Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 59, 23 March 1945, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

(Supplied by the Whakatnofe Ministers' Association)

YOUTH AND RELIGION

By Lionel 13. Fletcher

T knew a doctor, who, when lie was a young man and a grocer's felt that he had a call to be a physician. It came upon him —so he told me —like a call from God. 1 he call came through a medical Avho was one of the frequent callers at that grocery store, for he came personally to hand the proprietor order slips that goods' might be lelt with certain poor folk 'whom he was attending, and that they should be left anonymously, and then be put on his account. The young assistant watched for the coming of this benevolent Doctor for something in his. personality fascinated him. He seemed dilferent to most other men. There was a charm about him, a gentleness, yet a great strength and the young man knew that his patients loved him. Moreover he had heard certain stories of how he prayed with some of his patients and yet he was far from being sanctimonious. Finally ? he said to himself: "I want to be like that Doctor." From that thought came another: 'T will be like that Doctor." Immediately came misgiving. How could lie, a poor grocer's working (as in those days they did) long, weary hours, in the store, become a qualified medical man? He did a very wise thing, however for one day as the Doctor was passing into the store on one of his errands of mercy, he hesitatingly asked him if he might come and see him for advice, although he made it. clear that it 'was not medical advice that was needed. The appointment was made immediately, and the fellow 7 laid bare his heart to the man who had Inspired him. He told him that when he had opened his soul to the the genial old- man looked at him and said almost sternly: "Are you prepared to give up everything else to this great purpose —mind t you ; it means giving up everything else?" "Yes, sir " was the reply. "t will pay whatever price is within my power." The Doctor's face softened as he said: "That means you will consecrate your life to this great purpose. If you do that you will succeed. If you compromise you will fail." The grocer's assistant left that surfetry with other advice, as to where to begin and how to begin, and then followed an experience that might make the basis of a thrilling book. He had left school Avlien 12 years of age; he had never earned more than £1 a week; j T et he set bim-

.sell' to pass the entrance examination for the .study of medicine in a great British University,, and to save enough money to see him through the medical at the same time. For long years he toiled. In the process, lie bought the grocery store in which he was an thusmaking himself the master of his hours of labour and bis time of study and finally, at 45 years ol age, with £1000 in the bank, he entered his name as a Medica: Student in the University and at ;>0 years of age lie had taken the first degree, which permitted him to call himsell | a physician. When 1 knew him he was (J5 years ol' age ? with an M.D. after his. name, and he was beloved by the poor folk of the town in which I was a Minister. He said that those 1.") years as a Doctor had been the happiest years he had ever lived f and when lie died at 75 years of age } the poor smothered his grave with flowers and literally watered the earth with their tears of affection. The first demand which the religion of Jesus Christ makes of Youth j is absolute consecration. I am not talking now about the watereddown substitute for Christianity, which is presented by too many people, and to the public today under the guise of religion. I hat it is very popular, L well but it is the greatest enemy which real Christianity has to face, for it, is a substitute and substitutes are generally pernicious in their ultimate results. The farmers who hangs a substitute gate instead of spending the time and money necessary to do the job thoroughly and well { thinking: "Oh that will do for the time being," is a man who generally has substitute fences. and substitute sheds and other things of a similar character. If you examine his property, you will find as the years pass, that it has a thriftless appearance, and eventually that man becomes a bankrupt because his type of mind and method were the enemy of the best way—in the only way—to success. 1 noted this in my days amongst the pioneering farmers of Australia. The thorough man consecrated to his job, succeeded; the other man never did. If it took such utter consecration on the part of our Blessed. Lord that He went to the Cross to die for -our salvation—and it did— then if you are going to be truly his literally carrying out His. work and will for the world, you will never be content with a lew 7 extracts of ethical teaching from the words of Jesus as the sum total of your religion, good as those extracts might be.