Christian Life

Patience, Please

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Be careful for what you wish; you just might get it. Patience is a common request made of God, and yet, are we sure we know what we are in for? It is, of course, a necessary Christian virtue, but it is not for the weak. Unlike Egypt, which was built for the Egyptians on the backs of slaves, no one will build patience for us. Patience will be built by the perspiration of each individual, fervent Christian. No, Christianity is certainly not a faith for the faint-hearted. When Christ said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” [Matthew 16:24.] He was not talking about the pendants that are so commonly seen in the secular Christianity that is thriving nowadays. He was speaking of the perils, afflictions, and heartaches that are bound to follow any person who has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The “hurry-up-and-wait” patience that modern day America demands at their beckon call is not the patience that Christians are called to exhibit. The word “patience” comes from the Latin word patiencia, which means “to suffer and endure”. Patience in America means waiting in the check-out aisle on a Friday afternoon whether you like it or not. There is nothing in American living that would induce patience. We live in a fast-paced world; we have fast food, we drive fast cars, and we have super fast computers. We are programmed to be in a hurry. We are in such a rush that God, who created time, is sometimes too slow to fit into our overdrive schedules. We demand what we want or need right away, as if our lives were going to end if we did not get it now. Sometimes we get so impatient with God and charge on ahead of Him without knowing which way He wants us to go, all the while saying that we want to do His will.

God, who is infinitely patient, calls us back to reality, though, through the dead ends we run into when we run on ahead of Him. As Christians, we will have enough struggle in our lives simply in enduring the devil’s attacks; we certainly do not need to get in our own way, or God’s. Every decision in life from scheduling our day to deciding on a career is to be made with great care and prayer. Acting hastily and running ahead to grab something that God may not have in mind for us only serves as a setback. God is methodical and steady; He is in no rush and knows what is best for us and when it will be in our best interest. If we are in such a hurry that we run on ahead of God, we may find when we come to a dead end that He wanted us to take a left a few intersections ago. What then? We would have to retrace our steps, turn left, and then gain momentum on the course God had in mind for us before we even started on the journey. There is great wisdom in the saying “haste makes waste.”

We often ask for patience, pleading and begging with great fervency, and when God grants our request and commences building it in us, we gripe and moan over the hardship suddenly being heaped on our heads. I wonder if God ever looks down at us in utter exasperation with a look of, “Make up your mind; did you ask for it or not?” In His mercy, though, He will not let up until we have learned the lessons and have mastered the attribute. He knows the importance of patience in our lives. God knows that, while we are on earth, we will be afflicted on all sides. The Christian race is not a sprint; it is a long distance run requiring strength and stamina to endure the agony of the marathon. Patient endurance is needed to reach the finish line. We will ache and burn inside and out, in our relationships, our careers, our families, and in our spiritual lives. Satan is a fierce enemy who never tires of his tormenting. He will do everything in his power to break us. It is a lovely thought, though, that God uses the weapons of the enemy for His glory. But we must be willing to let Him. If we moan and groan and lose faith, the devil is defeating us.

Christ warned us that hardship paves the road of Christianity just as it did for the Saviour. “We are in a world of suffering. Difficulty, trial, and sorrow await us all along the way to the heavenly home.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 459. Satan hates Christians as much as he did Christ. Until we go home to our heavenly Father, the devil will do everything in his power to make us miserable and, if possible, achieve our fall. God’s people are being watched constantly; is there a difference in what they see by way of a reaction to the hardship? Do they see God’s peace in us? Do they see our trust in a Father who is larger than anything afflicting us? Do they see Christ’s behavior and his forbearance?

God knows that a large portion of our happiness depends on how we respond in the times of trial. We will either bear the burden with a joyful heart, knowing that nothing comes to us except through Christ and that He is making us strong, or we bellyache and moan because life is so very miserable and get angry with God because life is not enjoyable. The difficulties are not going to be enjoyable; however, knowing that God is in them and He has a purpose for it all is a joyful thought and the burden is then borne not on our shoulders alone, but on His as well. James 1:2, 3 says: “Count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations [trials]; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” It is a matter of what is best for us, what we need to learn, that God allows us to be tried and tested. Anytime we wish to develop a spiritual strength, it comes by trials which will exercise the attribute we are asking God to grow in us. In other words, when we ask for patience, what we are truly asking for are the trials that will build that muscle. No matter what test we are undergoing, though, patience is something we will need in each. Patience does not mean just waiting till the Lord decides enough is enough; it is bearing the burden with a joyful heart and a quietness of spirit.

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” II Corinthians 4:8, 9. We can believe, say, and live this because Christ conquered the battle ahead of us. The human psyche is a funny thing. Before 1954, running a mile in under four minutes was said to be humanly impossible. Because of this “fact,” no human had ever been able to beat four minutes; many came dangerously close, but none made it. None, that is, until Roger Bannister. He made running history in 1954 at a meet at Oxford University where he broke the four-minute barrier by one second (back then they did not count nanoseconds). Since then, though, male athletes have made the mile in even less time than Bannister’s—because they knew it could be done. Christ’s life gives us knowledge that it can be done. His character and His triumphs over evil can be ours. The catch? It takes training. Bannister could never have accomplished the supposedly impossible without training. And was it fun and easy and painless? No way! Will it be fun and easy and painless for us? No! But it can be done! The main challenge is in developing the patience that is going to get us through it. It can be easily compared to the strict diet to which Bannister and other professional athletes must adhere in order to optimize their performance. It is the basis of their training. It is what allows them to maximize their training. Patience needs to be our diet. Patience is what is going to allow us to get the most out of our training.

It is through difficulty that God teaches us the lessons we need to learn. We can learn these lessons best if we are not spending our emotional, mental, and physical energies on worry, self-pity, and desperate efforts to change a circumstance outside of our control. Rather, we can put our efforts into biding through the trials and strengthening our faith in God. Yes, it does take lots of energy and dedication. Faith is an absolute to patience. Our ability to withstand the hardship that we face on earth is through the faith that we have in God—faith that He sent His Son to die for us that we may be saved: faith that Christ has conquered so we too may conquer: and faith that we cannot be touched by anything, except that God allows it and His allowance is to work out an end to our benefit. Without this knowledge, life for Christians would be over. And yet at times, it has not sunk down far enough to reach our hearts, or our patience and endurance would see a drastic turn for the better. A runner can push the pain out of mind to achieve the medal awaiting him at the finish line. We, too, can endure because we know that God has something far better awaiting us on the other side of the trial. We persevere, knowing that this too shall pass.

It is quite audacious for us to complain about our treatment here on earth; what servant would expect to be treated better than the master? Satan was working overtime on Christ during His brief time on earth. If the devil could get Jesus, our only chance at salvation, to fall, he would have claim as conqueror. And those three-plus decades were Satan’s only shot. He tortured Christ with every temptation, grief, peril, and pain he had at his command to effect Christ’s fall. From the moment of His birth, Jesus was wanted dead. He grew up poor, knowing the fatigue of physical labor. As an adult, He owned nothing, living a nomadic life in order to spread a truth rejected with vehemence by most, and in His darkest hour, deserted by every earthly companion; even His heavenly Father was being blocked from His vision. In Gospel Workers, 56, Ellen White says, “Angels of God stand amazed, and ashamed of this lack of self-denial and perseverance. While the Author of our salvation was laboring and suffering for us, he denied himself, and his whole life was one continued scene of toil and privation. He could have passed his days on earth in ease and plenty, and appropriated to himself the pleasures of this life; but he considered not his own convenience. He lived to do others good. He suffered to save others from suffering. He endured to the end, and finished the work which was given him to do. All this was to save us from ruin. And now, can it be that we, the unworthy objects of so great love, will seek a better position in this life than was given to our Lord? Every moment of our lives we have been partakers of the blessings of his great love, and for this very reason we cannot fully realize the depths of ignorance and misery from which we have been saved. Can we look upon Him whom our sins have pierced, and not be willing to drink with him the bitter cup of humiliation and sorrow?”

“All heaven is interested in the happiness of man. Our heavenly Father does not close the avenues of joy to any of His creatures.” Steps to Christ, 46.

It may seem that developing patience is more trouble than it is worth; yet God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, is quite determined that we obtain this attribute. Although it may seem a strange thing to say in the face of the nature of the tools used to grow patience, God is very concerned with our quality of life. Not one person goes through life without feeling the terrible effects of sin. Some face the trials feeling fearful, weak, and bitter; others experience the inevitable sorrows patiently, knowing that God intends to use the devil’s attacks to His good purpose. They endure, and while remaining peaceful, are able to feel some degree of joy. Which class of people is happier? Obviously, those who endure the difficulties with patience. But we cannot do this without practice. Trials are unavoidable, and God wishes us to be at peace through them; one area where practice does indeed make perfect. On-the-job-training is the best way for God to teach us how to lean on Him and be patient. Nothing could be more effective in foiling the devil than to be gracious in trial and use his attacks to bring glory to God.

The patient endurance of those persecuted for their faith has been a testament through the ages to believers and unbelievers alike. However, their trials and suffering would not be noted whatsoever had they not the quietude and contentment that accompanied them; many, even unto death. No one admires anyone who moans and groans over their lot. The heroes whom we admire are those who accepted their fate without a word of complaint or despair. The attitude with which they underwent suffering is what defines them from others who have shared in the same agony. Although at the time we may not be staring down death in the presence of onlookers who would be affected by our placidity, we are being watched by others in our daily lives, most of the time without knowing it. They see how we respond to hardship; whether we are enduring quietly and trusting a loving heavenly Father with our best interest, or struggling with inconsolable doubt and frustration. Our lives are testimonies for others to see Christ’s strength, patience, peace, and joy. Once again, this takes practice, and both the devil and God will ensure that we have the practice we need. Our duty is to shake off Satan and let God conquer in our lives. “We are examples to others … we can see the importance, then, of having true faith, for it is the motive power of the Christian’s life and action.” The Signs of the Times, November 24, 1887. Through our patience, we may be giving someone else the opportunity to see just a glimpse of Christ and what He has to offer in the lives of every person.

Do not make light the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as a son. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (See Hebrews 12:5–7.) We serve a loving God who has our best interest at heart. He longs to see us at peace here on earth as well as for eternity. Anything that will achieve this end He will allow to come our way. It may at times be what we tend to call “tough love,” yet anything that comes from God is for our good, and we can thus patiently endure and lean on Him who carries the burden with us.

Sandra Rowlandson is part of the Landmarks team and can be reached at: sandrarowlandson@stepstolife.org.

