A Girl's Conscience and Livelihood

I have often told the story of a girl who met a perplexing problem in life. She was a packer in a warehouse and was asked to put one faulty pair of stockings in each packet of twenty. Her conscience was troubled, and she told her friends in the Bible Class that she did not feel that, as a Christian, she could do it. But she had a widowed mother solely dependent on her.

This group prayed with her, and then told her that if she felt that her present work was contrary to the will of Christ, she should refuse to do it, and then come to them and tell them what had happened. She was at once dismissed, and then her friends said: “Do not tell your mother; but we will all share so that you still take home the same amount of money each week until you get a new job.”

Now, is that characteristic of Christian fellowship, or is it not? If so, what are we doing about it? I think that a man who is up against some moral problem in business or any other part of his life ought to be able to feel that he can put that problem before friends in his own church, knowing that thev will pray with him, seek the guidance of God on it, and thus be spiritually strengthened.

I think that is good New Testament teaching. In this fellowship we ought to be able to identify ourselves with the needs and sufferings of our brethren. And if a brother falls we ought not to point the finger of scorn at him and spread tittle-tattle, but to redeem him from his failure and build him up in love.