The perfect happiness of perfect obedience will dawn upon your soul, and you will begin to know something of what Jesus meant when He said, 'I delight to do thy will, O my God.
Main Theme:
The main theme of 'The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life' by Hannah Whitall Smith is the transformative power of complete trust and surrender to God. Smith argues that True happiness and spiritual growth come from a life of faith, where believers fully rely on God's promises and guidance. This central idea shapes the book's structure, offering practical advice and spiritual insights on how to live a victorious Christian life by embracing God's will and finding joy in His presence.
The Book's Impacts:
Hannah Whitall Smith, a prominent Quaker and Christian writer, brings a wealth of spiritual insight and practical wisdom to her work. Her book, 'The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life,' has been widely acclaimed for its profound impact on Christian spirituality. It has sold millions of copies worldwide and has been translated into multiple languages, making it a staple in Christian literature. The book has received endorsements from notable Christian leaders and has been a source of inspiration and guidance for countless believers seeking a deeper relationship with God.
Key Ideas:
The Dual Nature of Sanctification: Trust and Work: Hannah Whitall Smith emphasizes that sanctification involves both God's part and man's part. Man's role is to trust, while God's role is to work. Smith illustrates this with the analogy of a potter and clay: 'The clay is put into the potter’s hands, and then lies passive there, submitting itself to all the turnings and overturnings of the potter’s hands upon it.' This duality is crucial for understanding the process of spiritual growth. Trusting God means surrendering oneself entirely to His will, allowing Him to mold and shape one's life. This trust is not passive but active, requiring continuous faith and surrender.
The Necessity of Consecration: A life of full trust in God requires complete consecration, which means surrendering all aspects of one's life to God, allowing Him to manage and mold it. Smith uses the analogy of a patient needing to fully trust and obey a doctor to be cured. She states, 'In order for a soul to be made into a vessel unto God’s honor, 'sanctified and meet for the Master’s use,' it must be entirely abandoned to Him, and must lie passive in His hands.' This underscores the importance of relinquishing control and trusting in God's plan.
Faith as Simple Belief: Smith emphasizes that faith is not a complex or mystical concept but simply believing in God. She argues that many Christians struggle with faith because they misunderstand it as a tangible entity or a special religious exercise. Instead, faith is akin to sight—just as seeing confirms sight, believing confirms faith. Smith writes, 'Faith is simply believing God, and, like sight, it is nothing apart from its object.' She uses practical examples, such as trusting a cook or a railway conductor, to illustrate how naturally we place our trust in people and how we should similarly trust God.
Seeing God in Everything: Smith discusses the importance of recognizing God's hand in all aspects of life, including trials and challenges that come through human actions. She explains that many people struggle with trusting God because they see their difficulties as coming from other people rather than from God. Smith writes, 'What is needed, then, is to see God in everything, and to receive everything directly from His hands, with no intervention of second causes.' She uses the biblical story of Joseph, who saw his being sold into slavery not as an act of his brothers' malice but as God's plan for his life, to illustrate this point.
Growth in Grace Requires Being Planted in Grace: True spiritual growth can only occur when one is firmly rooted in grace. Smith argues that many Christians struggle with growth because they attempt to grow into grace rather than growing within it. She uses the analogy of a rosebush planted in a stony path, which cannot thrive until it is transplanted into fertile soil. She writes, 'In order to grow in grace, it is necessary first to be planted in grace.' This idea is vividly illustrated by comparing the Israelites' wanderings in the wilderness to a Christian's futile efforts to grow without being rooted in grace.
The Primacy of the Will Over Emotions: Smith emphasizes that True spiritual experience is determined by the will rather than emotions. She argues that many people experience confusion because they allow their feelings to govern their actions instead of their will. Smith asserts, 'The real thing in your experience is what your will decides, and not the verdict of your emotions.' This idea is illustrated through the example of a Presbyterian minister who, despite feeling unchanged after consecrating himself to God, chose to believe in God's acceptance and presence. This decision, made by his will, eventually led to a steady victory over sin and a deeper spiritual life.
