"Let the oldest saint look well to the fundamentals of his piety, for grey heads may cover black hearts: and let not the young professor despise the word of warning, for the greenness of youth may be joined to the rottenness of hypocrisy".
Mr. Spurgeon always gives me something to think about and draws my mind to the Word of God and the adjustments that need made in this life. Many of the great men and women who've gone before us, manage to pinpoint a problem or bring light to an issue facing us today. As one who is moving quickly toward eternity, (simply because time moves so rapidly) bringing forth some wisdom from this vessel that would speak to those behind would be quite an accomplishment. But, the constant struggle to stay on the straight and narrow when it comes to sin of the heart , takes precedence so that correction keeps me preoccupied. One cannot impart wisdom without having conquered those nuances that keep popping up all too unexpectedly. Am I looking saintly and covering a black heart? Issues never dealt with do not go away but grow stronger as one grows older and "cover up" can be mastered to the point that no one can see it.
When I was 18, I attended a small, all girls' Christian college, far away from home. It was a wonderful institution for the most part as young women studied and worked together in preparation to become leaders in the Christian world. To keep tuition down, every student was assigned a job such as waitressing, cleaning, working the switchboard, etc. Waitressing and cleaning were not a problem for me but when it came my turn to work the switchboard (and I'm talking about the old fashioned plug in kind), training was brief and it was all very new to me. When the lights lit up and I had to connect the caller to the party they wanted, I began to get very nervous. One of my teachers (who was "old" and gray headed), received a call from her sister. I plugged the call in just fine, but then forgot which plug it was. Before long, I'd unplugged their connection interrupting their conversation bringing it to an abrupt end. I didn't realize what I'd done but due the sinking feeling of having made a grave mistake began to haunt me. An inside call came, I plugged the wire in and it was my teacher. She was screaming at me for having disconnected her from her sister. Through tears and embarrassment I managed to get her sister back on the line but I questioned the sweetness she seemed to generate in her Christian Ed class. Suddenly, I'd seen another side to the smile, the song and prayer that opened the class. I guess you could say, I questioned the reality of her piety. That was a long time ago, but at the moment it is as fresh in my memory as though it were yesterday. She's been gone a long but you know what? I don't remember anymore about her, other than what was just described. I remember hatred and a smile. If she imparted any wisdom, it was driven away by her anger.
How many times over the years of my life have I left that kind of impression on someone? When it's all said and done, what will people remember about me? It's so important to deal with heart issues and there are days when I fail miserably. But, can I wallow in the failures or repent, continue to walk the walk and ask the Lord to continue to uncover the blackness in my heart. The God whom we worship is a great heart-searcher; and of old his servants knew him as "the Lord which searcheth the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men." (Spurgeon).
Trusting you had a wonderful Christmas and that the NEW YEAR WILL BE FILLED WITH JOY AND PEACE IN BELIEVING THE WORD OF GOD.
Carolyn
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