THOSE who have answered the loving call and have begun the final lap of the long journey HOME, often find themselves weighted with much useless human accoutrement.

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”

Even in this, the Last Day, self may say, “Wait—I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it; I pray thee have me excused.”

We are not to avoid the real duties—they are given to us by our Lord Self. But He does not want us to become so enslaved with His work that HE is forgotten.

If duties are performed, all the time keeping the mind centered on HIM, there will be a consciousness that He is first in the life, and there will be naught before Him.

Remember that when a duty is performed with willingness and efficiency, always trying to please the Lord Self, that duty will soon be taken away and a greater work be given. For the real reason of its being given you has been accomplished, i. e., the discipline of the mind.

But there are real and assumed duties. Have we learned to distinguish the true from the false? Many complain of lack of time for meditation and service. It is the Lord Self Who gives the opportunity of service; the human mind, not realizing it is a test of sincerity and earnestness, may find excuses.

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

The Lord Self may give us a certain hour for communion with Him. During that hour we may find confronting us seemingly insurmountable distractions. The mind, always unconsciously seeking to escape discipline, may falsely reason, “The Lord has sent many obstacles, so I am not to continue to seek His Presence at this hour,”—not knowing that this is just another test of the will and sincerity.

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light.”

—Nancy.

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