Immediate Forgiveness and Restoration: Smith emphasizes the importance of seeking immediate forgiveness and restoration after sinning. She argues that believers often fall into the trap of thinking they must endure a period of guilt and remorse before approaching God for forgiveness. This is contrary to God's desire for immediate reconciliation. Smith illustrates this with the story of Joshua and the Israelites' defeat at Ai, where God commands Joshua to 'Get thee up' and address the sin immediately rather than wallowing in despair. She writes, 'The proper thing to do was not to abandon themselves thus to utter discouragement... but at once to face the evil and get rid of it.'
Practical Tips:
Continuous Surrender: Regularly practice surrendering your will and desires to God. This means actively trusting Him with every aspect of your life, even when His ways differ from your expectations.
Hold onto God's Promises: Make a habit of reading and meditating on biblical promises of deliverance and victory. Let these promises strengthen your faith and remind you of God's ability to save you fully.
Embrace the Process: Accept that spiritual growth is a gradual process. Be patient with yourself and trust that God is working in you through every trial and circumstance to mold you into His image.
Trust God with Your Concerns: Whenever you find yourself worrying, remind yourself that worry and trust cannot coexist. Consciously hand over your worries to God and trust Him to handle them.
Seek Harmonious Guidance: When seeking God's guidance, ensure that your impressions align with Scripture, your higher judgment, and providential circumstances. Wait for this harmony before taking action.
Key Quotes:
Although the fig-tree shall not blossom... YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The kingdom of God cometh not with observation... for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Take each thing that is wrong in your lives as God’s chariot for you.
With Him present, what could I have to fear?
If we are one with Him, then of course in the very nature of things we can do nothing without Him.
There is no place in the whole universe where He is not present; neither heaven, nor hell, nor the uttermost parts of the sea.
I never supposes. De Lord is my shepherd, and I knows I shall not want.
If God be for us, it matters not who may be against us; nothing can disturb or harm us, except He shall see that it is best for us, and shall stand aside to let it pass.
Our trials may be our chariots. We long for some victory over sin and self, and we ask God to grant it to us. His answer comes in the form of a trial which He means shall be the chariot to bear us to the longed-for triumph.
Any root of bitterness cherished towards another, any self-seeking and harsh judgments indulged in... will effectually cripple and paralyze our spiritual life.
A great many Christians are slaves to the habit of doubting. No drunkard was ever more utterly bound by the chains of his fatal habit than they are by theirs.
The same moment which brings the consciousness of having sinned, ought to bring also the consciousness of being forgiven.
Our fight is to be a fight of faith, and the moment we doubt, our fight ceases and our rebellion begins.
Perfect obedience would be perfect happiness, if only we had perfect confidence in the power we were obeying.
Love gives all, and must have all in return.
To be truly one with another, we must have the same likes and dislikes, the same joys and sorrows, the same hopes and fears.
Unless we are Christ-like in our thoughts and our ways, we are not one with Him, no matter how we feel.
The Lord is in thy heart. Since the day of thy conversion He has been dwelling there, but thou hast lived on in ignorance of it.
Man’s part is to trust and God’s part is to work.
God is able to save unto the uttermost, and He means to do it.
We are to be delivered from the power of sin, and are to be made perfect in every good work to do the will of God.
The maturity of Christian experience cannot be reached in a moment, but is the result of the work of God’s Holy Spirit.
In order for a soul to be made into a vessel unto God’s honor, 'sanctified and meet for the Master’s use,' it must be entirely abandoned to Him, and must lie passive in His hands.
Let the ways of childish confidence and freedom from care, which so please you and win your hearts in your own little ones, teach you what should be your ways with God.
Christ Jesus hath entered so deeply into the root of the nature of man that He hath received power to destroy the devil and his works, and to recover and redeem man into righteousness and holiness.
When a believer really trusts anything, he ceases to worry about that thing which he has trusted.
The will is like a wise mother in a nursery; the feelings are like a set of clamoring, crying children.
Put your will then over on to the believing side. Say, 'Lord I will believe, I do believe,' and continue to say it.