Prayer & Praise

by Shannon Winslow

  A brush with disaster may indeed dispose our hearts in fervent prayer, as in today’s petition. We pray that God will rescue us from things beyond our control (then hopefully we remember to pray just as fervently in thanksgiving if he does!). An experience like this also has the power to change us, temporarily or even permanently. We tend to see things more clearly afterward, to reexamine our behavior and our priorities in light of the discovery that life itself is fragile. We may be moved to repent if our own folly contributed to the crisis, just as Marianne Dashwood does, saying,

  “My illness has made me think… I saw in my own behaviour… nothing but a series of imprudence towards myself, and want of kindness to others. I saw that my own feelings had prepared my sufferings, and that my want of fortitude under them had almost led me to the grave. My illness, I well knew, had been entirely brought on by myself, by such negligence of my own health, as I had felt even at the time to be wrong… I wonder at my recovery, wonder that the very eagerness of my desire to live, to have time for atonement to my God, and to you all, did not kill me at once… I have laid down my plan, and if I am capable of adhering to it, my feelings shall be governed and my temper improved… it shall be checked by religion, by reason, by constant employment.” (Sense and Sensibility, chapter 46)

  Marianne Dashwood (just like Louisa Musgrove in Persuasion) was profoundly changed by her close call. As it says in the final chapter, She was born to discover the falsehood of her own opinions, and to counteract, by her conduct, her most favourite maxims. She also lived to make a far wiser choice for herself in Colonel Brandon.

  Good for her! But how much better it would be if we could become wise without the drama of near tragedy to teach us what not to do! – if Louisa Musgrove hadn’t insisted on recklessly risking life and limb by jumping from the stairs in the first place, if Marianne Dashwood hadn’t worked herself into a susceptible state by giving free rein to her ‘excess sensibility.’

  The same also applies to the rest of us, of course. Although, not all disasters are self-inflicted, many are. Have you, knowingly or unknowingly, placed yourself (or others) in jeopardy by indulging in risky behavior? Are you by bad habits endangering your health in some way? Are you storing up suffering for yourself by neglecting your marriage, your finances, or the discipline of your children? In Proverbs 3: 13-26 we’re told:

  Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold… Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed... My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet… for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

  God himself is the source of all wisdom – the starting point, the essence, the sum total, the final word. Where you lack understanding, ask him and he has promised to give it generously and without reproach (James1:5). Then be wise enough to apply it, rather than putting yourself at unnecessary risk (or putting God to the test, expecting him to deliver you from a mess of your own making). And when, in his goodness, God brings you safely to the end of another day, give him fervent thanks!

  Let Us Pray

  Gracious God, we give you praise for all the times you have saved us from harm, even when the trouble was of our own making. Convict and forgive us where we have put you to the test by unnecessarily jeopardizing our safety and others. Open our eyes, and give us the discipline to apply your wisdom to our lives, that we may avoid the world’s snares and live according to your will, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray. Amen.

  Let Us Praise

  PRAISE THE LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly… He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever – holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (Psalms 111:1, 9-10)

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  Time’s a-Wastin’

  Another day is now gone, & added to those, for which we were before accountable. Teach us Almighty Father, to consider this solemn Truth, as we should do…

  Being self-employed is both a blessing and a curse. Before, when I had a “day job,” I got up and out the door early, put in a full eight hours or more at work, often did necessary errands on my lunch hour or afterwards, tore right into my household chores when I got home, and sometimes went back out in the evening to fulfill another commitment. Weekends were a time to catch up on whatever had fallen through the cracks along the way. I didn’t have any choice but to use my time efficiently, and I went to bed tired every night.

  There’s less stress now that I set my own hours for the most part and don’t have as many outside obligations. But it’s also easier to become distracted and waste time. So when night falls and I consider how the past day has been spent, I’m not always satisfied that I’ve used it well.

  Time is a precious commodity, and I’m old enough now to realize I don’t have an endless supply. None of us does. However many days and years God has assigned each of us, they are not to be wasted in idleness and self-indulgence. After all, sloth is traditionally counted as one of the seven deadly sins. It’s rather alarming, then, to consider that in Jane Austen’s day having no occupation was the enviable sign of a true gentleman, and a lady wore light colors to show she wasn’t likely to soil her clothing by undertaking any real work.

