These inward fevers are
worse evils than mere bodily illness. It is better in sickness to have
our heart's fever depart, even though we must longer keep our pain,
than to recover our physical health, meanwhile keeping our fretfulness
and impatience uncured.
We cannot minister while heart-fever of any kind is on us. We may go
on with our work, but we cannot do it well, and there will be little
blessing in it. Discontent hinders any life's usefulness. Jesus loved
Martha, and accepted her service because he knew she loved him; but he
plainly told her that her feverishness was not beautiful, and that it
detracted from the worth and the full acceptableness of the good work
she did; and he pointed her to Mary's quiet peace as a better way of
living and serving. Anxiety of any kind unfits us in some degree for
work. It is only when Christ comes and lays his hand upon our heart,
and cures its fever, that we are ready for ministering in his name in
the most efficient way.
There is a little story of a busy woman's life which illustrates this
lesson. She was the mother of a large family, and, being in plain
circumstances, was required to do her own work. Sometimes, in the
multiplicity of her tasks and cares, she lost the sweetness of her
peace, and, like Martha, became troubled and worried with her much
serving. One morning she had been unusually hurried, and things had
not gone smoothly.
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