...I do not say, Don't play games or cricket and so forth. By all means play and enjoy them, giving thanks to Jesus for them. Only take care that games do not become an idol to you as they did to me. What good will it do to anybody in the next world to have been the best player that ever has been? And then think of the difference between that and winning souls for Jesus.
Interpretation
Enjoy activities like games, but prioritize spiritual pursuits over worldly achievements.
This quote reflects on the balance between enjoying life's pleasures, such as games, and maintaining a focus on spiritual growth and responsibilities. Charles Studd suggests that while it is permissible to engage in recreational activities, one must be wary of allowing these pastimes to overshadow more important pursuits, particularly in the context of one's faith and the impact on others' lives. Ultimately, he emphasizes the significance of spiritual achievements over earthly accolades.
In practice
During a group discussion about values, this quote can emphasize the importance of keeping priorities straight.
I cannot tell you what joy it gave me to bring the first soul to the Lord Jesus Christ. I have tasted almost all the pleasures that this world can give. I do not suppose there is one that I have not experienced, but I can tell you that those pleasures were as nothing compared to the joy that the saving of that one soul gave me.
Christ wants not nibblers of the possible, but grabbers of the impossible, by faith in the omnipotence, fidelity, and wisdom of the Almighty Saviour Who gave the command. Is there a wall in our path? By our God we will leap over it! Are there lions and scorpions in our way? We will trample them under our feet! Does a mountain bar our progress? Saying, 'Be thou cast into the sea,' we will march on. Soldiers of Jesus! Never surrender!
Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of Hell.
I realized that my life was to be one of simple, childlike faith, and that my part was to trust, not to do. I was to trust in Him and He would work in me to do His good pleasure. From that time my life was different.
Real Christians revel in desperate ventures for Christ, expecting from God great things and attempting the same with exhilaration.
No experimental result can ever kill a theory: any theory can be saved from counterinstances either by some auxiliary hypothesis or by a suitable reinterpretation of its terms.
So how, children, does the brain, which lives without a spark of light, build for us a world full of light?
Six feet of dirt make all men equal.
Big tears of frustration and exhaustion were streaming down his cheeks. But because of all the wrinkles, they weren't dripping off. They spread out and ran together again, leaving a watery film over his ruined face.
I mean, what's the elections? You know, two guys, same background, wealth, political influence, went to the same elite university, joined the same secret society where you're trained to be a ruler - they both can run because they're financed by the same corporate institutions.
Anything in any way beautiful derives its beauty from itself and asks nothing beyond itself. Praise is no part of it, for nothing is made worse or better by praise.
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