THE FIRST WORK
THE FIRST WORK
When I have rest in Christ, then I begin to find all my joy and strength in Him, and I occupy myself with Him. This is the first step, or the foundation of true devotedness. I do not become devoted in the true sense until I have found rest in Him, I am, up to this, rather looking to receive from Him. I am more an object to myself, but as soon as I find how fully I am an object to Him, then my heart is at liberty to make Him its object, He having made me His. A great deal of what is apparently devotedness is an effort to obtain a sense of His interest in one; it is a devotedness to obtain intimacy, instead of devotedness resulting from intimacy. Hence work is resorted to as affording a kind of joy, according as there is success; but the acts done with a motive of this kind betray their source in that the doer is more occupied with success than with assurance of Christ’s approval, and is consequently dependent on [p. 156] good results for cheer and encouragement. Hence, I repeat, it is when occupation with Himself is the chief delight of my heart that I have reached the foundation stone and the true support of real devotedness. Without this, there may indeed be joy in the work, but there must be something to show, to make it interesting and encouraging, and this can be known by one not enjoying His society, not sitting under His shadow with great delight. If He be the delight and resource of my heart, nothing can equal the joy and satisfaction which I find in occupation with Himself. Of this Mary is an example, when she sat at His feet and heard His words. There is really no deeper or greater delight or gain to me than sitting in the sanctuary with Him, learning Him. How can anything that I do ever be equal to His society, and the unfolding of His mind to me? And when the great work of devotedness is wanting, I am assured, however great or self-denying the other works may be, that they fall short of the mind of Christ.
Nothing can be plainer than that if I desire to be devoted to a person, my first work must be to be well acquainted with that one, in order to do exactly as he wishes. But how can I know what would please Christ, One so infinitely above me, unless I have first studied Him? I must seek acquaintance with Him, and for this I must sit at His feet and learn His word. This is the first thing; and the want of this, even when there is zeal and ability, has led to much unsanctified activity and really profitless work, because if there be zeal and ability, without knowing where and when to use it, there must be a turning to take counsel from nature. And this is just what Martha did. She had zeal and ability, but instead of seeking to understand what was most on His mind, she cumbered herself with a very useful service, but one which was suggested by her own mind. Every servant who has ever known the “good part” can trace in his own course how often he has made this mistake and addressed himself to something [p. 157] apparently, and in his judgment, a most useful undertaking and service, and afterwards found how arduous and uncompensating it was to his spirit; while on the other hand, surely the true heart knows well that there is nothing equal to the rewards it receives from Christ, when simply and exclusively occupied with Himself, and seeking His mind and thoughts. And one may always question every work of devotedness, if this first one is wanting. It is in fact the Gilgal where every truly serving one returns to encamp and whence he issues afresh like the sun to run his course, and like a giant refreshed with wine.
I do not consider that prayer for the work, and waiting on the Lord for guidance and blessing, answers to what I call the foundation of devotedness. It is much more, it is seeking Christ personally, singularly and peculiarly for His own sake. Oh that we had more of it! more delighting our souls in the beauty and fragrance of His ways and counsels, answering to the prayer in Ephesians 3, “that the Christ may dwell, through faith, in your hearts”. This is something very rare indeed. It is the Ruth-like heart that cleaves to Naomi when apparently there is nothing to be gained by doing so, and who does so merely to satisfy the affections of the heart. Such an one is always ready for the next work, and that is, doing the immediate will of the One who so entirely controls me. Ruth does exactly as Naomi instructs her, and gleans in the field — an evangelist indeed! Mary Magdalene does exactly as the Lord tells her, and she goes and tells his brethren the very first and chief line of thought in His heart for them. In both these cases the personal devotedness came first, and the serving devotedness came next. But it is well to bear in mind that not only is it in His society that I am satisfied myself, but it is there I become qualified for being an exponent of Him who satisfies me; otherwise I am speaking of one I do not know. But if He be sufficient to absorb my heart, as I [p. 158] learn Him, so am I qualified, not only to communicate my knowledge, but to do so with the force of one delighting in Him with a satisfied heart. I am not only increasingly delighted myself, but I have increased ability and material to set forth what has satisfied me. This double gain is acquired from association with Him. I am more fully acquainted, deepened, and enlarged in my own heart in that which satisfies, and hence the better qualified to set forth His virtues, and lead others into what I enjoy. It is evident that the first work is occupation with Christ according to the desires of His heart. It is not whether it is the most useful thing, or the thing which by common consent all would commend; but it is that which is distinctly the thing nearest His own heart, what is called the “things of Jesus Christ”.