Christian Cornerstone

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The Christian life is a practical outworking of the basic principle of love. Love is a very simple concept that few fully understcand or practice, and yet it is the lifeline of Christianity. When we truly love someone, we are willing to give our all for that person and his or her well-being just as Christ did for us. This results in joy. Nothing brings parents more joy than to give to their children everything that is good for them. There is nothing that a sister will not share with her sister. And a brother goes to great extremes for those he loves. God gave us the desire to do great things for love. He created us in such a manner that giving is more blessed to the soul than receiving. Putting self aside and setting the needs of another above our own takes care of both the receiver and the spirit of the giver. Practical Christianity stems from the love of Christ exemplified in our lives.

God’s law is the epitome of infinite love. Love is the foundation of His commandments, which are drawn from the tender devotion of a Creator towards His creation. Our Father stops at nothing to ensure the best good for His children. Christians, by definition, are a people who live by Christ’s example. We are bound by the name and by the undeserved love God has shown to us, to also love and care for those around us. “Christ illustrates the nature of true religion. He shows that it consists not in systems, creeds, or rites, but in the performance of loving deeds, in bringing the greatest good to others, in genuine goodness.” The Desire of Ages, 497.

God wanted to ensure the safety and happiness of His people so He gave them ten commandments to obey. But when He was asked what the greatest commandment was, He responded, saying, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” He goes on to say, “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37–40. Jesus said that all the commandments hung upon these two. This is the principle that Christianity is built upon. The heartbeat of Christianity is love—love for the Lord and for your fellow man; everything comes from this basic principle. The law is contingent upon love; our love for God, God’s love for us, and our love for one another. Jesus put our love for each other secondary only to us loving Him. Why? Because if we love God and one another, obedience to every other commandment is a given.

The life of the creator was the atonement for sin. Jesus, though, not only died for us, but He suffered over thirty years of ridicule and hatred here on earth because He wanted to teach us what true love really looks like. His life was service, sacrifice, and surrender; a life of true love. We have an overabundance of opportunity in our lives as Christians to show the endless devotion that God shows for us. Our thoughts, our speech, our actions, are all capable of reflecting Christ’s love. And in everything we do we are either bringing people close to God, or pushing them away from Him. Some may wonder at this; how can that be? When we see a beautiful sunset reflected in a still lake, do we continue to look into the waters? No, we look up to see the skies, to see the source in its true glory. When Christ is reflected in us, people will look up to see the source, knowing that it must be far more beautiful than the reflection. Our love for God and a life lived according to His Son’s perfect example—this is a true Christian’s “love life.” This is Christianity.

Some mistakenly define love as an emotion that is felt toward someone or something. Love involves commitment. When we commit ourselves to God we are committing to following His commands and His life. The reflection of Christ in a Christian entails not just the love that we show toward people that we hold dear. Unfortunately, we are merely sinful mortals, and it is not in us naturally to love everyone. In fact, we cannot love even those who are dear to our hearts nearly as much as God loves those who are far from Him. And since we are incapable of love in this manner, we love in a different way; through Christian duty. It is a choice. It is something that we show, even though we may not always feel it. Our sinful hearts tend to feel obligation only for those for whom we feel affection. We love those who love us, dislike those who are unkind to us, and are indifferent to those who ignore us. Martin Luther King once said, “Fire does not extinguish fire; only water can do that. Hate does not extinguish hate; only love can do that.”

If someone wrongs us in some way, there is a natural inward response to retaliate; a response that we are asked to suppress. When good is returned for evil, two things happen. Firstly, the individual who caused the pain is acknowledged as someone in need of tender care also, and thus is softened. Secondly, he is rebuked by the kindness. When kindness is returned for evil, the guilty is “burned” with the guilt of his actions. Paul said, “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” Romans 12:20. When Christ was crucified, his loving kindness was a reproof to the human race.

In His personal ministry, Jesus focused on people in need. He came “to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Luke 4:18. “But they that are whole need not a physician.” Luke 5:13. There is a saying that goes, “Keep your friends close; keep you enemies closer.” It is said as a caution to know what your enemies are up to in order to keep from getting hurt. However, the advice could really be quite applicable to Christianity. Our friends are friends for a reason. We typically share a common outlook, share like values, and have the same interests. It is our enemies that will tend to need us the most. Someone who is willing to make an enemy in one place is most likely to make them in other areas also. The anger and bitterness that would constantly accompany them calls for pity, not for anger in return, or even indifference. In our actions toward them, these people would have the opportunity to see true ministry and kindness—a picture that could well change the lives of many. It is the equivalent of a doctor living in a town where people know nothing of proper hygiene and lifestyle rather than moving to a place where proper habits are practiced and the people are healthy.

The people who are in our lives regularly are often dependent on how we interact with them. Our witness to others has a profound effect for good or for evil. This is frequently overlooked because the results are rarely immediately evident to us. God puts people in our paths who are complete strangers to whom He would like us to be of some good. The vast majority of the human race is in intense turmoil and suffering. Who better to comfort them than those who know the Ultimate Comforter? Who better to tend to them than those who know the Great Physician? We are trained in the school of Christ. For what? To congregate with those who have the same knowledge as we do? It was once said that knowledge is much like compost; it is no good unless it is spread. According to the National Geographic (November 2005), 95% of Adventists’ associates are other Seventh-day Adventists. This is a rather sad statistic, as others are neglected who direly need the truth. It is imperative that we take our knowledge to others. God gives us opportunities to do this by crossing our paths with those who need Him.

The story of the Good Samaritan is a perfect example of this. Many have treated the story as if it were just a parable that Jesus used to make a point, but it was an actual occurrence. The man who lay beaten on the side of the road was in desperate need of help. Beaten, bruised, and left to die, this man was at the mercy of anyone who would happen by. God’s divine providence sent three men to cross this poor man’s path. We are told this in inspiration: “God in His providence had brought the priest and the Levite along the road where the wounded sufferer lay, that they might see his need of mercy and help. All heaven watched to see if the hearts of these men would be touched with pity for human woe.” The Desire of Ages, 500. We are Christians; let us do something with our profession! A doctor is no good if he does not practice his art. A Christian, likewise, is no good unless practicing Christianity! God is entrusting His light to us. What are we going to do with it?

Too often we believe that our witness to others goes unnoticed because we are not witness to the effect. We do not see behind the scenes of another’s life and circumstances and emotions. Craig was a well-liked boy in the middle school he attended. He got good grades, he was involved in many extracurricular activities and was good at them, and he made friends easily. As he was walking home from school one afternoon, he bumped into another student at his school who lived on his block, knocking the stack of books out of his arms. Kyle was quite introverted and awkward. He could count his friends on one finger, and he was flunking the seventh grade. Not taking any heed of his appearance or lowliness in the middle school hierarchy, Craig picked up Kyle’s books and carried them back to their block chatting easily with him as they walked. The two boys struck up a friendship immediately. It was not until college graduation that Craig found out how much his friendship had done for Kyle. It was Kyle, not Craig, who had been elected Valedictorian of their graduating class, tall, robust, and confident. And during the course of his speech, which was delivered on the interdependence that we were created by God to have with one another, he revealed to the audience the power kindness has upon people as he told the story of his meeting with Craig and how Craig’s kindness had stayed his hand from suicide the day Craig walked him home from school. Although nothing was more natural for Craig to do, and he did not know the consequences of his benevolence, the effect on Kyle’s life was profound.

Unfortunately, these simple acts of concern and helpfulness toward each other are quite rare. Most of the time we are consumed by the daily grind and we miss the fact that the simplest and most human acts are the most profound and life altering. An individual is a witness by the love that is exhibited from one human to another. There is no need for extravagance. It is the simplest and mutest acts that are the most profound in attending to the heart and soul of our fellow man. “Many, many, have fainted and become discouraged in the great struggle of life, when one word of kindly cheer would have strengthened them to overcome. Never should we pass by one suffering soul without seeking to impart to him of the comfort wherewith we are comforted of God.” The Desire of Ages, 504.

The Bible says that we need to train our children in the way they should go so they will stay true to the path as they mature (See Proverbs 22:6.) Living our lives in accordance to God’s law is the most practical way in which we can be witnesses for Christ. And we are trained from the beginning for adherence to the Holy Spirit’s voice. “The greatest evidence of the power of Christianity that can be presented to the world is a well-ordered, well-disciplined family. This will recommend the truth as nothing else can, for it is a living witness of its practical power upon the heart.” The Adventist Home, 32. God’s law is love; His government is founded on it. How can we do any less than to show just a sliver of the love and dedication Christ showed for us? Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40. This is such a commonly known text that it has taken up status as an adage in the minds of most Christians. Just in case this no longer tweaks the conscience into action, God elaborates on the point, driving it home. In verse 45, He says, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” If we saw Christ in need, what would we do? Most of us would jump quickly with a response that we would bend over backwards to overfill the need of our Savior. But with these texts in mind, what is the reality?

“Many who profess His name have lost sight of the fact that Christians are to represent Christ. Unless there is practical self-sacrifice for the good of others, in the family circle, in the neighborhood, in the church, and wherever we may be, then whatever our profession, we are not Christians. Christ has linked His interest with that of humanity, and He asks us to become one with Him for the saving of humanity. ‘Freely ye have received,’ He says, ‘freely give.’ Matthew 10:8” The Desire of Ages, 504. This is the rule of the Christian life.

Alicia Freedman works at Steps to Life on our LandMarks team. She can be contacted by email at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Who Am I?

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The room was dimly lit. On one of the walls there were a number of posters, a picture of a pop musician, and another of a sportsman; all of which had served as windows into a longed-for reality. Along another wall there was a desk with a few school books on it, but the central feature of this desk was a small but powerful stereo system. Indeed, this was the room of a teenager which showed all the signs of ambition, turbulence, and, yes, dreaming.

An immense battle was raging in the young man’s heart, a battle of destiny, a moment of truth. “I never thought I would do something like that,” he muttered as he stared at the floor. His self-concept was being severely tested. So intense was the battle that he sought comfort from the posters on the walls which had helped him so many times before and diverted his mind from the harvest he was now reaping.

The air was filled with a sense of desperation. His mind was grasping for tokens that would stabilize his state of mind: academic, athletic, articulate were some of the tokens he grasped for, but they now seemed powerless to help him. A sickening cloud descended on him and started to squeeze out his sense of ambition. It kicked open the prized places of the heart and stole its treasure, and then it made for the most sacred chamber of all—hope. He had spoken to his mother in a way he promised himself he never would. This was the final straw that made him realize that he was not the person he wanted to be. He did not like himself and he wanted to change, but it seemed hopeless.

This experience is not unique to this one man. Many of us come to a crisis in our lives where we realize, “Hey, I am not the person that I want to be; I don’t like myself and I want to change,” but how often does it seem hopeless!

