Relaxing
Relaxing
Relaxing
Dreaming
Dreamings of the Mind
Lead to Self-exaltation.
If the thoughts, the dreamings of the mind, are of great purposes in which self figures, there will be revealed in words and actions self-exaltation, a lifting up of self. These thoughts are not such as lead to a close walk with God. Those who move without thoughtful consideration move unwisely. They make fitful efforts, strike out here and there, catch at this and that, but it amounts to nothing. They resemble the vine; its tendrils untrained and left to straggle out in every direction will fasten upon any rubbish within their reach; but before the vine can be of any use, these tendrils must be broken off from the things they have grasped and trained to entwine about those things which will make them graceful and well formed.
Controlling the Imagination.
Had you trained your mind to dwell upon elevated subjects, meditating upon heavenly themes, you could have done much good. You could have had an influence upon the minds of others to turn their selfish thoughts and world-loving dispositions into the channel of spirituality. Were your affections and thoughts brought into subjection to the will of Christ, you would be capable of doing good. Your imagination is diseased because you have permitted it to run in a forbidden channel, to become dreamy. Daydreaming and romantic castle-building have unfitted you for usefulness. You have lived in an imaginary world; you have been an imaginary martyr and an imaginary Christian. --2T 251 (1869).
2MCP 592
“HE KNOWETH HIS SHEEP BY NAME."
"WE had been encamped in a beautiful situation near Mount Ararat. The tent was pitched on the banks of a rocky ravine, through which flowed a bright stream, while near at hand was a little village and the picturesque ruins of an Armenian Convent.
We were wandering about, awaiting the loading of the packs, and the other morning preparations for continuing the journey, when we saw a boy come out of the village, followed by a large flock of sheep and goats, more than a hundred in number. The young shepherd led them to a short distance, and then, sitting down on a rock, he produced his knitting from the horsehair bag, which held his provisions for the day, while the flock fed quietly around him. We went up to him, and found him very ready to enter into conversation. He assured us that he knew all the members of his flock by name, and that they also knew their names, and would answer to them.
Pointing out a pretty young kid on the edge of the flock, we requested him to call it. At the first call the little creature lifted its head, with a quick, intelligent look. At the second, it came trotting up to the shepherd, and received his caresses with every appearance of delight. He repeated the experiment many times, and the animal called never failed to respond to the shepherd's voice. We then tried to call them in the same way, but imitate the shepherd's voice as closely as we would, neither sheep nor goats would pay the least attention to us. ' For a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers.' "