The first great injunction of our Lord to His disciples, when leaving them, was, “love one another, as I have loved you”. He loved us and gave Himself for us, and the first desire on His heart is that His disciples’ love should be where His own is, and after the same order too. He gave His life, and He enjoins us to give our lives for the brethren. It is very important to see how we are to please Christ and truly answer to His, mind as those acquainted with Him. His heart is in the church, and He cannot set any disciple, whose heart is near His own, apart from this line. This is His first line, and it must necessarily be ours. And no service would lose by springing from a centre like this. The evangelist works in the far country outside this circle of interest, and yet his heart would always turn to it; and when he finds a lost silver piece (see Luke 15), he sets it there, for he answers to the heart of Christ who has gifted him for this service.
It is impossible to abide in the heart of Christ and not learn what is nearest His heart; and here was the first great declension of the church — she had lost her first love. Now there is no recovery without doing [p. 159] the first work; and the first work, the foundation stone of all the rest, is occupation with Himself. Then follows engagement with His things, in the line in which His heart moves. Where else could a heart true to Him care to move but where He moves? There is nothing that true love values more than following in company with the loved one in His deepest closest interests, and no higher favour could be conferred than that He should permit and accept our company in that line; and here it is, the disciples alone get the name of “my friends”, the highest position any could ever occupy for Christ on earth.
In every dispensation the heart true to God testified by the way it clung to the circle of God’s interest on the earth; and this not so much when all was in order and security, but the more so when all was imperilled, and when it could not be done without exposing the disciple, the friend, to danger and loss. See the captives in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. See Daniel on the eve of his being cast into the den of lions, praying to God with his window open toward Jerusalem, his eye still lingering to the last on the spot dear to God; Daniel 6. Just so in another day, the widow of eighty-four years departed not from the temple (Luke 2); and again, another widow gave all her living to the treasury for the temple; Luke 21. All these are speaking witnesses of the same devotedness which the teaching of the epistles fully corroborates.
In Romans 12 we are exhorted to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God. We find in verse 4 of the same chapter what is the first line of occupation, for the living sacrifice is in connection with the body of Christ; and, by extending circles, it widens out into the commonest detail of life; and even to kings, governors, etc. It reaches to these, but it begins where the heart of Christ is occupied. Again, in Ephesians 4, when all the revelation of God’s purpose to the church has been disclosed, then comes the exhortation to walk worthy [p. 160] of our high calling; and the first injunction is with regard to the church “using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace” — and from thence it widens out, and extends to the slave in the household. The Marys know the first work; their hearts are exclusively occupied with this, and hence when they act they know what suits His heart. One anoints His body for the burial, and the other communicates His mind to His brethren. Occupation with that which is His peculiarly and distinctly marks each of them in their works on earth. They are exactly in keeping with His heart; they learn its services in secret with Him, and they express them here with a familiarity and ease which an angel could not adopt. They are Christ’s ministers to His saints on earth; and, like Timothy, they mind the things that are Jesus Christ’s, and naturally care for the state of those on whom His heart is set; or, like him, they do the work of the evangelist to gather up the missing ones into the rest and delight of His heart.
If I begin right, there is always something to revert to; but if my beginning be unsound, everything subsequent must partake of the imperfection; and alas! the great error of the day is that there is a great deal of work and toil, without doing the first work.
May the Lord awaken His saints to their double gain in beginning aright, namely, in finding unbounded satisfaction for their own hearts, and the best and most suited service for Him on earth. Amen.