As the hour of His return draws near, the words of Octavious Winslow are every bit as true now as they were then.
May God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, keep our hearts “open” to the hostile world that we would preach Christ to. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
“Go forth and be loving, even as your Father in heaven is loving. Let your heart be as large in its creature capacity as God’s heart is in its divine. If He has a large heart for you, beware of a small heart for your fellows. If His heart is open, see that your heart is not closed. And since He departs at no sinfulness or ingratitude, at no injury or unworthiness on the part of the recipient of His goodness, be an imitator of God. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” God has so dealt with you, overcoming and winning your evil heart with the goodness and love of His own. Go and do likewise towards all who have injured you, wounded you, and despitefully used you, and so shall you be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Live for God, and act towards others as one who, in a little while, will flee from a world of sin, infirmity, and strife- from all its taintings, woundings, and misunderstandings, and find yourself playing upon the surface, and plunging into the depths of the ocean of love which flows and sparkles beneath and around the throne of God and the Lamb.”
~Octavius Winslow
Excellent and convicting words. It’s not in me to love my enemies, but when I think of how God loved me while I was His enemy, I have no excuse. I pray that I would obey Him in this for His sake, not based on the response or lack of response from those I’m called to love.
As P. Mom said, “Excellent and convicting words.”
Not only do I enjoy the expressions that have come from this beloved saint, but he has one of the coolest names in Christianity as well!
Blessings to you, dear sister.