Depression is the single greatest curse afflicting our society today. The Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Gro Harlem, said in an address, “… initial estimates suggest that about 450 million people alive today suffer from mental or neurological disorders. … Major depression is now the leading cause of disability globally.” This is an enormous problem! In 1998 and 1999 one million suicides were committed each year; 10–20 million attempts every year, or up to 38 attempts every minute. Suicide in the United States for males between the ages of 35 and 49 is the number three cause of death. So what on earth is going on? What is so depressing about life that millions of people are choosing to die rather than face another day?

In his book, The Mind Game, Phillip Day gives this very revealing statement: “In times gone by, caring family members gathered around and gave the depressed relative the assurance and attention to talk things through. … Today, with the fracturing of the family unit, the denigration of religion, and the separation of many families from each other with the hectic pace of 21st century life, psycho-analysis has simply taken over the task of counseling that used to be carried out by caring relatives or the neighborhood minister. I strongly believe that this has had a deleterious effect on our society.” Phillip Day lists three factors that play into this: the fracture of the family unit, the denigration of religion, and the separation of many families from one another in the hectic pace of 21st century life—the pivotal factor being the fracturing of the family unit.

David Van Biema, commenting on this topic, said; “A generation unlike any other has come of age, one in which millions have been marked by a profound and early sorrow. They are the children of divorce. They are just the front rank of a seemingly endless phalanx.” Jim Conway, in his book, Adult Children of Legal and Emotional Divorce, describes in vivid detail the pain and loss suffered by thousands who have suffered the effects of a fractured family either legally or emotionally. One of the key attributes he describes is the insecurity and the constant question of “Who am I?” and “Am I worth loving?” These questions drive to the very source of the human dilemma—a sense of significance. Does anyone really care about me? Am I worth anything? How did these questions come to embed themselves in the human psyche? To answer that question we need to go back to the very beginning.

Suddenly Eve found herself staring at the forbidden tree. “Why has God forbidden us to eat from this tree?” she wondered. The fruit looked so inviting. Suddenly she heard a voice coming from the tree. Satan, seeing his opportunity, tempts her through the medium of a serpent: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1.) Satan is both enticing Eve to debate and placing doubt in her mind about the literalness of God’s Word. Eve is no match for Satan, however. She accepts the challenge by repeating the words that God has spoken, but she is now deeply in trouble. Her own curiosity, combined with the opening challenge of Satan, left her unprepared for his following statement, “You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4.) This was a statement that caught Eve unaware, and Satan, seeing that he has immobilized his prey, now with devastating precision drives home his winning blow. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5.)

The concept that Satan introduced to Eve contained the seed of the curse that now plagues all of the children of Adam—the struggle for significance. A concept that sounds so liberating provides the VERY substance of the chains that enslave the human soul in misery and darkness. The question remains: Who am I?

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though He is not far from each one of us. “For in him we live and move and have our being.” As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring.” Acts 17: 24–28. What an answer. We are the offspring, or children, of the God of the universe! Here is a God who is intimately involved with every one of our lives as a father to his children!

If we live in Him, it is simple logic that we cannot live without Him. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5. This means that we can’t do anything physically, mentally, or spiritually without our heavenly Father. We are totally and utterly dependent upon Jesus for everything in the same way a newborn baby is upon its parents.

Consider the amazing organ—the heart. It works as a pump to circulate the blood through our bodies, without a break, decade upon decade. What is amazing about the heart is that the pulsing of the heart does not appear to be aided by anything outside itself. The muscle of the heart can contract and relax without any direct stimulus from the nervous system. It has what is called an intrinsic regulating system. As an anatomy textbook puts it, “The conduction system is composed of specialized muscle tissue that generates and distributes the electrical impulses which stimulate the cardiac muscle fibers to contract.” The Bible tells us that this energy comes directly from God. (Refer to Acts 17:28.) We are intimately connected to God, and totally dependent on Him every second of our lives. God is actively, knowingly, and lovingly supplying us the electrical charge that keeps our hearts beating. The King of kings keeps every one of the over six-and-a-half billion hearts in the world beating.

We hear so much about love; songs are written about it, websites devoted to it, magazines full of it. The world is looking for love. So why are there so many lonely people, why so many people falling out of love? Because they believe the lie that Satan told Eve so long ago that you have life in yourself, you don’t need any external force to depend on; you won’t die! You don’t need to look outside of yourself for any power. If you don’t understand that love, joy, peace, and all those other attributes come from the Spirit of God and reach out to the source, then you are just like a doll with batteries in the back: you can only perform while the batteries are charged; you are dependent on successes and excitement to charge the batteries. But sometimes life does not dish up success and excitement; what then? What if you don’t attain the goal you set for yourself or what others expect of you? In Satan’s kingdom you are considered a loser, but if your power comes from God, you are a winner whether you achieve or do not achieve, by the world’s standard, because it is not you who is in control of those things.

Consider Jesus when He was taken into custody and tried as a malefactor. To all outward appearances He looked like a loser; His friends had left Him, and it even appeared as if His Father had forsaken him; but He wasn’t a loser, He was a winner. It is a wonderful privilege to be a part of God’s kingdom.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6, 7. In these verses Jesus is explaining the principles of His kingdom. We have a formula for what makes people significant in that kingdom. What makes them count, what makes them worth something, what makes them valuable? In an earthly sense, sparrows have little value; you could buy five of them for two pennies, but Jesus makes a contrast and says, “Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.” The contrast here is that because God remembers the sparrows, they are very valuable in God’s Kingdom. He goes further and compares how much God thinks about us as compared to sparrows: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Can you imagine anyone being interested in you enough to monitor the number of hairs on your head? Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.”

In God’s kingdom, worth and significance are gained from simply realizing that God lovingly thinks about us continually. We are definitely on His mind. He is giving us life, making our hearts beat, and actively pouring His love into our lives so that we can enjoy life, and He imparts to us rich gifts, talents, and abilities for our satisfaction, enjoyment, and service for others. Here is the secret of God’s kingdom, the secret of significance. It is the key that unlocks the enslaving kingdom of worthlessness and depression.

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” Psalm 40:5.

If our value is determined by the loving thoughts that God has toward us, by the fact that our Father is the King of the universes, then this text tells us that we are priceless; it says that His plans and thoughts for us are greater than can be declared or numbered. How does it feel to be priceless? It can only be as good as your belief in the truth that God loves us so much regardless of how good or bad we are. Whenever you are tempted to doubt your worth, just look at the sparrows and believe that you are worth more than many sparrows.

There is nothing more critical than the sense of a close family to safeguard us from the ever-widening jaws of depression and worthlessness. A family can be a place where you are accepted for who you are, where you can be yourself and forgiven for your mistakes. Jesus opens for us a vital picture of the kingdom of God when He taught us how to pray. Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven …’ ” [Matthew 6:9.] Jesus did not say to pray “Dear God,” or “Your hallowed majesty,” or “Dear King” as our first reference point, but rather, “Our Father.” The Kingdom of God is a family.

“And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” [II Peter 1: 17.] These words are deeply significant, for right here God lays out the core nature of His kingdom. “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” There are many ways that God could have introduced His Son, like: This is the Creator of the universe, listen to Him; or, This is your king, obey Him, but He said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” God proclaims the identity of His Son in the terms of a family rather than the terms of a king or ruler. “This is my Son” gives identity; “whom I love, and am well pleased” bespeaks of His value. In God’s kingdom, significance and worth are determined by our relationship to Him. This is in total contrast to Satan’s kingdom, where significance and worth are determined by your successful performance and achievements, as judged by yourself and others around you. In the Kingdom of God, He is our Father and we are His children, and that is our identity. You are known by Whom you belong to rather than what you do. The fact that God loves His children and pours out blessings upon them continually, is thinking about them constantly, and wants to be close to them gives them an incredible sense of value.

In God’s kingdom your identity and value are as enduring as the everlasting, never-changing God Himself. Regardless of success or failure, the relationship remains constant and your worth secure.

In Satan’s kingdom, your worth is about as secure as the stock market after Sept 11—extremely volatile, totally insecure and bound to crash! There are no guarantees that you will always succeed, neither is there a guarantee that the people around you will always be there for your encouragement, or applaud your efforts. To safeguard our individual identity and to save us from entering into a life of despair, discouragement, worthlessness and death, God has enshrined in the heart of His kingdom a law that will safeguard relationships. It deals with two types of relationships: The relationship between us and our heavenly Father, and the relationship between each of us as brothers and sisters in the kingdom of God. This is why Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37–40. These two great commandments are designed to safeguard our Identity and Value as children of God. These two commandments are a summary of the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are vital in preventing you from losing your self-worth. Within the kingdom of God the Ten Commandments are understood in the context of relationships. If you sever those relationships, you are destroying your identity, and when you destroy your identity, death is yearning to embrace you. So sin (which the Bible defines as the breaking of the Law, I John 3:4) destroys our identity and value. When identity and value are gone, the soul longs for death. This is exactly the reason why depression and suicide are the greatest problems in society today. Sin is the robber of our identity and value as children of God.

By the standards of the world, success and failure are the deciding factors of a person’s worth. But the King of kings says something different. He says that we are His children, and as His children we are recipients of His unlimited love and power. It is our connection to Jesus, whose love has been proven to an unfathomable degree, which gives us our worth.

Adapted from the book, Identity Wars.

Pastor Adrian Ebens lives and ministers in Australia. He is dedicated to sharing his faith to help people understand their true value and relationship to a loving Father in Heaven. He can be contacted through his website: www.maranathamedia.com.

Raise up a Child

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Family—the standards of society are set by its members. In turn, the members of society stem from individual families, and it is in the family that the individual has learned to live. The standard of his morals are largely developed and integrated by the habits he has formed due to the influence of his home environment.

At the present time, our world is suffering from a downfall of morals. Children and adults are just what they think, say and do, which is all a product of what they put into their minds. They are listening to pagan music, looking at pictures of people sparsely dressed, and watching TV programs of murders and immorality. Their minds are damaged by what they see and hear; then their words and actions fall into line with what they allow themselves to dwell upon. A home that has a TV for children to look at, even if the parents think it is governed, allows influences that will produce undesirable results.

One of the most blessed things the Lord did for humanity was to create the family. It was made for joy, for the accomplishment of goals in life and, most important of all, to teach us of the love of God and how to fit into society. We are in need today of just such homes, homes where children are trained to love and fear God and to love their fellow men. We are told by the pen of inspiration that, “The family tie is the closest, the most tender and sacred, of any on earth. It was designed to be a blessing to mankind. And it is a blessing wherever the marriage covenant is entered into intelligently, in the fear of God, and with due consideration for its responsibilities.

“Every home should be a place of love, a place where the angels of God abide, working with softening, subduing influence upon the hearts of parents and children.

