With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Ps. 119:10.

The first thing to consider when faced with the claim of God upon us is to make up our mind just how far we intend to go; to sit down and count the cost. This is the difference between a child and a man. The child thinks only of his immediate gratification. The finest type of Christian men and women fix their minds on Christ. They are prepared to make sacrifices now to realize the supreme purpose of God for their lives. No Christian life can be true or successful that is lived from hand to mouth, at random, indifferently. We must settle for this alone: our total allegiance to Christ and to His Word. Then we are not afraid of anything.

The safe side for living the Christian life is always on the side of God and His Word. Our feelings may be elated or they may be despondent. The perilous way is to let feelings decide. We must carry with us the conviction to do what God says, not what our feelings would dictate to its. Where two courses are before us, take the one that is in harmony with God. Do not set up expediency against principle.

"I have set the Lord always before me" (Ps. 16:8). This is the key to life. Our loyalty cannot be partial if our eye is fixed on Christ. Let not anything divert us from this prize of our high calling: to be Christ's, to be fully awake each day to the life we are to live. It is impossible to fail when we are wholly on God's side. Everything about us will be caught up into a grander life, a transformed life.

Let not this wholeheartedness be adjourned to old age. Youth often say, "Let us have our way now. Let us have some enjoyment now. There is time enough to serve God when we get past 30, 40, 50, or 60." The best guarantee for standing with Christ when He comes or when we are old is to be wholly on God's side now. Then when we reach old age or when Christ comes we shall find His purity, His beauty, His truth in our lives unshakable and ourselves immovable. We are to put our whole life in God's hands now. He will direct and manage our life with eternal security. With God everything is dependable and trustworthy. God has the last word.