...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.
The main cause is a pernicious falsehood propagated against her being, namely that she is inferior by her nature. Inferior in what? What has man ever done that woman, under the same advantages could not do?
There are no circumstances imaginable, not even victory, under which the proletariat should give up its possession of arms.
The individual is not accountable to society for his actions in so far as these concern the interests of no person but himself.
A low capacity for getting along with those near us often goes hand in hand with a high receptivity to the idea of the brotherhood of men.
Cease being intimidated by the argument that a right action is impossible because it does not yield maximum profits, or that a wrong action is to be condoned because it pays.
Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I’ve said before, bugs in amber.
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