“Our homes must be made a Bethel, our hearts a shrine. Wherever the love of God is cherished in the soul, there will be peace, there will be light and joy. Spread out the word of God before your families in love, and ask, ‘What hath God spoken?’ ” The Adventist Home, 18, 19.

“The greatest evidence of the power of Christianity that can be presented to the world is a well-ordered, well-disciplined family. This will recommend the truth as nothing else can, for it is a living witness of its practical power upon the heart. … The best test of the Christianity of a home is the type of character begotten by its influence. Actions speak louder than the most positive profession of godliness. … A well-ordered, a well-disciplined family in the sight of God is more precious than fine gold, even than the golden wedge of Ophir.” Ibid., 32.

Now we need a few tips on how we might accomplish such an arduous task. Every child is born with its own mind, its own will and stamina, its own personality; and it is up to the parents to understand. Parents must pattern their home and teaching after the principles laid out in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy.

“Mothers, take your rightful position as a loving teacher of your children. Remember that the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that moves the world. Never give expression to words of anger. Keep a cheerful countenance. Children are very susceptible to expressions of joy and sorrow.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 2,198.

There was once a mother who had three children. She nursed those babies. She read to them from the Spirit of Prophecy, and by the time the oldest one was six months old, he had heard the entire book, The Desire of Ages. These children grew up loving to read Ellen White’s writings.

Children need to be guided and restricted in many things, but it is very important that as soon as a child begins to think, he or she is given the opportunity to do some choosing for himself or herself, and after the child has been given the privilege of choosing, do not deny him his choice. He needs to learn to make decisions, so you must allow his little mind to work with proper guidance.

Another tip about raising children is that they should never be told that they are naughty or that they are bad. They may have done some naughty thing or something that is bad, but never, never tell them that they are bad. Always point them to something better and let them know that what they did was bad or naughty. But don’t tell the child that he is bad or naughty. You may tell him or her that he or she is too good to do such a naughty thing. Let him know that when he makes a mistake he has to pay for it. And when disciplining a child, never speak in an angry tone of voice. Offer up a silent prayer for the Lord to help you not to lose your temper, as children can be very trying at times. These trying experiences are to help us learn the patience that is needed if we are ever to hear the words, “Here is the patience of the saints” [Revelation 14:12.] spoken to us.

Another caution that is important is to never tell a child a lie, such as, “Santa Clause is coming,” or “A big black bear will get you if you are naughty,” or such stories as “Little Red Riding Hood.” She never existed, and they don’t need to know about her. Tell the children the truth; when they are older they will thank you for that.

The most important element in the home is love. Parents, if you think you don’t love each other, go to the Lord in prayer. A very dear family once struggled with this very issue. The wife said that after they were married she found that she really didn’t love her husband and detested having him around; she would have run away from it all, but she did want to be a true Christian, so she began to pray about the situation. At the time she was telling me about this, she said, “You know, Jesus answered my prayers and now I love my husband dearly.” All true love comes from God.

Our children need to see love, and they need to experience love in the home. They also need to know that they are individuals with their own personality, and are forming their own habits, and are responsible for the things they do.

A member of Steps to Life staff, Ruth Grosboll is a retired registered nurse. She worked for many years with her husband in the mission field. She may be contacted by e-mail at: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Who’s in Charge?

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Though it often leads to a dispute when made the subject of conversation, the Bible is very clear about who is in charge of this world.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to Satan three times as “the ruler of this world.” (See John 12:31, 14:30, and 16:11.)

John also made it clear in his first epistle when he wrote, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).

Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, also acknowledged the power of the enemy in this world: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4).

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul used a different term, referring to Satan as “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2).

Later in that same letter, Paul expresses even more clearly the scope of Satan’s power and of the fallen angels who are in allegiance with him: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Lest there be any doubt as to who the above texts refer to, the Revelator makes it clear in Revelation 12:9: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

How did it come to be that Satan acquired the power to deceive the whole world and claim it as his dominion?

“Satan was determined to succeed in his temptation of the sinless Adam and Eve. And he could reach even this holy pair more successfully through the medium of appetite than in any other way. The fruit of the forbidden tree seemed pleasant to the eye and desirable to the taste. They ate and fell. They transgressed God’s just command and became sinners. Satan’s triumph was complete. He then had the vantage ground over the race. He flattered himself that, through his subtlety, he had thwarted the purpose of God in the creation of man.

“Satan made his exulting boasts to Christ and to loyal angels that he had succeeded in gaining a portion of the angels in heaven to unite with him in his daring rebellion; and now that he had succeeded in overcoming Adam and Eve, he claimed that their Eden home was his. He proudly boasted that the world which God had made was his dominion; that having conquered Adam, the monarch of the world, he had gained the race as his subjects, and should now possess Eden, making that his headquarters, and would there establish his throne and be monarch of the world.” Confrontation, 15, 16.

“Mighty issues for the world were at stake in the conflict between the Prince of light and the leader of the kingdom of darkness. After tempting man to sin, Satan claimed the earth as his, and styled himself the prince of this world. Having conformed to his own nature the father and mother of our race, he thought to establish here his empire. He declared that men had chosen him as their sovereign. Through his control of men, he held dominion over the world.” The Desire of Ages, 114, 115.

“When Satan was thrust out of heaven, he determined to make the earth his kingdom. When he tempted and overcame Adam and Eve, he thought that he had gained possession of this world; ‘because,’ said he, ‘they have chosen me as their ruler.’ He claimed that it was impossible that forgiveness should be granted to the sinner, and therefore the fallen race were his rightful subjects, and the world was his.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 69.

Although our first parents did indeed succumb to Satan’s specious argument that “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4), God, in His incredible mercy and love for the pinnacle of His creation, provided a remedy for the repentant. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

This fact should not be taken to mean that all will be saved. Many places in the Bible make it clear that all individuals have a role to play in their personal salvation. Ezekiel speaks directly against the assertion “once saved—always saved” in Ezekiel 18:24, when he wrote, “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.”

The Revelator also made clear the importance of overcoming “the accuser of the brethren” in his efforts to ruin the souls of all mankind when he wrote, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death’  ” (Revelation 12:10, 11).

So, the answer to the question “Who’s in charge” depends on you. Are you claiming the promises in God’s word and complying with the conditions on which those promises are based? Or are you loving your life to the death?

All Bible quotes NKJV unless otherwise noted.

John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

Antidote for Death

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“And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.”

Deuteronomy 8:3

“But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Matthew 4:4

 “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

John 6:63, last part

 

This is a subject that is very dear to my soul, a subject that leaves me in awe and wonder, that gives joy and life, that vitalizes, that heals, that rejuvenates and enlivens. Although these blessings are for all, there are conditions. This subject is quite simply the word of God. This study is about the reality of what His word is and does for the human soul.

However, in order to understand the topic in its depth, its beauty, its power, and its importance, we must begin with a little background.

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:13–15).

Ezekiel 18:4 and 20 says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel” (Ezekiel 33:11)?

Ellen White wrote, “In order to determine how important are the interests involved in the conversion of the soul from error to truth, we must appreciate the value of immortality; we must realize how terrible are the pains of the second death.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 620.

The agonies of the second death are most clearly revealed in the sufferings of Christ as He bore the penalty in behalf of fallen man for the transgression of God’s law.

“The agony which Christ endured, broadens, deepens, and gives a more extended conception of the character of sin, and of the retribution which God will bring upon those who continue in sin. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).” Bible Training School, September 1, 1915.

“The sword of justice was unsheathed, and the wrath of God against iniquity rested upon man’s substitute, Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father.

“In the garden of Gethsemane Christ suffered in man’s stead, and the human nature of the Son of God staggered under the terrible horror of the guilt of sin, until from His pale and quivering lips was forced the agonizing cry, ‘O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me:’ but if there be no other way by which the salvation of man may be accomplished, then ‘not as I will, but as Thou wilt’ (Matthew 26:39). Human nature would then and there have died under the horror of the sense of sin, had not an angel from heaven strengthened Him to bear the agony. … Christ was suffering the death that was pronounced upon the transgressors of God’s law.

“It is a fearful thing for the unrepenting sinner to fall into the hands of the living God. This is proved by the history of the destruction of the old world by a flood, and by the record of the fire which fell from heaven and destroyed the inhabitants of Sodom. But never was this proved to so great an extent as in the agony of Christ, the Son of the infinite God, when He bore the wrath of God for a sinful world. It was in consequence of sin, the transgression of God’s law, that the garden of Gethsemane has become pre-eminently the place of suffering to a sinful world.

“No sorrow, no agony, can measure with that which was endured by the Son of God. Man has not been made a sin-bearer, and he will never know the horror of the curse of sin which the Saviour bore. No sorrow can bear any comparison with the sorrow of Him upon whom the wrath of God fell with overwhelming force. Human nature can endure but a limited amount of test and trial. The finite can only endure the finite measure, and human nature succumbs; but the nature of Christ had a greater capacity for suffering; for the human existed in the Divine nature, and created a capacity for suffering to endure that which resulted from the sins of a lost world. The agony which Christ endured, broadens, deepens, and gives a more extended conception of the character of sin, and of the retribution which God will bring upon those who continue in sin. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ to the repenting, believing sinner.” Ibid.

“The suffering Son of God leaves His disciples, for the power of darkness rushes upon Him with an irresistible force which bows Him to the earth. … His soul was pressed with such agony as no human being could endure and live. The sins of the world were upon Him. He felt that He was separated from His Father’s love; for upon Him rested the curse because of sin. Christ knew that it would be difficult for man to feel the grievousness of sin, and that close contact and familiarity with sin would so blunt his moral sensibility, that sin would not appear so dangerous to him, and so exceedingly offensive in the sight of God. He knew that but few would take pleasure in righteousness, and accept of that salvation which, at infinite cost, He made it possible for them to obtain. While this load of sin was upon Christ, unrealized, and unrepented of by man, doubts rent His soul in regard to His oneness with His Father. …

“Human minds cannot conceive of the insupportable anguish which tortured the soul of our Redeemer. …

“The sufferings of martyrs can bear no comparison with the sufferings of Christ. The divine presence was with them, in their physical sufferings. There was the hiding of the Father’s face from His dear Son. … It was anguish of soul beyond the endurance of finite nature. It was woe condensed that brought from the trembling lips of the noble sufferer these words: ‘Now is My soul troubled’ (John 12:27). ‘O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt’ (Matthew 26:39).” The Signs of the Times, August 14, 1879.

This is a description of the pains of the second death, separation, eternal separation, from the Life-giver, the One alone in whom rests the joy, the happiness, the peace, the divine contentment of the soul of man. This second death is the destiny for every soul – without Christ. We must realize this before we can understand the gift of God’s word, the antidote for this agonizing, soul-wrenching, second death. I pray God make these words full of vitality and reality to each one.

