I will do so,” when they do not consider the Lord in the matter at all, but simply mean, “If I do not change my mind.” Do not throw the odium on the Lord. If you think you may change your mind, do not commit yourself definitely. If you are not fully decided, do not be afraid to say that you do not know what you will do. Be honest enough to let the other know the state of your mind. Be honest in making promises; be honest in fulfilling them.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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Many times promises are made hastily. The person does not stop to consider what he really is promising; he does not weigh its meaning. He says, “Yes, yes, I will,” but later, when he thinks the matter over, it looks different to him. He is sorry that he made the promise and begins to look for some way out so that he will not have to fulfill it.
These hasty promises are just as binding as any others. If we ignore them and do not make our word good, the persons to whom we have made them will have just reason to condemn us. It is easier to make promises than it is to fulfill them. Beware of making haste to promise. Think about the fulfillment. Think whether you really want to do, or really will do, what you promise. Consider your promises binding. Have the fear of God before you, just as much in this matter as in other things. If you wish people to value your word, you must show that you value it yourself. If you do not value it enough to keep it, do not expect others to value it. If you value your word, it will make you careful about your promises—careful in making them, careful in keeping them. Do not make rash promises. Consider what you are promising. Is it something that you can perform? Consider your ability and what things may hinder. Have you any just reason to suppose that you can fulfill it? Would it be wise for you to do it? Would it be best? Have you made other promises that will conflict with it? Remember that when you once promise, if you do not keep your word, your failure leaves a shadow upon your character in the mind of the one you promised, unless there is some good and sufficient reason to excuse you in his sight.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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The quality of one’s character is indicated in various ways. One’s words are generally a clear index to one’s character. A person is judged by them, and his value is reckoned by the reliance that may be placed upon his word. We know some on whose word we fully rely. If they tell us anything, we believe them. If they make us a promise, we do not expect it to be broken. We rely upon them because they have shown by their conduct that they themselves place a high value upon their own word. Of such persons, it is often said, “If he says it is so, it is true,” or, “If he makes a promise, he will fulfill it.” Such men wield a strong influence in a community. People can easily believe and trust in their character. It is a sad fact that such individuals are the exception rather than the rule, even among professed Christians. How many times promises are made only to be broken or forgotten! This is a grave matter and marks a serious defect in Christian character. We should never make a promise unless we fully expect to fulfill it, and we ought to feel under deep obligation to keep our promise. If we are careless and neglectful of this, it is sure to lower us in men’s esteem, and we shall be cheapened and discredited.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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We are told that “no man liveth unto himself.” There is a circle of influence about our lives that affects every other life that we touch. We brighten or darken the lives about us. Every unkind word or look makes a shadow on some life. Every slighting remark, every sarcastic fling, every contemptuous smile puts a cloud over somebody’s sun. Lack of appreciation has darkened many a life. How much better it would be to take away the clouds, to banish the gloom! You can do this just as easily as you can bring clouds. It is just as easy to speak kind words as to speak unkind ones, and you will feel much better over it yourself. You can encourage and help, you can speak words of appreciation. When people please, you let them know it. When people do well, or even when they try to do well and fail, you can show that you appreciate their efforts. You can be cheerful and courteous and kind. That will make sunshine for others. There are enough clouds in life, at best, in this world of sorrow. Be a sunshine-bearer. Drop a little good cheer into every life you touch. No matter what you are by nature, you can form the habit of being cheerful and encouraging. Even when you have heavy burdens yourself, you can be encouraging and helpful to others.
Do not let your troubles be mirrored on your face. One’s face can smile and his words can be cheery, if his own heart does ache. I am not writing a mere theory. I know what pain and gloom and heaviness are. I know what burdens are. During the first few months of my illness, everyone knew how I felt. My face told the story without words. I finally saw that that would not do and deliberately set to work to get the gloom out of my face and out of my words. You who read what I write know something of my success. You can do the same.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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A faithful minister had labored for years for souls. He had been successful; he had been a blessing to many. One day a certain person spoke of him, half jestingly, in a manner that aroused the suspicions of some others who were present. These suspicions grew until they became whispers, and the whispers grew until they became open charges. The minister could not prove them to be false. They hindered his labors. They bowed down his head with sorrow. Someone had put a cloud over his sun and over his name and for years the dark shadow of it rested upon his life.
How easy it is to put a cloud over someone’s sun, to make some life dark that might have been bright! It may seem only a little thing, but sometimes a little cloud can make a dark shadow. We may not see either the cloud or the shadow, but the heart that is darkened both sees and feels. How many times parents, by unkind words or actions, becloud their children’s sky! One way in which parents do this is by telling the faults of their children to visitors, in the presence of the children. There is scarcely anything more disheartening to a child than this. He feels humiliated and hurt. He feels, and justly feels, that he has been mistreated. It sinks down into his soul and rankles there. It discourages him, and if it is often repeated he comes not to care if he is at fault. Constant reproof and faultfinding make a child’s life gloomy and sad. That is not the way to cure faults; it is the way to make them worse.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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