Someone once said of the 18th-century evangelist George Whitefield, “Mr. Whitefield was so cheerful he tempted me to become a Christian.”
Blessed temptation! May everyone who names the Name of Christ become such a sweet enticement to those who do not know Him. Yet note what it was that made Whitefield whet the appetite of unbelievers for the bread of life. It was the fact that he was “cheerful.” And not merely cheerful. No. “So cheerful.” Whitefield was a Christian with cheerfulness in the superlative. Cheerfulness filled him as the waters cover the seas. Cheerfulness emanated from him as the sun’s heat and waves do from the celestial strong man as he runs his daily race. Cheerfulness characterized him as heavy rain, thunder, and lightning do a severe storm, sweetness does the taste of honey, and love does the marriage of a Christlike husband and a Proverbs 31 virtuous woman wife.
May everyone who names the Name of Christ become such a sweet enticement to those who do not know Him.
Christian, surely you wish to be Whitefield-attractive for that One who is altogether lovely and the fairest of ten thousand. Then be cheerful. The Biblical word for this cheerfulness is joy. ‘Joy in the Lord’ to be precise. The place to begin becoming this blessed temptation is by having that generous One who hears prayer hear you praying, “Lord, give me a double portion of Whitefield’s joy!” Bring this request to Him with confidence because you know that “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (D. V., To Be Continued)