We are told: “The life of Christ that gives life to the world is in His word. It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons; by His word He stilled the sea, and raised the dead; and the people bore witness that His word was with power. He spoke the word of God, as He had spoken through all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament. The whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ, and the Saviour desired to fix the faith of His followers on the word. When His visible presence should be withdrawn, the word must be their source of power. Like their Master, they were to live ‘by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4).

“As our physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual life is sustained by the word of God. And every soul is to receive life from God’s word for himself. As we must eat for ourselves in order to receive nourishment, so we must receive the Word for ourselves. We are not to obtain it merely through the medium of another’s mind. We should carefully study the Bible, asking God for the aid of the Holy Spirit, that we may understand His word. We should take one verse, and concentrate the mind on the task of ascertaining the thought which God has put in that verse for us. We should dwell upon the thought until it becomes our own, and we know ‘what saith the Lord.’ ” The Desire of Ages, 390.

Steps to Christ, 90, adds a little to this thought. “One passage studied until its significance is clear to the mind and its relation to the plan of salvation is evident, is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view and no positive instruction gained.” [Emphasis added.]

“The Lord has often made manifest [clear] in His providence [foresight] that nothing less than revealed truth, the word of God, can reclaim man from sin or keep him from transgression. That Word, which reveals the guilt of sin, has a power upon the human heart to make man right and keep him so. The Lord has said that His word is to be studied and obeyed; it is to be brought into the practical life; that Word is as inflexible as the character of God—the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, 118, 119.

“The Bible contains all the principles that men need to understand in order to be fitted either for this life or for the life to come. And these principles may be understood by all. No one with a spirit to appreciate its teaching can read a single passage from the Bible without gaining from it some helpful thought. But the most valuable teaching of the Bible is not to be gained by occasional or disconnected study. Its great system of truth is not so presented as to be discerned by the hasty or careless reader. Many of its treasures lie far beneath the surface, and can be obtained only by diligent research and continuous effort. The truths that go to make up the great whole must be searched out and gathered up, ‘here a little, and there a little’ (Isaiah 28:10).” Education, 123.

Here inspiration takes a few paragraphs and compares and contrasts the teaching of the Bible with any and all other writings. Also delineated in these paragraphs are the benefits gained from a study of the Bible from a merely temporal (that is, earth-bound) point of view. Then Inspiration continues by speaking of the Bible and its blessings from a spiritual perspective, that is, including the reckoning of eternity.

“And even greater is the power of the Bible in the development of the spiritual nature. Man, created for fellowship with God, can only in such fellowship find his real life and development. Created to find in God his highest joy, he can find in nothing else that which can quiet the cravings of the heart, can satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. He who with sincere and teachable spirit studies God’s word, seeking to comprehend its truths, will be brought in touch with its Author; and, except by his own choice, there is no limit to the possibilities of his development.

“In its wide range of style and subjects the Bible has something to interest every mind and appeal to every heart. In its pages are found history the most ancient; biography the truest to life; principles of government for the control of the state, for the regulation of the household—principles that human wisdom has never equaled. It contains philosophy the most profound, poetry the sweetest and the most sublime, the most impassioned and the most pathetic. Immeasurably superior in value to the productions of any human author are the Bible writings, even when thus considered; but of infinitely wider scope, of infinitely greater value, are they when viewed in their relation to the grand central thought. Viewed in the light of this thought, every topic has a new significance. In the most simply stated truths are involved principles that are as high as heaven and that compass eternity.” Ibid., 124, 125.

Oh, friends, what is the “grand central thought” of the Bible? The answer to this question is given in the very next paragraph of this passage.

“The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul of the image of God. [That is, rescuing man from the terrifying, agonizing second death, alone, with no God, to the bliss of eternal life with the Life-giver!] From the first intimation of hope in the sentence pronounced in Eden to that last glorious promise of the Revelation, ‘They shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads’ (Revelation 22:4), the burden of every book and every passage of the Bible is the unfolding of this wondrous theme,—man’s uplifting,—the power of God, ‘which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

“He who grasps this thought has before him an infinite field for study. He has the key that will unlock to him the whole treasure house of God’s word.” Ibid., 125, 126.

As thrilling as these words of life are, we must go beyond the beautiful emotion that they inspire. If we are satisfied merely with these good feelings, these wonderful emotions elicited by the reading of God’s words, they will be to us as though we had not read them. It is not merely the study of these precious words that will give the boon of eternal life. There is more. Hear the words of our God. “The love of truth and righteousness must reign in the soul, [then the result is given], and a character will appear which heaven can approve.” Lift Him Up, 336.

“The thoughts must be upon heavenly things if you desire the Holy Spirit of God to impress truth upon the mind and soften and subdue the heart, inspiring ardent love of truth, of justice, of mercy, and of purity. The Spirit will bring to your remembrance the most precious jewels of thought. The whole heart will be warm with the contemplation of Jesus and His love, His teachings will be cherished, and you will love to speak to others the comforting things that have been opened to you by the Spirit of God. This is the privilege of every son and daughter of God. Oh, if those who believe the truth would love and fear the Lord always, if they would abide in Christ, they would treasure up the most precious experience; they would have moral and intellectual power; the grace of God would be in them ‘like a well of water springing up into everlasting life’ (John 4:14), and would flow forth from them as streams of living water. When persecution comes, the influence of such souls will be manifest; they will delight to magnify the truth.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 345.

Think of those truths with which we began our study, the seriousness of sin and the agonies of its consequences. And then consider the fact that Jesus, the divine Son of God, willingly, eagerly came to this earth to endure those agonies of the second death to shield and protect us from having to experience them ourselves!

Only as we truly comprehend the magnitude of the consequences of sin can we rightly appreciate and love the word of God “which gives life to the world,” not just temporal life, but life eternal, perfect, pure, holy, happy, without the mar, the blight of sin. Oh, friends, if God’s word is not the love of your life, plead on your knees for heavenly wisdom and enlightenment, a change of heart. Plead to the Lord to put in your heart divine love for His word, for the principles of His Kingdom. Then act on that prayer. When other things allure and tempt, steadfastly refuse. Act as though God’s word is the most important thing in your life and the Lord will do the rest.

Friends, cherish, study, read, memorize these precious words as if your life, your eternal life, depends upon it—because it does. The life of Christ which gives life to the world, is in His word – God’s word – the “antidote for death.” Will it be yours?

 

Brenda Douay is a staff member at Steps to Life. She is director of The Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders, a correspondence course that prepares individuals to serve as pastors or Bible workers. She may be contacted by email at: brendadouay@stepstolife.org.

Created for Happiness

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“ ‘Even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it [a land that sins against God by persistent unfaithfulness], as I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.’ ” Ezekiel 14:20

There is coming a time when no human being will be able to save you.

Children look to their parents for security, for deliverance from trouble, for help, for salvation, and that is not wrong. In fact, Ellen White says that parents stand in the place of God to their young children (see The Adventist Home, 293).

But there is coming a time when your parents are not going to be able to help you, and it could be sooner than you realize. Have you ever been in a situation where you wish more than anything else that you could just die? The Bible records a number of such instances. Numbers 11 describes how anxious Moses was being burdened by the complaints of the Israelites over the manna that God had supplied for them. He told God, “If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now” (verse 15, first part). Moses would rather die than face the situation with the people.

After the miraculous display on Mount Carmel and exhausted from his flight from Jezebel, Elijah also found himself in a situation where he no longer wanted to live. However, probably the most outstanding character of the Bible who felt this way was Job. The situation he found himself in was not just for an hour or a day, but for many days. It says in Job 3:20–22:

“Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, who long for death, but it does not come, and search for it more than hidden treasures; who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the grave?”

Zephaniah 2:1, 2, literal translation, says, “Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!”

One of the main ways that young people are being lost today is because of their desire for happiness which, in itself, is not wrong. The framers of the Declaration of Independence believed that every human being had inalienable rights. They had a right to life, they had a right to liberty, and they had a right to the pursuit of happiness.

The pursuit of happiness is not wrong, but unfortunately what most people think will make them happy doesn’t work.

God created man for happiness so it is natural to want that. Those who will have eternal life will never again experience unhappiness. They will have happiness that will continue to increase for eternity.

Ellen White wrote, “He [God] desired that the earth should be filled with joy and peace. He created man for happiness, and He longs to fill human hearts with the peace of heaven. He desires that the families below shall be a symbol of the great family above.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 290.

God not only wants you to be happy as an individual, but He wants you to have a happy family. It seems as if happy families today are in the minority. The majority of people fill their lives with those things that cannot satisfy. Let’s look at just a few quick examples.

Do you know anybody who thinks that if they had a lot more money they would be happy? The Bible has a lot to say about this. The wise man says in Ecclesiastes 5:10: “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver.” Silver and gold have been used since ancient times for money. The one who loves money will never be satisfied because he thinks that he never has enough.

While pastoring in North Dakota, one of my church members shared the story about one of the local farmers there who owned many sections of land along the Red River and was one of the biggest farmers in that area. In winter, while things were quiet, farmers maintained their equipment, and this farmer had a building as big as a warehouse where his equipment was maintained and repaired and readied for the next growing season.

The farmer was one of the most successful and richest farmers in that entire region. However, one Sunday morning he did not come home for breakfast. A search began and in a very remote place on his farm, he was found. He had taken a pistol, put it to his head and pulled the trigger. He may have had wealth but he was devoid of happiness. He had found out that no amount of money could buy him happiness.

Yet somehow the masses of people continue to strive to find happiness with the pleasures of this life: television, movies, video games, concerts. The devil has something prepared for all tastes. The problem with all of those activities is that while they are fun, that fun is only temporary. Once finished, we immediately begin looking for the next source of fun.

The Bible tells us that Moses chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25, KJV).

The second chapter of Joel describes a time that the young people need to become alarmed and a warning needs to go out to them. Joel 2:16 says, “Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.”

A time is coming when sin is going to be destroyed and all who are attached to those sins will also suffer with them. The devil deceives both the old and the young into believing that if you become a Christian and forsake these worldly pleasures, then you will not experience any happiness. The temptation to believe his lie is so powerful because for some the only pleasures they know are sinful pleasures. From their point of view, if those sinful but pleasurable things are taken away, there is nothing left that is enjoyable. That is a lie, of course.

There is one standard to enter heaven, not one for adults and another for young people. All who are engaging in sinful pleasures must be willing to leave them aside and substitute them with something wholesome.

Consider some of the following things that I have found to give me great pleasure that do not involve sin:

Gardening – Gardening is a lot of fun and I am often astonished when I meet young people who are 30 years old and have never grown a garden. They may live in an apartment but it is still possible to grow some things in a small way.