  When we think of idle Austen characters, Lady Bertram might come to mind, as she spent her days languidly lounging on the sofa with her pug dog in her lap. Or her eldest son Tom, who found nothing better to do than gamble his family fortune away. But I’ve chosen Edward Ferrars as today’s example, because he actually learned a lesson from his mistake. This is Edward’s eventual explanation to Elinor for how he wound up engaging himself to Lucy Steele, which he soon deeply regretted:

  “It was a foolish, idle inclination on my side,” said he, “the consequence of ignorance of the world – and want of employment… had I then had any pursuit, any object to engage my time and keep me at a distance from her for a few months, I should very soon have outgrown the fancied attachment… But instead of having any thing to do, instead of having any profession chosen for me, or being allowed to chuse any myself, I returned home to be completely idle… I had therefore nothing in the world to do, but to fancy myself in love…” (Sense and Sensibility, chapter 49)

  Edward belatedly realized that idleness was largely responsible for his dangerous folly, and that he would have done much better to keep busy with some kind of work instead of daydreaming about Lucy’s charms. But he had no one to direct him, no one to hold him accountable. Like a self-employed person, he needed to be a self-starter if he was going to stay out of trouble and get something done. We find this warning in Proverbs 6:9-11:

  How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

  As it happened, poverty did indeed come upon Edward Ferrars when his mother disinherited him for his unsanctioned engagement. And he nearly paid an even higher price for his early mistake born of idleness. Thanks to Jane Austen’s last-minute sleight of hand, however, he made a narrow escape. Edward came away with much of what he truly desired in the end: Elinor as his wife and a small parish to give him useful employment.

  Although the apostle Paul didn’t start well either, no one could accuse him of sloth. Already a zealot before his conversion, Paul then set forth to diligently carry out th
e holy commission Jesus gave him. He didn’t need to punch a time clock to get him moving or keep him honest. He was motivated by passion for the cause of Christ and accountable to the Lord Himself. In his own words,

  We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow… And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. (2 Thessalonians 3:7b-9, 13)

  Of course, Paul’s labors went far beyond the ordinary earthly kind that he did to earn his keep. His primary job – his commission from the Lord – was to spread the good news about Jesus far and wide. I have often heard it said that, at any one time, sharing the gospel is the single most important work being done anywhere on the planet. And again, we don’t know how much time remains for us to do it.

  Do you struggle with being disciplined in how you utilize your time? Do you long to know you are accomplishing something worthwhile each and every day? Pray for God’s help and guidance, and do every task, great or small, as unto the Lord. Perhaps if we also follow Jane Austen’s example – looking back each night at how we spent the day – we would have fewer regrets in the end when we look back over an entire lifetime.

  Let Us Pray

  Gracious God, help us to know and do your will, and to be good stewards of the time you give us. Whatever other work you have called us to do, may we also experience the soul satisfaction of daily sharing the fragrance of Christ with someone else by word or action. In his name we pray. Amen.

  Let Us Praise

  There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven… I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 12-13)

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  Using Talents

  …that we may feel the importance of every day, & every hour as it passes, & earnestly strive to make a better use of what Thy Goodness may yet bestow on us, than we have done of the Time past.

  This petition made me think of Jesus’ parable of the talents from Matthew 25, where a man going on a journey first entrusted three of his servants with a number of talents (money). When he returned, he summoned them one at a time to settle accounts. The first two servants, who had each doubled their money by wise investments, received generous praise. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” The third, however, who had been afraid to risk his master’s money, had simply buried the money in the ground for safekeeping. When he returned the money without any gain or loss,

  “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.’” (Matthew 25:26-29)

  Not being a big risk taker myself, I feel some sympathy for the servant who received the scolding. I’m not drawn to adrenaline sports (although I do admit to a passion for roller coasters), and I have always been conservative when it comes to making investments.

  The point of this parable, though, is that the master didn’t give the talents to his servants for safekeeping; he gave them to be put to good use! He gave more (ten talents) to the more capable and less (one talent) to the less capable. But the master expected them all to do something useful with what he gave them – a result proportional to their talents. For the “wicked” servant to do nothing instead was to be disobedient and lazy, according to Jesus’ story.

