Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning
"If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it." Exodus 20:25

God's altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all. All alterations and amendments of the Lord's own Word are defilements and pollutions. The proud heart of man is very anxious to have a hand in the justification of the soul before God; preparations for Christ are dreamed of, humblings and repentings are trusted in, good works are cried up, natural ability is much vaunted, and by all means the attempt is made to lift up human tools upon the divine altar. It were well if sinners would remember that so far from perfecting the Saviour's work, their carnal confidences only pollute and dishonour it. The Lord alone must be exalted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of man's chisel or hammer will be endured. There is an inherent blasphemy in seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in His dying moments declared to be finished, or to improve that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect satisfaction. Trembling sinner, away with thy tools, and fall upon thy knees in humble supplication; and accept the Lord Jesus to be the altar of thine atonement, and rest in him alone.

Many professors may take warning from this morning's text as to the doctrines which they believe. There is among Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile the truths of revelation; this is a form of irreverence and unbelief, let us strive against it, and receive truth as we find it; rejoicing that the doctrines of the Word are unhewn stones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for the Lord.

Evening
"As it began to dawn, came Magdalene, to see the sepulchre." Matthew 28:1

Let us learn from Mary Magdalene how to obtain fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Notice how she sought. She sought the Saviour very early in the morning. If thou canst wait for Christ, and be patient in the hope of having fellowship with him at some distant season, thou wilt never have fellowship at all; for the heart that is fitted for communion is a hungering and a thirsting heart. She sought him also with very great boldness. Other disciples fled from the sepulchre, for they trembled and were amazed; but Mary, it is said, "stood" at the sepulchre. If you would have Christ with you, seek him boldly. Let nothing hold you back. Defy the world. Press on where others flee. She sought Christ faithfully--she stood at the sepulchre. Some find it hard to stand by a living Saviour, but she stood by a dead one. Let us seek Christ after this mode, cleaving to the very least thing that has to do with him, remaining faithful though all others should forsake him. Note further, she sought Jesus earnestly--she stood "weeping". Those tear-droppings were as spells that led the Saviour captive, and made him come forth and show himself to her. If you desire Jesus' presence, weep after it! If you cannot be happy unless he come and say to you, "Thou art my beloved," you will soon hear his voice. Lastly, she sought the Saviour only. What cared she for angels, she turned herself back from them; her search was only for her Lord. If Christ be your one and only love, if your heart has cast out all rivals, you will not long lack the comfort of his presence. Mary Magdalene sought thus because she loved much. Let us arouse ourselves to the same intensity of affection; let our heart, like Mary's, be full of Christ, and our love, like hers, will be satisfied with nothing short of himself. O Lord, reveal thyself to us this evening!

You Can Be Excellent by Taking Ownership

Are you trying to lead a life where
you are committed to displaying excellence
in everything that you do?

This is a wonderful way to lead your life.
One way to reach this point is by taking
ownership and responsibility for all of your actions.

'Own' your choices.
Accept the consequences of your choices.
And you will be viewed as a person who can be respected.

People will see you as someone who can be counted on. Reliability is a huge trait to have.

What’s the easiest way to display ownership?
It’s by not making excuses.

Did you arrive late for that scheduled appointment?
Don't come up with any outlandish excuse.
Tell the other person why you were late.
Apologize for not calling to let them know.

It really is so easy to blame outside influences
for your mistakes or oversights.

No-one has one hundred percent control over what happens.
But you can control how you respond to certain situations.
Such a reaction can completely change your life.

You can take ownership of situations like your relationships,
your education, your fitness, and your social life.

As you start to take ownership you will find that
you feel more confident. Y
our life will become more purposeful.

You should also learn to blend ownership with flexibility.
Are you currently willing to do things differently?
This means you shouldn’t be stubborn when something isn't working.

Take advice.
Attempt to change what you are doing.
Do this and you will begin to excel at more tasks.

This will help increase your confidence and self-esteem.
When you are flexible, you will be happy to respond to a situation in a different way.
It means that you are not rigid and set in your ways.

This brings us to another important factor in the quest to committing to excellence with everything you do.
This is the step of adding balance to your life.

When you live a balanced life, you focus on those things that are meaningful to you.
At the same time, though, you are still mindful of those around you.
You make choices that are related to the way you feel and what you are thinking.

When your life is balanced, you will know when to stay home and finish an important project instead of having an outing with friends.
You recognize the importance of staying
healthy and fit and act accordingly.

Combine taking ownership, being flexible, and balance into your life. And you will be well on your way to leading a life where you are committed to excellence.


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