Jenny Lind
A lot of years ago, there lived a young girl whose name was Jenny Lind. She came from Sweden, and at the age of seventeen she was a well-known and lovely singer. Even the Queen at that time went to hear her sing. She became very very successful and famous, but all her success did not make her proud, as can so easily happen. She often used to say, “I hope that God, the Giver of this gift, and not me the creature, will be acknowledged”. Yet, after only a few short years in the English Opera, at the height of her success, she suddenly decided to give it all up, and she went away to live in a quiet village.
One day, a gentleman who admired her beautiful voice, passed by, and seeing Jenny, he went over and spoke to her. He asked, “How is it, Miss Lind, that you have given up the stage at the very height of your success?” Jenny Lind picked up her Bible which she had close by, and gave this reason: “When every day my success made me think less of this, what else could I do?”
Wasn't that a wonderful reason, boys and girls? You know what Jenny had found in the Bible? She had found a Saviour's love for sinners. She had found, of course, that she herself was a sinner before God; but she found Christ to be a Saviour who showed His love to sinners who trusted in Him. She was determined, then, that nothing would come between her and Jesus her Saviour. It was this knowledge that led her to give up some of those things that the world counts of such value - like riches, and honour, and popularity - rather than let her talent and her career come between her and Jesus.
You know, boys and girls, that it does not have to be some great thing that does this. Some very little thing can come between us and the Lord Jesus Christ if we count that thing more important than He is. This must not be. It is better to give up anything than risk losing the love and peace that we can have in really knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
You remember Jenny Lind's words, “What else could I do?” Remember also what the Bible says; “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.”