The book The Apartment Farmer describes a person who lived in New York City on the 30th floor in a high-rise building. He had no yard but wanted to be a gardener. There was a small patio allowing him to grow a small variety of crops in containers: corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and about every garden vegetable. If it is possible to grow a garden on the 30th floor of a high-rise building in New York City, you can do it just about anywhere.

When I was 9 years old, my mother gave me a 20 square foot patch in the garden to care for. She was a nurse working at the local hospital and also had a garden much bigger than mine. In my garden I planted several rows of green beans. The planting, watering, and weeding them was easy, but harvesting was not so easy. Those beans produced more beans than I’d ever seen in my life. After I picked them my mother would help me by taking them in apple boxes to the hospital to sell. At that time I was playing trumpet in the Yakima Junior Academy Band with a borrowed instrument. I really wanted a trumpet of my own but my parents couldn’t afford to buy one for me.

My mother had been the superintendent of nurses at the hospital so knew everyone in the hospital. One day while selling my beans she talked to a nurse who had found out that I wanted a trumpet and was willing to trade a really old cornet that still worked for a box of beans. How happy I was to be able to purchase my own cornet with the fruit of my own labor.

Gardening is God ordained and a righteous pleasure. Adam and Eve enjoyed their work in the Garden of Eden. It is something that the saved will do in heaven again.

Scripture songs – There are some people who get immense pleasure from music. Scripture songs are a way to enjoy and to learn the promises of God in His word. There is nothing evil or harmful about Scripture songs.

Hiking in nature – Though under the curse of sin, this world still has much beauty. When I was a boy, we always lived around mountains. As a young man I would hike into the Rocky Mountains. For the last 45 years, my wife and I have lived in the plains and I’ve learned to hike in the plains. There is so much to see when you take the time to get outside, and there are also great health benefits.

Games – All children should be taught to play wholesome games, not games that are sinful. How do you tell the difference between a game that is wholesome and a game that is not?

Wholesome games imitate life skills or adult work. Children learn by imitating. My 2-year old grandson as he pushes toy trucks and cars around starts making the noise, imitating the engine sounds which is something he has taught himself by playing. He also likes to try on my shoes, which are so big for him that as he starts to walk he steps right out of them.

War games are never constructive for children. There was one war in heaven that will never happen again. Those preparing for heaven have no need to learn about war.

Telecommunications – We live in a telecommunications age and are exposed to television, video, and internet, and all these different kinds of things. I believe that children should have moving pictures to watch as long as they are of a positive informative nature like a documentary on nature, science or history. Any of those categories are educational, interesting and pleasurable.

Music – It is wholesome to learn to play an instrument. Once when I was a little over 20 years of age, I was sick and almost died. While recuperating, there were several weeks when I couldn’t work. I needed something to do to fill my time. My father had an organ that I never before had opportunity to play. I could play piano a little so fiddled with the organ until I learned how to play it. The challenge gave me a lot of fun. For some people, learning to play a musical instrument can give a lot of pleasure.

Manufacture a garment – God gave people the ability to be creative. After God had finished creating each day, He looked at what He had made and said that it was very good! So it can be for those who learn to create a garment. Years ago, mothers passed on to their children the art of sewing garments or at least how to sew on a button or mend a tear in a garment, but today, in first world countries, that art is seldom taught. We live in a throwaway society where there is much waste. Learning how to produce something gives great pleasure.

Cooking and baking – The dinner table was a time where the family was all together to share a home cooked meal and share the events of the day with each other. Life has become so hectic with everyone on a different schedule that many pick and run without sitting down to eat. With much dining out and takeaway food, there are many who have lost the art of simple food preparation and baking. Ellen White wrote, “There is more religion in a good loaf of bread than many think.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 316. Much pleasure can be found in kneading a lump of dough and forming it into loaves for the family to enjoy or give to a neighbor. It takes skill to prepare a variety of wholesome foods, sweet breads, pies or cakes.

I decided when I was very young that cooking was a pleasurable activity; so I started learning to do it. In fact, when I was in college and lived at home, I worked to earn part of my college education by cooking and I enjoyed it.

My father once managed a nursing home that had over a hundred patients and I cooked two meals a day for all those patients. Cooking is fun.

I meet men who can’t do anything much more than boil water. That’s too bad. If their wives are gone from home, all they have to eat is milk and cereal, or a piece of bread. By not being able to prepare healthy, delicious food they miss out on a lot of pleasure.

Visit the elderly – Young people should know how to visit the elderly, the sick, and the shut-ins. By reaching out to add happiness to the life of someone else you will end up being happy yourself.

Be a practical problem-solver – It is pleasurable to be able to solve problems. Some people never learned that. Let me give you just a few examples. I have met people who do not know how to change a flat tire and when they find themselves in that situation, they have to stand beside the side of the road and wait for somebody to come and help them out. That person lacks self-sufficiency. The more skills we have, the more useful we can be in God’s service. Knowing how to solve problems brings great pleasure.

These are just a few ideas concerning exchanging sinful pleasures for other things that can give more joy and be a benefit to both self and others. When Jesus gave talents He expected that they be increased and not just lie idle. This takes time of which we are all given 24 hours each day. It would be beneficial for all to consider just how we spend our waking hours and whether there are many wasted hours spent on useless sinful pleasures that could be exchanged for righteous pleasure.

The Lord is speaking: “There is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me.” The Desire of Ages, 57.

Dear young friends, Do not be deceived into thinking that if I could just get ……, then I could have …… and that would make me happy. Be assured, as soon as you have what you desire, it will not be enough and you will certainly want something else. There have been many movie stars and successful men and women who have had all that this world could offer and then found that their life is hollow. They reach the same conclusion as the wealthy farmer, that life is not worth living.

If you have not yet discovered the happiness that is to be found in loving the Lord, you do not know what real happiness is. All the things that you think will make you happy will not give you perfect happiness unless you have this. If you do not know the Lord, if you do not love Him, you will never, ever be perfectly happy. Jesus promises “you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

 

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

 

Communing With God

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Through nature and revelation, through His providence, and by the influence of His Spirit, God speaks to us. But these are not enough; we need also to pour out our hearts to Him. In order to have spiritual life and energy, we must have actual intercourse with our heavenly Father. Our minds may be drawn out toward Him; we may meditate upon His works, His mercies, His blessings; but this is not, in the fullest sense, communing with Him. In order to commune with God, we must have something to say to Him concerning our actual life.

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.

When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught His disciples how to pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before God, and to cast all their care upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to us.

Jesus Himself, while He dwelt among men, was often in prayer. Our Saviour identified Himself with our needs and weakness, in that He became a suppliant, a petitioner, seeking from His Father fresh supplies of strength, that He might come forth braced for duty and trial. He is our example in all things. He is a brother in our infirmities, “in all points tempted like as we are;” [Hebrews 4:15] but as the sinless one His nature recoiled from evil; He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin. His humanity made prayer a necessity and a privilege. He found comfort and joy in communion with His Father. And if the Saviour of men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer, how much more should feeble, sinful mortals feel the necessity of fervent, constant prayer.

Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children, and yet there is much manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants to God. What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God’s heart of infinite love yearns toward them, ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy; and yet the children of earth, who need so much the help that God only can give, seem satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His presence.

The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence? Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching we are in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path. The adversary seeks continually to obstruct the way to the mercy seat, that we may not by earnest supplication and faith obtain grace and power to resist temptation.

There are certain conditions upon which we may expect that God will hear and answer our prayers. One of the first of these is that we feel our need of help from Him. He has promised, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.” Isaiah 44:3. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who long after God, may be sure that they will be filled. The heart must be open to the Spirit’s influence, or God’s blessing cannot be received.

Our great need is itself an argument and pleads most eloquently in our behalf. But the Lord is to be sought unto to do these things for us. He says, “Ask, and it shall be given you.” And “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Matthew 7:7; Romans 8:32.

If we regard iniquity in our hearts, if we cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us; but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted. When all known wrongs are righted, we may believe that God will answer our petitions. Our own merit will never commend us to the favor of God; it is the worthiness of Jesus that will save us, His blood that will cleanse us; yet we have a work to do in complying with the conditions of acceptance.

Another element of prevailing prayer is faith. “He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. Jesus said to His disciples, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24. Do we take Him at His word?

The assurance is broad and unlimited, and He is faithful who has promised. When we do not receive the very things we asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers. We are so erring and short-sighted that we sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to us, and our heavenly Father in love answers our prayers by giving us that which will be for our highest good—that which we ourselves would desire if with vision divinely enlightened we could see all things as they really are. When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. But to claim that prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular thing that we desire, is presumption. God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly. Then do not fear to trust Him, even though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers. Rely upon His sure promise, “Ask, and it shall be given you.” Matthew 7:7.

If we take counsel with our doubts and fears, or try to solve everything that we cannot see clearly, before we have faith, perplexities will only increase and deepen. But if we come to God, feeling helpless and dependent, as we really are, and in humble, trusting faith make known our wants to Him whose knowledge is infinite, who sees everything in creation, and who governs everything by His will and word, He can and will attend to our cry, and will let light shine into our hearts. Through sincere prayer we are brought into connection with the mind of the Infinite. We may have no remarkable evidence at the time that the face of our Redeemer is bending over us in compassion and love, but this is even so. We may not feel His visible touch, but His hand is upon us in love and pitying tenderness.

When we come to ask mercy and blessing from God we should have a spirit of love and forgiveness in our own hearts. How can we pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” and yet indulge an unforgiving spirit? Matthew 6:12. If we expect our own prayers to be heard we must forgive others in the same manner and to the same extent as we hope to be forgiven.

Perseverance in prayer has been made a condition of receiving. We must pray always if we would grow in faith and experience. We are to be “instant in prayer,” to “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2. Peter exhorts believers to be “sober, and watch unto prayer.” 1 Peter 4:7. Paul directs, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6. “But ye, beloved,” says Jude, “praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God.” Jude 20, 21.

Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God.

There is necessity for diligence in prayer; let nothing hinder you. Make every effort to keep open the communion between Jesus and your own soul. Seek every opportunity to go where prayer is wont to be made. Those who are really seeking for communion with God will be seen in the prayer meeting, faithful to do their duty and earnest and anxious to reap all the benefits they can gain. They will improve every opportunity of placing themselves where they can receive the rays of light from heaven.

We should pray in the family circle, and above all we must not neglect secret prayer, for this is the life of the soul. It is impossible for the soul to flourish while prayer is neglected. Family or public prayer alone is not sufficient. In solitude let the soul be laid open to the inspecting eye of God. Secret prayer is to be heard only by the prayer-hearing God. No curious ear is to receive the burden of such petitions. In secret prayer the soul is free from surrounding influences, free from excitement. Calmly, yet fervently, will it reach out after God. Sweet and abiding will be the influence emanating from Him who seeth in secret, whose ear is open to hear the prayer arising from the heart. By calm, simple faith the soul holds communion with God and gathers to itself rays of divine light to strengthen and sustain it in the conflict with Satan. God is our tower of strength.

