Turn Your Eyes Out
To resolve discord within ourselves, we must look up and out, focusing on serving others and drowning our own self-interest.
Mary Wilder Tileston, through the words of Henry Scott Holland, emphasizes the importance of cultivating a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and forgiveness towards others, reflecting the forgiveness we have received from the Lord. The sermon highlights how self-preoccupation and self-interest lead to discord with others, urging listeners to shift their focus from themselves to serving and meeting the needs of those around them, thus embodying the meekness and gentleness of Jesus and bearing the fruits of the Spirit in their lives.
Text
Put on therefore, a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye.
COLOSSIANS 3:12,13 (R. V.)
THE discord is within, which jars
So sadly in life's song;
'Tis we, not they who are in fault,
When others seem so wrong.
FREDERICK WM. FABER
SELF-PREOCCUPATION, self-broodings, self-interest, self-love,--these are the reasons why you go jarring against your fellows. Turn your eyes off yourself; look up, and out! There are men, your brothers, and women, your sisters; they have needs that you can aid. Listen for their confidences; keep your heart wide open to their calls, and your hands alert for their service. Learn to give, and not to take; to drown your own hungry wants in the happiness of lending yourself to fulfil the interests of those nearest or dearest. Look up and out, from this narrow, cabined self of yours, and you will jar no longer; you will fret no more, you will provoke no more; but you will, to your own glad surprise, find the secret of "the meekness and the gentleness of Jesus"; and the fruits of the Spirit will all bud and blossom from out of your life.
HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND
Sermon Outline
- The Problem of Discord
- The Solution to Discord
- Looking up and out
- Focusing on others' needs
- Learning to give and serve
Key Quotes
“Turn your eyes off yourself; look up, and out!” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“Learn to give, and not to take; to drown your own hungry wants in the happiness of lending yourself to fulfill the interests of those nearest or dearest.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“You will, to your own glad surprise, find the secret of 'the meekness and the gentleness of Jesus'; and the fruits of the Spirit will all bud and blossom from out of your life.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- Make a conscious effort to look beyond your own needs and focus on serving others.
- Practice forgiveness and longsuffering towards those who may be causing discord in your life.
- Learn to give and serve others, rather than just taking from them.