UNDER THE COUNTER

Lake County Mail, Issue 10, 30 July 1947, Page 3

UNDER THE COUNTER

One day a lady went along to the grocer and said, “How’s your back this morning, Mr So-and-so? ” Tlie grocer being delighted with such a solicitous question replied, “quite well thank you.” “Then just bend down and get me a packet of cigarettes from under the counter please,” said the customer. Yes, one of the modern phrases that has come into our language is this « under the counter,” and we all know from experience what it means. It means that the tradespeople keep goods that are in short supply under the counter for their best and regular customers. 1 am quite sure that the tradespeople long for the day when they can display all the goods they have for sale and do not have to keep things for special people —for one reason it tends to a spirit of favouritism, and another I reason it makes for jealousy and envy .■’among customers. Many of us, I am afraid, keep oui best points under the counter we show our good side only to those near and dear to us —and not always to them. We have smiles and kind feelings for those we know best. If we have a gift for music, we keep it for home consumption only and do not use our gifts for the glory of God or the benefit of others. We hide our light under a bushel, i.e.’, the corn measure. Not .that we should always be blowing our own trumpet, far from that, but God has given us gifts which we should be willing to use, to His glory. That is bad enough, to keep our kind deeds, our smiles and friendship under the counter, but many do the same with their religion—they bring it out for certain favoured customers —they will never display their religion nor bear witness to their faith. I dislike a false and cheap display of religion as much as you do, but there are times when we should stand up for our religion, when we should boar witness to the faith that is in us. Yes, when we meet our mates at football, or ski-ing, do we laugh with them about th'c Church and church-going, or do we silence them by saying that we will not be able to go out with them at least until after the service at church is ended?- “ let your light so shine before men,” and your light is the reflected light of the God you worship. “ I am the light of the world,” said our Lord, and the duty of Christians is to reflect that light as a mirror reflects the light of the sun. I am always a little suspicious of the over-pious, who brag about how good they are because they go to church so frequently. You wonder why? Well, because if they brag about what they do for God and His Church,'they are doing the work and attending church from the wrong motive, for self-glori-fication instead of for God’s Glory. Why should we bo constant in witf Messing to our faith?. The answer comes I in the conclusion of the saying of qpr 1 Lord quoted above—“ Lot your light . so shine before men, that they may see your good works ”■—not to say what a good churchman you are —but to “ glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”

Yes, it is to be done for God’s Glory,

•V that should be the prime motive of all that wa do or say. And when we have done all that it is our duty to do in ;i that way. wc are still “ unprofitable servants," for we have done no more than our duty, wc have done nothing which will wipe out the debt we owe to God.

Sometimes lit the top of a foundation, -(tone you will see in rather small lettore, A.M.D.G., and then underneath in larger letters the name of the person ■who gave the building or laid the stone. 1 am afraid we take more notice of the human name than of the four letters which mean “To the Greater Glory of Qo d” Audi ao we come foil circle, and fltaMMwrftf that we exhibit the wrong liftijbßgs, and keep the right things '* wader the counter, ” P, C. WILLIAMS.