  Money accomplishes nothing while it is buried in the ground; there’s no denying it. The same is true of other “talents.” A talented singer or musician who refuses to be heard gives no pleasure to anyone. A genius who doesn’t put his/her intellectual abilities to work produces nothing useful to benefit mankind. Someone gifted in the area of empathy/compassion wastes the gift if s/he hides the talent under a bushel basket.

  Now let’s look at a couple of other underachievers.

  “Shall we ask him why a man of sense and education, and who has lived in the world, is ill qualified to recommend himself to strangers?” “I can answer your question,” said Fitzwilliam, “without applying to him. It is because he will not give himself the trouble.” “I certainly have not the talent which some people possess,” said Darcy, “of conversing easily with those I have never seen before…” “My fingers,” said Elizabeth, “do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women’s do… But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault – because I would not take the trouble of practising.” (Pride and Prejudice, chapter 31)

  This raises a valid question. Does the failure to achieve something desirable result from lack of talent, as Darcy claims for himself, or from lack of effort, to which Fitzwilliam attributes it and Elizabeth freely confesses?

  It could be either one. It doesn’t much matter which when we’re speaking of trivialities – Darcy conversing with strangers, Lizzy playing the pianoforte. But what about a more important gift given for a more critical need? What about a person in possession of the best gift of all – the gospel message? What can be said in defense of one who does nothing with it, just keeping it to her/himself, burying it where no one else can see?

  Are you wasting the opportunity to do something of inestimable and eternal value with what God has given you? Not everyone is especially gifted in the area of evangelism, but everyone can do something – if not reaching out to strangers, then teaching Sunday School to children, supporting missions, serving on an outreach project, sharing the message through music, etc. Rather than excusing ourselves entirely on the grounds of lack of talent, how about taking the trouble of practicing? What if we promised God (as in today’s prayer petition) to earnestly strive to make a better use of what thy goodness may yet bestow on us, than we have done of the time past?

  Even a small muscle will grow stronger and more effective if regularly exercised. Similarly, if you put to good use the small talent you’ve been given, your capacity will increase. If you prove yourself faithful with a little, God will give you more – more confidence, more skill, more compassion, more opportunities to share the gospel with those who desperately need to hear the good news.

  Yes, it can be scary. Isn’t it worth taking a risk, though, to receive God’s approbation when your life is over? “Well done, good and faithful servant! …Come and share your master’s happiness!”

  Let Us Pray

  Almighty God, empower us to be more effective tools in your hand. Give us courage to step out in faith when you call us to share the good news of Jesus. May we be ever ready and eager to use your gifts for the good of others and for your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  Let Us Praise

  Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. (1 Chronicles 16:23-26)

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  Highest Example

  Give us Grace to endeavour after a truly christian spirit to seek to attain that temper of Forbearance & Patience of which our Blessed Saviour has set us the highest Example…

  In some ways, Elinor Dashwood seems out of place in her own family. For most of the story, her mother and Marianne (and even Margaret, according to early indications) are ruled primarily by emotions (sensibilitie
s), unable or unwilling to check them. Whether or not they know it, they are lucky to have Elinor’s clearer head to keep them from going too far astray.

  Elinor, this eldest daughter whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment, which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother, and enabled her frequently to counteract, to the advantage of them all, that eagerness of mind in Mrs. Dashwood which must generally have led to imprudence. She had an excellent heart – her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them: it was knowledge which her mother had yet to learn, and which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught. (Sense and Sensibility, chapter 1)

  It must have been difficult for Elinor to be thrust, so young, into the role of the responsible adult when her father died, to have to stand as the lone voice of reason while her mother and sisters fell to pieces around her, feeding off each other’s excess sensibilities. They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it, and resolved against ever admitting consolation in future.

  By default, Elinor was forced to set her own sorrow aside in order to take care of necessary business and keep the family from coming apart at the seams. She might have resented it at times, but I’m sure she never seriously considered deserting her weaker mother and sisters, leaving them to flounder on their own. No, she patiently bore with their frailties and employed her superior abilities to rescue them all as a family. Why? Simple; because she loved them.