How may a man ascertain whether he is mentally alive and fit for his work, or is undergoing a process of intellectual stagnation? Let him ask himself a few questions: Do I enjoy hard mental work? Do I like to match myself with the difficulties of acquiring a language such as Greek or Hebrew? Do I retain a fresh interest in my sacred profession? Is it my delight to get in touch with men who know more about a subject than I do? In other words, do I welcome the assistance of sympathetic and competent associates, or do I feel competent to study entirely by myself?
Do I take time for study and mental growth? Are my habits studious? Do I, as often as circumstances permit, lock my study door after breakfast and spend an hour or two endeavoring to get the mastery of some subject not immediately connected with the needs of the day? Asking these questions of oneself, and trying to answer them honestly, will go far toward revealing one's mental state.
To the experienced eye, there is one fairly sure sign of mental stagnation. If you find yourself saying to a friend: "I want to study more than anything else, but I just haven't the time," set it down as a fact that you are probably deceiving yourself in this matter. If you really had the professional man's hunger for more knowledge, you would find the time, even if it meant cutting down your allowance of sleep, or the time given to meals.
The first essential to acquiring the study habit is to recognize that it is part of the divine plan that a worker develop his faculties to the fullest extent, and such development comes through study and practice. Without hard, continuous study the professional man, be he minister, lawyer, college professor, or physician, is doomed to failure. He simply must advance mentally, or he will be elbowed aside by men who do. To have the open mind, to be hospitable to new ideas, to feel the impact of the rushing, surging tide of the modern world, is especially necessary to the Adventist minister, because he professes to be able to explain present-day movements in the light of prophecy. In other words, while his message is essentially a spiritual one, it is intended also to appeal to the intellect, and to be worthy the serious examination of thoughtful men and women.
It is not necessary for the professional man to spend a major portion of time in study in order to keep in good intellectual trim. Study of the right kind is one of nature's stimulants. Like a brisk walk in the morning, it makes one weary; but after rest one feels better than before, because study, like the morning walk, tones up the nervous system and puts new life into the body. An excellent time for study is in the morning, and some of our forward-looking ministers find it very helpful to give the first hour after breakfast, on most days at least, to something definite, such as the study of New Testament Greek, church history, modern European history, or some advanced work in other lines.
It is true that our Adventist ministers are very busy men. In addition to the pastoral work necessary, most of them have administrative duties, financial goals to help their members to attain, and many also engage in aggressive evangelistic work. Unless one is very careful, it is difficult, with so many things in hand, to find time for creative study.
One thing should be kept in mind, however. When there is very little time for study, it is wise to arrange to do the work under the guidance of a teacher, because this gives definiteness and also pleasant companionship to the study. The lesson outlines and textbooks and the guidance of the teacher make very clear the path that one is to travel. There is no wandering about. One goes directly to the goal, even if one must go slowly. Busy professional men accordingly are in particular need of guidance that can be given by a well-conducted correspondence course,* because such things save time.
Washington, D. C.