Barnabas Ministries UK

                                   Rev. E. Anderson

TO LIVE IS . . . !

Rev. Wm. Barclay

Some years ago there was, in Glasgow at Hampden Park, one of the greatest matches of the century, the final of the European Cup between the German team Eintracht and Real Madrid, the greatest club team in the world.

1/. TO LIVE IS .  .  .  !

Of all Real Madrid’s famous players none was greater and none more famous than Puskas, the Hungarian. It was he who was usually the architect of victory and the scorer of goals.

On the morning after the great European Cup Final, Puskas was interviewed by one of the great newspapers. And Puskas was very willing to talk, for, he told the reporter, when I don’t play football, I talk football. When I don’t talk football, I think football. For Puskas football was the ruling passion; football was his life. That is a why Puskas was the master footballer.

In this life there are many ruling passions which may grip and drive and govern a man. It was said of Southey, the author that he was never happy except when he was writing or reading a book.

The golfer will spend hour after hour almost fanatically trying to get some part of his game just right. The cricketer will walk around with a ball in his hand, even as he goes about his business, strengthening his fingers by gripping.  

The gambler can have such a passion for gambling that he will denude his house of all his possessions and starve his family to get money to stake.

The alcoholic will come to a stage when he cannot exist without his liquor.

The man who is out for money will spend all day trying to find ways of making and saving it, and his nights in dreaming of it.

It is true that a man will never become outstandingly good at anything unless that thing is his ruling passion. There must be something of which he can say, “For me to live is this”.  

2/. TO LIVE IS . . .  !

What does it mean to say, ”For me to live is Christ” ? 

• It means that we never forget His Cross and all that He did and suffered for us.

There is more than a little to be said for the Roman Catholic custom of carrying a crucifix, in order that we may never forget the Man upon the Cross, arid how on the Cross he suffered for us men and for our salvation.

• It means that we forget His presence.

It means that at morning, at midday and at evening, night and day, we are conscious that we are in His sight, and that He is with us. Everyone feels the presence of Jesus Christ at some special moment in life. Everyone feels him near in the church, at some sacred spot, at prayer. But for true Christians it must be true, as it was true for Brother Lawrence, that he feels Jesus Christ as near when he washes the dishes and does the most menial task as at the Blessed Sacrament.

• It means that we take no step without submitting our action for his approval.

Men act from many motives in this life-the desire for gain, the eagerness for honour and prestige, the love of comfort, the desire for safety, from motives of prudence, of ambition, of self-protection. The Christian motive can be no other than the approval of Jesus Christ. We would act very differently, and life would be very different, if we never acted without placing every decision and every word and every thought in the presence of the eyes of Jesus Christ.

For me to live  is – ?

Christ!