Pray in your closet, and as you go about your daily labor let your heart be often uplifted to God. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. These silent prayers rise like precious incense before the throne of grace. Satan cannot overcome him whose heart is thus stayed upon God.

There is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition to God. There is nothing that can prevent us from lifting up our hearts in the spirit of earnest prayer. In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business engagement, we may send up a petition to God and plead for divine guidance, as did Nehemiah when he made his request before King Artaxerxes. A closet of communion may be found wherever we are. We should have the door of the heart open continually and our invitation going up that Jesus may come and abide as a heavenly guest in the soul.

Although there may be a tainted, corrupted atmosphere around us, we need not breathe its miasma, but may live in the pure air of heaven. We may close every door to impure imaginings and unholy thoughts by lifting the soul into the presence of God through sincere prayer. Those whose hearts are open to receive the support and blessing of God will walk in a holier atmosphere than that of earth and will have constant communion with heaven.

We need to have more distinct views of Jesus and a fuller comprehension of the value of eternal realities. The beauty of holiness is to fill the hearts of God’s children; and that this may be accomplished, we should seek for divine disclosures of heavenly things.

Let the soul be drawn out and upward, that God may grant us a breath of the heavenly atmosphere. We may keep so near to God that in every unexpected trial our thoughts will turn to Him as naturally as the flower turns to the sun.

Steps to Christ, 93–100.

Humble Pie

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“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10. Here is given an instruction with a promise attached to it but what does it mean to be humble? Some definitions are: modesty; the lack of pride and arrogance; courtesy, and meekness. It is to be submissive to God, who is our legitimate authority.

The Benefits

Some benefits of humility that are named in the Bible are: honor, wisdom, eternal life, unity, rewards in heaven, just to mention a few. Abraham Lincoln said, “Being a humble instrument in the hands of our Heavenly Father, I desire that all my words and acts may be according to His will and that it may be so, I give thanks to the Almighty and seek His aid.” And, “True humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising, spirit. It is a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us.” Tryon Edwards said, “After crosses and losses, men grow humbler and wiser.” And D. L. Moody said, “Some people talk of how humble they are, but a lighthouse does not have a trumpet blown. It is its own witness.” “The proud man counts his newspaper clippings, the humble his blessings.” Spurgeon said, “The more fit a man is for God’s work, the lower he esteems himself.” These words of wisdom truly reflect the Bible’s definition of humility and the benefits it reaps.

Only humble people recognize their sinful state and their great need of God’s forgiveness, His grace and His mercy. God promises to hear their prayers, forgive their sins and heal their land if they will humble themselves and pray. (II Chronicles 7:14.) Jesus’ disciples once asked Him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? He called a child to stand among them and said, “Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6. He also said not to think more highly than you ought to think but consider that God has dealt to everyone a measure of faith so no one is more important than the other. (Romans 12:3.)

Humility is part of the Christian experience. It is part of walking with God. “Many have so beclouded their own minds with self-importance, that they have been very confident, where they would do well to be distrustful and cautious. If men could see how easily self and spiritual pride become woven with supposed devotion to the work of God, and how, when this takes place, they are left to mar the work, and set the weaver’s pattern all awry, they would pray, ‘Anoint mine eyes with the heavenly eyesalve, that I may see all things correctly.’ [Revelation 3:18.]

“Unless there is increased humility of heart and purity of action, things will be done that will lead to a whole train of mistakes.” The Upward Look, 95.

“Nothing is more essential to communion with God than the most profound humility. ‘I dwell,’ says the High and Holy One, ‘with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.’ [Isaiah 57:15.] While you are so eagerly striving to be first, remember that you will be last in the favor of God if you fail to cherish a meek and lowly spirit. Pride of heart will cause many to fail where they might have made a success. ‘Before honor is humility,’ [Proverbs 15:33; 18:12] and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. [Ecclesiastes 7:8.] … Few will humble themselves as a little child, that they may enter the kingdom of heaven. …

“This is why the Lord can do so little for us now. God would have you individually seek for the perfection of love and humility in your own hearts. Bestow your chief care upon yourselves, cultivate those excellencies of character which will fit you for the society of the pure and the holy.

“You all need the converting power of God. You need to seek Him for yourselves. For your soul’s sake, neglect this work no longer.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 50, 51.

How Do I Get It?

The necessity of having humility has been established, but how do you get it? It is the desire of the Lord that everyone should be saved. The experiences of the children of Israel were designed that their hearts would be humbled and they would confess their unfaithfulness to the Lord and return to the true God. Deuteronomy 8:2–3 says, “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, [and] test you, to know what [was] in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not. So he humbled you, allowing you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make known to you that man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every [word] that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

“God brings His people near Him by close, testing trials, by showing them their own weakness and inability, and by teaching them to lean upon Him as their only help and safeguard. Then His object is accomplished. They are prepared to be used in every emergency, to fill important positions of trust, and to accomplish the grand purposes for which their powers were given them. God takes men upon trial; He proves them on the right hand and on the left, and thus they are educated, trained, disciplined. Jesus, our Redeemer, man’s representative and head, endured this testing process. He suffered more than we can be called upon to suffer. He bore our infirmities and was in all points tempted as we are. He did not suffer thus on His own account, but because of our sins; and now, relying on the merits of our Overcomer, we may become victors in His name.

“God’s work of refining and purifying must go on until His servants are so humbled, so dead to self, that, when called into active service, their eye will be single to His glory. He will then accept their efforts; they will not move rashly, from impulse; they will not rush on and imperil the Lord’s cause, being slaves to temptations and passions and followers of their own carnal minds set on fire by Satan.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 86.

Tests and trials are God’s appointed methods for learning humility so we can have a closer walk with Him. It is at those times when we are powerless, that we reach out for help outside of ourselves and look for a higher power. It is only when you recognize that you have a problem that you seek for a solution. God allows some experiences, which we might call “eating humble pie” or “eating crow” for us to learn the lessons that we need to trust in Him.

An Example to Follow

Jesus exemplified humility. At His last supper He humbled Himself and served His disciples, washing their feet and serving them, leaving us an example so we would learn humility and love for our brothers and sisters in Christ as we celebrate the communion service. “These ordinances are regarded too much as a form, and not as a sacred thing to call to mind the Lord Jesus. Christ ordained them, and delegated His power to His ministers, who have the treasure in earthen vessels. They are to superintend these special appointments of the One who established them to continue to the close of time. It is on these, His own appointments, that He meets with and energizes His people by His personal presence. … These ordinances are established for a purpose. Christ’s followers are to bear in mind the example of Christ in His humility. This ordinance is to encourage humility, but it should never be termed humiliating, in the sense of being degrading to humanity. It is to make tender our hearts toward one another. …

“The object of this service is to call to mind the humility of our Lord, and the lessons He has given in washing the feet of His disciples. There is in man a disposition to esteem himself more highly than his brother, to work for himself, to serve himself, to seek the highest place; and often evil-surmisings and bitterness of spirit spring up over mere trifles. This ordinance preceding the Lord’s Supper is to clear away these misunderstandings, to bring man out of his selfishness, down from his stilts of self-exaltation, to the humility of heart that will lead him to wash his brother’s feet. It is not in God’s plan that this should be deferred because some are considered unworthy to engage in it. The Lord washed the feet of Judas. … It is not for them to say, I will not attend the ordinance if such a one is present to act a part. Nor has God left it to man to say who shall present themselves on these occasions.” Pastoral Ministry, 170.

“Therefore, if there is any consolation of Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, Fulfill My joy by [being] likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. [Let] nothing [be done] through selfish ambition or conceit; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men: And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient even to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:1–8.

In Jesus’ life, not only did He come as a servant, but He humbled Himself and became a man. But not only that, He came as a poor man. He came from the wealth of heaven, being one with God, and not only did He come as a man, He gave Himself to the point of death, and then not only to the point of death, but to the point of death on a cross. That was a cruel way to die. And so we see an example of ultimate humility in the life of Christ.

“Jesus came to this world in humility. He was of lowly birth. The Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, the Commander of all the angel host, He humbled Himself to accept humanity, and then He chose a life of poverty and humiliation. He had no opportunities that the poor do not have. Toil, hardship, and privation were a part of every day’s experience. ‘Foxes have holes,’ He said, ‘and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.’ Luke 9:58.

“Jesus did not seek the admiration or the applause of men. He commanded no army. He ruled no earthly kingdom. He did not court the favor of the wealthy and honored of the world. He did not claim a position among the leaders of the nation. He dwelt among the lowly. …

“He was the Prince of heaven, yet He did not choose His disciples from among the learned lawyers, the rulers, the scribes, or the Pharisees. He passed these by, because they prided themselves on their learning and position.” The Ministry of Healing, 197.

“I present before you the life of self-denial, humility, and sacrifice of our divine Lord. The Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, left His riches, His splendor, His honor and glory, and, in order to save sinful man, condescended to a life of humility, poverty, and shame.” Testimonies, vol 2, 490, 491.

“The more one sees of the character of God, the more humble he becomes, and the lower his estimation is of himself. This indeed is the evidence that he beholds God, that he is in union with Jesus Christ. Unless we are meek and lowly, we cannot in truth claim that we have any conception of the character of God. Men may think that they possess superior qualifications. Their splendid talents, great learning, eloquence, activity, and zeal, may dazzle the eye, delight the fancy, and awaken the admiration of those who cannot read beneath the surface; but unless humility and modesty is linked with these other gifts, self-glorification and self-exaltation will be seen. Unless each qualification is consecrated to the Lord, unless those to whom the Lord has entrusted gifts seek that grace which alone can make their qualifications acceptable to God, they are looked upon by the Lord … as unprofitable servants. ‘The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God thou wilt not despise.’ [Psalm 51:17.] … Those whose hearts are melted and subdued, who have seen the glorious manifestation of God’s character, will show no heedless presumption. … Self will be lost in the consciousness they have of God’s wonderful glory, and their own utter unworthiness. All who value a happy and holy walk with God … will leave nothing undone if only they may gain a glimpse of His glory. In every place and under every circumstance, they will pray to God that they may be allowed to see Him. They will cherish that meek and contrite spirit that trembles at the word of God.” Sons and Daughters of God, 68.

By looking to Jesus and what He did for us at the cross of Calvary, all the desire for self-glorification will be laid in the dust and there will be no self-exultation, but there will be true humility and appreciation for the gift that has been provided. “The light reflected from the cross of Calvary will humble every proud thought. Those who seek God with all the heart, and accept the great salvation offered them, will open the door of the heart to Jesus. They will cease to ascribe glory to themselves. They will not pride themselves on their acquirements, or take credit to themselves for their capabilities, but will regard all their talents as God’s gifts, to be used to His glory. Every intellectual ability they will regard as precious only as it can be used in the service of Christ.

