OUTLIVING OPPOSITION

Snubbed at a Conference -- Trip to the Holy Land

When a man's ways please the Lord, be maketh' even his enemies to be at peace with him. -- Prov. 16:7.

     An old saying is: "He laughs best who laughs last." For some reason (perhaps my own lack of wisdom), I have had more or less opposition all of my ministerial life. When I began preaching at the age of twenty I was greatly criticized because I was so awkward and undignified. I remember on one occasion at a large camp meeting that I had preached a sermon from 1 Corinthians, thirteenth chapter, after which most of the congregation acknowledged their lack and came to the altar. Subsequently, five district elders took me out into the woods and tore my sermon all to pieces. They did not doubt that I had the experience I preached about, but they thought it was unethical for me to unsettle so many good people. It might make you weep if I related how some of those elders turned out.

     On one occasion, after I had been denounced publicly before a large camp meeting in the South, several of the leaders came to me privately and confessed that I had evidently drilled my well deeper than theirs and left them high and dry. But they thought it was not best for me to preach any more in that camp, for the people were not able to receive the strong meat of the Word. While I was in prayer on my face about the matter, God very clearly spoke to me, saying, "You see to it that you keep tender in spirit, live a life of self-denial and keep a burden for souls, and you will be preaching this same truth LONG AFTER THESE OPPOSERS ARE DEAD AND GONE." It might be too personal to refer to the manner in which some of them were disgraced and in which others came to an untimely end.

     There is an inexorable law that God, men and devils cannot change, viz., "He that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Friend, if you exalt yourself, God and nature will see to it that you are humbled. But if you can abase and humble yourself voluntarily, you are sure to rise, sooner or later.

     Another occasion was when wife and T were about to take our trip to the Holy Land and around the world. On our way to New York we stopped off at an annual conference where we had many friends. But I could not help noticing, after two or three days, that I had not been shown the least courtesy as a visiting minister. I was left to sit in the audience, and not asked to lead in prayer or pronounce a benediction. Of course, some of my friends thought it strange. But I have always declared that anyone who had the genuine experience of holiness COULD and WOULD prove it by keeping sweet under all circumstances. Hath not God said, "Great peace have they which love thy law: and NOTHING shall offend them"? Nothing shall get them out of fix. They are like a cube. A cube can be tumbled, kicked or rolled in every direction, but it is always right side up. Beloved, if you have what I am talking about. you will never get out of fix no difference what is said or done to you. If you can only get grace to hold still while under pressure, this is the quickest and surest way to live down opposition a-nd win your point.

     At this conference the presiding officer came to me and said in substance: "Brother Shelhamer, there is a good deal of opposition against you here. Some of the brethren think you are on the independent line and have never buckled down to being a regular circuit preacher. Moreover, they declare if they could write a few books and be their own boss and take a trip to the Holy Land they think they would do so. They are greatly tried with you; in fact, I am tried with you myself." I thanked him heartily and replied:

     "Perhaps I have been more or less irregular. But I am sure I will not feel the least bit jealous if any, or all, of these dear brethren are able to take a trip to the Holy Land -- provided they first spend about twenty years of hardships, such as sleeping on planks with a Bible for their pillow and an overcoat for their covering, eating cheese and crackers, being arrested, shot at, dynamited and generally abused. If they can point to twenty or more good societies dug out of the rough and made to be self-supporting; if after all these things God smiles upon them and raises up friends to pay their way, I am sure I will rejoice and say they deserve a little outing." To this the good bishop replied, "That is true! That is true!!" And his attitude from that moment was changed toward me. He asked me to dine with him and insisted that I preach.

     Beloved, when I die I am not anxious to have erected over my grave n epitaph saying, "Here lies a man who was a great traveler," or "a great writer," or "a great preacher." All of this might be exaggeration and help no one.

     On the other hand, I am anxious, if anything is said, it might be this: "Here lies a man who under all circumstances and provocations always showed the right spirit." David prayed for it, and it might not be amiss for us likewise to pray the same prayer, "Create within me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me." Many a man has gone down in oblivion and disgrace who was far the superior of this unworthy scribe, but who, with all his gifts and pulpit graces, did not seem to have the ABILITY or ADAPTABILITY to show the "right spirit" when opposed. Yes, keep sweet and win out every time.