DOMINION PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

White Ribbon, Volume 26, Issue 7, 1 November 1954, Page 3

DOMINION PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Hear Fellow Members, Last night I tried to write this letter but was too weary to think and so asked God to give me a message and a clear head in the morning. No doubt you have experienced my plight too. This morning I am surrounded by workmen, and you will wonde r how one could possibly get any message in that way Well, I have! These particular men have come for a special job and I have been waiting for them for weeks. Now, why did I wait unvexed and untroubled at the seeming delay Simply because the Contractor has a name for a high standard of efficiency; anyone who has the good fortune to have a job done by him, is satisfied that they have true value for their money, and that cannot be said of all workmen. So here 1 am at my desk, feeling quite happy, despite the additional work that men make with spades, shovels, picks, buckets, and plaster. BUT I am perfectly serene. The thought 1 want to give you is this: —The STANDARD. What actually is OUR Standard ? At our Dominion Prayer Meeting heid last month, a younger woman prayed a prayer which was arresting and it was this “O God, give us courage today to have high standards,” then haltingly she asked that personally she would be given a sense of conscience, so that she w'ould not be satisfied to drift with the crowd, doing things simply because others did them. She also prayed for the Church that it would give a fearless direc- . tion to the young over the drink and gambling evils, which have brought New Zealand to a low' ebb morally. My heart said “Amen/' for this young mother, w’ith a growing family, was seeking to raise a Standard. This month New Zealand will go to the Poll and will be asked to give voice again on the Licensing question. Will our Standard be high for Righteousness? The Standard is important. God is not satisfied with any nation or people whose standard is low and who give themselves to foolishness: we cannot look with any degree of comfort at our country, when we know that it spends over £24,000,000 (1953 figure) on Liquor and that oncourse Retting and the T.A.B. figure run to £38,681,000, and this startling amount does not include incessant Raffles, large and small. We W’ould ask how low’ is our national Standard Dare the Church be silent, dare the Christian be silent? Oh, for a revival of conscience, that will prod us wide awake, for God’s standard is HIGH. “Whatsoever a nation or men sow’ THAT will they also reap.” Alas, we have already begun to reap. So I come back to my good workmen, w'ho are whistling cheerfully, they are doing a job which will give them enormous pleasure and satisfaction. Does our Standard of behaviour bring joy and satisfaction to our hearts; more important still, has it made any difference to our nation, our loved ones, our neighbours? If not, the Standard is low. I prav God we will onlv be satisfied with HIGH STANDARDS. Yours in Joyous Service, CONSTANCE TOOMER