Right At Home

   There are a great many who seem to have a great burden to do missionary work; but I have thought that if such would only begin in their own households, it would be the very best thing they could do. Whenever you take up the duty that lies nearest you, then God will bless you, and hear your prayers. There are too many doing outside missionary work, while their own households are left destitute of any such efforts,--going to ruin through neglect. They do not seem to understand that it should be their first work to take heed to home duties. The first missionary work is to see that love, light, and joy come into the home circle. Let us not be looking for some great temperance or missionary work to do until we have first done the duties at home. Every morning we should think, What kind act can I do today? What tender word can I speak? Kind words at home are blessed sunshine. The husband needs them, the wife needs them, the children need them. Now let us make a thanksgiving at home. How easy it might be for us to bring sunshine, mellow and beautiful, right into our homes, if our hearts were filled with the grace of God! This may be done by kind words and loving ministrations. If there had been more of them in the past, I believe that more of us would have come into this house with the praise of God in their hearts for his loving-kindness unto us and ours. It ought to be the desire of every heart to make as much heaven below as possible. We ought to be just before we are generous. There needs to be a home religion, a home thanksgiving. There needs to be the very soul of a pure life right at home. Then when you come to such a place as this, you will make melody to God in your hearts. They would be full of the tenderness of love. You could speak of the mercy and love and goodness of Christ in your soul. Your hearts would be full of melody all the day. Your song would be, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name." This kind of piety is of some value. There is a great deal of meeting-house religion; but there is little home religion. Cultivate it, that when you come into the house of God, you will love to talk of Jesus. You cannot make your tongue be silent. The love of Jesus will be like fire shut up in your bones.   

     If a feast is to be made, let it be for those who are in need. Do you not think God regards those who are poor, who have but little of life's good things, who long for Jesus to come into their homes with blessing? Does he not call upon us to answer their prayers as far as is in our power, ministering unto their wants? Christ pities and loves them. Any neglect of them is written in the heavenly records as done to himself. Call into your houses the poor, the afflicted, the halt, and the blind.    

     Your blessings do not come from mortal hands. God has ministered to you all these years. It is he who has kept your children. And now in return, why not make him a thank-offering. Even today bring larger and smaller gifts, and put them in the treasury of the Lord.

RH, December 23, 1884