UNNECESSARY SELF-ACCUSATIONS
A woman and her husband who were ministers were once drawn into a difficulty with others and had to call for aid in making an adjustment. When the time came for a consideration of the matter, she humbly and nobly did her part, to the satisfaction of all concerned. Although there was nothing demoralizing about the case, yet she felt very humiliated to think that she, a minister, should have thus become involved in such a contention, and thought that the brother who was called to help in the adjustment would never have confidence in her again. For four years she worried over the matter, often losing sleep at night, and felt herself gradually weakening in spirituality and courage.
One day she met the brother, and he expressed himself as having had implicit confidence in her during the entire period of the four years. Immediately she took courage, but she had needlessly undergone untold sufferings through accusations that were all imaginary. Worrying does no one any good. It is useless to worry before a thing happens, much less after it happens. Most people worry over imaginary things, over things that never have nor never will come to pass.
A sister who had lived a godly life and had prayed for her family for years, became much troubled because none of them would become Christians. She began to accuse herself of not being right in the sight of God, but she was reminded that even Jesus himself, although he was the Son of God, was not able to have all his kinsmen and townsmen to follow him. She then learned to leave the responsibility with her family and the Lord after she had done all she could, realizing that her soul was clear.