The apostle Paul admonishes us In his letters to the Corinthians and Ephesians to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, giving no offense in anything, that the ministry be not blamed, but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God. He then proceeds to place before us a standard. That standard calls for the very highest attainments in Christian character, the most resolute purpose, the most determined will, and for unceasing and untiring labor. Well may we exclaim, "Who is sufficient for these things?" Nevertheless the standard is set; and in order to attain it, the price must inevitably be paid.
Efficiency and conservation are topics foremost in the consideration of the great organizations of the modern world. From every direction the question is being asked, "How can I be more efficient? How can I save that which is going to waste?" The business man is continually introspecting his business methods to see wherein they can be improved. If he discovers a loss resulting from mismanagement or incompetent help, he at once endeavors to remedy the defect. Men are looking for results. The machinery used, the energy and time expended, must produce a profit on the investment if the business is to continue, and prosperity crown the efforts of the firm.
In the past, farmers have failed to produce from an acre of ground what an acre ought to yield, and have blamed the weather, poor soil, or climatic conditions for the small crops. In the West, farmers formerly planted three kernels of corn to a hill. If one stalk resulted, producing one ear of corn weighing eleven or twelve ounces, they were satisfied. Today four stalks must be produced to the hill, with at least two ears on each stalk, and a considerable increase in the weight of the ear.
Recently twenty boys, representing the Boys' Corn Clubs of the United States, met in Washington as guests of the Department of Agriculture. One boy had succeeded in raising on one acre more than fifteen times as many bushels of corn as is raised by the average farmer.
The prevalent demand for efficiency has made the thought of waste and extravagance almost intolerable. The nations of earth are today setting examples of economy. They are surveying their swamps with the view of converting them into fertile fields. They are measuring their deserts, and laying plans to irrigate them. They are computing the value of their forests, and taking measures to prevent their destruction.
The business man, the farmer, and the nations of the earth see the need of efficiency and conservation. Then why cannot the church today profitably follow their example? We might ask ourselves the question, "Why do not we, with the forces we have in the field, our many departments, and our wheels within wheels, accomplish greater results?" It is true we have made progress, and we have laborers who are giving their lives, constantly studying new methods, seeking deeper consecration, and pressing forward with ever-increasing zeal, who are not satisfied to be merely merry-go-rounds, always going but never getting anywhere, but are fired with a determination to succeed. Others are satisfied with mediocre results, continuing from year to year with practically no results for their work, when a little more energy and push, a little more earnestness and perseverance, a little more prayer and consecration, would yield a more bountiful harvest, and develop a better quality of fruit.
God never calls the lazy or the idle when He needs men for His service. When He desires a worker, He calls a worker. When He has work to be done, He calls those who are, already at work. When God needs a great servant, He calls a busy man. The man who is doing something where he is, is wanted everywhere. The man who says, "I am doing the best I can," when he is accomplishing nothing, declares himself a failure. We need workers today who see nothing but success.
When Napoleon was told that the Alps stood in the way of his armies, he declared, "There shall be no Alps," and the road across the Simplon was constructed through a district formerly almost inaccessible. "Impossible," he said, "is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools." An ancient crest was a pickax with the motto, "I will find a way or make one." Energy usually displays itself in promptitude and decision.
One of the greatest wastes we must guard against is the waste of time. In "Christ's Object Lessons," page 342, are the words: "Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given, will He require a more strict account than of our time." If we expect to make a success in God's work, we must know the value of time. It is said of Sir Walter Scott that "his punctuality was one of the most carefully cultivated of his habits. He made it a rule to answer every letter received by him the same day. It was his practiee to rise by five o'clock and light his own fire. He shaved and dressed with deliberation, and was seated at his desk by six o'clock."
Vice-President Henry Wilson, although a poor boy, and obliged to serve an apprenticeship of eleven years on a farm, read one thousand books before he was twenty-one.
Albert Barnes wrote his commentaries on the Bible during the early hours of the morning, planning not to allow this work to interfere with the regular duties of the day.
Men of business are accustomed to quote the maxim, "Time is money," but it is more. The improvement of time is self-culture, self-improvement, and growth of character. If a system were adopted by every worker to devote the early hours of each day to study, meditation, and prayer, making the Bible, the Testimonies, and the Ministerial Reading Course (which has been selected with great care) the basis for his plan of study, it would fit and prepare him for the work of the day, increase his usefulness, and prepare the way for advancement in the cause he loves.
To be leaders in this cause, we must set a pace for others to follow. 'The old saying is, "Get the bellwether, and you can lead the whole flock." "Do as I say, and not as I do," is an injunction never heeded, for "actions speak louder than words." If the leaders of a church expect the members to be faithful in giving tithes and offerings, they should set a liberal and unselfish example. To teach that the needs of the cause call for self-denial on the part of the church, places a responsibility upon every leader to be careful lest extravagance and luxury contradict the teaching. To expect the church to be on time, the leader must be on time. To teach that the church must work and accomplish re- sults, the leader must show how it is done. To impress the church with the shortness of time and the importance of improving every hour, the leader must devote his every effort to the work, to the exclusion of every other interest.
Paul sums it all up in his instruction to Timothy: "Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee. . . . Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all."
Chicago, Ill.