“Christ’s humiliation in clothing His divinity with humanity is worthy of our consideration. Had this subject been studied as carefully as it should have been, there would be far less of ‘I’ heard and far more of Christ. It is self-esteem that stands between the human agent and his God and impedes the vital current that flows from Christ to enrich every human being. When we follow Jesus in the path of self-denial and the cross, we shall find that we do not have to strive for humility. As we walk in Christ’s footsteps, we shall learn His meekness and lowliness of heart. Very few thoughts should be devoted to self; for we can never make ourselves great. It is Christ’s gentleness that makes us great.

“God’s faithful, humble, believing people will cut the idolatry of self out of their hearts, and Christ will become all and in all.” Our High Calling, 114.

If we have a desire to be humble we need to walk in Christ’s footsteps. Humbleness is not something that we can manufacture by ourselves. It is a by-product of depending on Jesus, accepting the trials and experiences that come our way, knowing that they are designed to teach us humility, to teach us to look to Him for help and for guidance.

A Unique Portrayal

During the reformation two men of learning went from England to Prague. They had received the light of the reformation and they wanted to spread it, so they began with an open attack on the Pope’s supremacy. They were soon silenced by the authorities but being unwilling to relinquish their purpose, they took other measures. They were not only preachers, but they were also artists. They proceeded to exercise their skill and in a place open to the public, they drew two pictures. One of the pictures represented the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem, sitting meekly upon an ass and followed by His disciples in travel worn garments and naked feet. The other picture portrayed a pontifical procession; the Pope arrayed in his rich robes and triple-crown, mounted upon a horse, magnificently adorned, preceded by trumpeters, and followed by cardinals and prelates in dazzling array. There in the form of pictures was a sermon which arrested the attention of all classes of people. They very well understood the message portrayed of Christ, how He came in His humility, and how the church in that day, the church in Rome, had fallen so far short of that, and had a very fancy entrance as compared to how Christ came in His humility.

The Results

In Matthew 23:11, 12, it says, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be abased; and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Again in the sermon Jesus preached on the mountain and recorded in Matthew 5:3, He said, “Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: [or those who are humble] for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Peter admonished the younger people to submit to their elders. (I Peter 5:5, 6.) And the wise man, Solomon said, “The fear of the Lord [is] the instruction of wisdom: and before honor is humility.” Proverbs 15:33. Also, “Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.” Proverbs 18:12.

“Before honor is humility. To fill a high place before men, Heaven chooses the worker who, like John the Baptist, takes a lowly place before God. The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for God. The heavenly intelligences can co-operate with him who is seeking, not to exalt self, but to save souls. He who feels most deeply his need of divine aid will plead for it; and the Holy Spirit will give unto him glimpses of Jesus that will strengthen and uplift the soul.” Desire of Ages, 436.

Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived and the most prosperous king of the children of Israel. He said, “I am [but] a little child.” I Kings 3:7. The Lord blessed him.

Jacob recognized himself as unworthy as he prayed to the Lord in Genesis 32:10. He said, “I am not worthy; I am the least of all.”

Abraham knew his unworthiness as well. While pleading for the righteous people in Sodom, he said, “Behold, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord, but I [am but] dust and ashes.” Genesis 18:27.

In the temple one day were two people, a Pharisee and a publican. Both of these men were praying. The Pharisee prayed with his head raised high and said, “I thank God that I am not like all these other men. I have all these things, I do all the right things and I’m so glad I’m not like that tax collector over there!” (Luke 18:11.) The tax collector, so humbled with the recognition that he was a sinner did not even lift up his face toward heaven and said, “God be merciful to me, I am a sinner.” Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one who exalts himself will be humbled; but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:13, 14.

It is only when we realize our own weakness that we are strong in the strength of the Lord.

“No man can empty himself of self. We can only consent for Christ to accomplish the work. Then the language of the soul will be, Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 159.

Though it may seem oxymoronic, when you are down, God lifts you up even though your circumstances may not change. God creates in us something that we cannot do for ourselves.

His Strength in Our Weakness

Gladys Alward, according to this world’s standard of achievement, was not anyone special. She did not possess any particular talent, nor was she well educated, but God used her in spite of her circumstances. She was born in England of the working class, the daughter of a mailman. She did not excel scholastically, and she did not know classical languages or possess an exhaustive knowledge of the Bible. She was raised in the Anglican Church, though she was not a particularly religious person early in her life. When she was eighteen she attended some revival meetings where the preacher expounded on giving one’s life over to the service of the Lord. That message struck a chord in her heart which produced a desire to serve as a missionary in a mission field. She was a parlor maid, an occupation she undertook with little chance of realizing her call, but having spent the last four years serving others, it surely gave her a unique insight to a servant’s heart. In her mid twenties she applied for the China Inland Mission on a probationary position, but she was rejected. However, no one can frustrate the will of God or reject for service, those called of God.

She determined by whatever means possible, to follow God so she continued to work and to save her money and after four years at the age of thirty, her opportunity came in the person of an aging missionary, Mrs. Jeannie Lawton, who was looking for a young assistant to carry on her work. Mrs. Lawton was in China. Gladys did not have the money to travel by ship to China so she put her affairs in order, and with her passport, her Bible, her tickets, and two pounds nine pence, set off over a perilous over-land journey to the inland city of Yangchen. This was a place where few Europeans had visited, and where the local people did not trust foreigners. Here she met with Mrs. Lawton and set about planning the best way to attract an audience to hear the message of Jesus.

The city in which they lived was an overnight stop for mule caravans, and the building where they lived had once been an inn, so they determined to do some repairs and restore its original purpose, offering food and care for the mules along with hospitality, food, and a warm bed for the drivers, at a fair price. It is reported that Gladys would run out and grab the halter of the lead mule and lead it into their courtyard, the other mules following with their drivers going along for the ride.

In the evenings after serving a meal and before bed, the women would gather their guests and tell them stories about a man named Jesus. In this fashion the gospel message began to be proclaimed, not only at their inn, but by the drivers who carried the stories to their next stops along their journey. She spent many hours each day learning to communicate in the vernacular of the locals until she was finally able to speak with them. This was something that the China Inland Mission thought she could never do, because she had not proven herself previously to have done well scholastically.

After a short period of time, Mrs. Lawson fell and was seriously injured causing her to die a few days later. Gladys, along with the Chinese cook, who was also a Christian, determined to continue the work there. They began sharing the gospel in the surrounding villages, and during their travels became aware of many unwanted children. Her missionary work then turned in a different direction, care for the unwanted little ones. This care was not limited only to the children. During those years, China was under attack by Japan, and many Chinese soldiers were wounded. Her inn became a refuge for 20 orphans and as many as 30–40 injured soldiers at a time. As the war continued and intensified, her children numbered about 100. She had by this time become a citizen of China and because of her activities, and the war, she was forced to leave her home. She set out with her children, on foot, and took them over the mountains to a safer province about 100 miles away.

Amazingly, she was able to continue her ministry there in China until 1947 when the communist regime took over and all missionaries had to leave China. This woman is witness to what God can do through someone who recognizes her own weakness and allows God to work through her. She once said, “My heart is full of praise that one so insignificant, uneducated, and ordinary in every way could be used to His glory for the blessing of a people in poor persecuted China.”

“But the meek shall possess the land and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” Psalm 37:11. “The reward for humility [and] fear of the Lord [is] riches, and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4.

The most humble, the least, the last, shall be the greatest. Christ is the embodiment of humility. He humbled Himself more than it is possible for us to do. “Therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him the name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [those] in heaven, and of [those] on earth, and of [those] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of the Father.” Philippians 2:9–11.

His desire is for us to realize our dependence on Him so He can exalt us and bring us back to the condition of what we lost in the Garden of Eden so He can take us home to live with Him for eternity.

A network engineer, Jana Grosboll lives in Derby, Kansas. She may be contacted by email at: janawwjd@yahoo.com.

Lasting Commitment in Your Youth

by

Week of Prayer for Friday

In the day and age in which we live, it seems there are very few people making lasting commitments to anything. The commitment to marriage appears to be almost lost—by the church as well as by the world—and commitment to God, our faith, and many other things seem to be losing out also. In this time, many young people are not choosing to make a lasting commitment to the Lord and to His cause. Instead, they are going out into the world.

Commitment Defined

What is commitment? A dictionary offers several definitions of the word commitment, including: “the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose; the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action.” Commitment involves forfeiture of your rights and privileges for someone else or for a cause; it involves responsibility.

What is commitment to God? Making a commitment to God involves entrusting your life to Him and choosing to serve Him, whatever the cost. A man by the name of Jim Elliot, who gave all for the Auca Indians, puts it this way: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Elisabeth Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, 1996, 172. When we commit our lives and ourselves to God, we are only giving back to Him what He has already given to us. To try to have a relationship with God without commitment is selfish.

God’s Desire

God wants people who are committed to Him; committed people can be trusted with responsibility. If there is no commitment, they cannot be trusted. It is like an army. A soldier cannot be effective in an army if he is not committed to the work of that army. If he is not committed to the cause of the army, he cannot be trusted. One day, he might switch sides and join enemy forces. It is the same with the Lord. If we are truly His, we must be committed to Him and His work. Not being thus committed to Him indicates that we are too selfish to trust the Lord with our lives, and we cannot be trusted.

God is waiting for us to make a commitment to Him and His cause.

“The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” Education, 57.

“For your present and eternal good it is best to commit yourself wholly to the right, that the world may know where you are standing. Many are not wholly committed to the cause of God, and their position of wavering is a source of weakness in itself, and a stone of stumbling to others. With principles unsettled, unconsecrated as they are, the waves of temptation sweep them away from what they know to be right, and they do not make holy endeavor to overcome every wrong, and through the imputed righteousness of Christ, perfect a righteous character.

“The world has a right to know just what may be expected from every intelligent human being. He who is a living embodiment of firm, decided, righteous principles, will be a living power upon his associates; and he will influence others by his Christianity. Many do not discern and appreciate how great is the influence of each one for good or evil. Every student should understand that the principles which he adopts become a living, molding influence upon character. He who accepts Christ as his personal Saviour, will love Jesus, and all for whom Christ has died; for Christ will be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. He will surrender himself without reservation to the rule of Christ.” Messages to Young People, 28, 29.

“Never did greater responsibilities await the youth than await them now. Never was it more important that a right mould be given to the character of the rising generation. Upon every youth, God has bestowed varied capabilities, mental, moral, and physical; and he requires that those be cultivated and improved. We are formed for activity; every power of mind and body must be developed, strengthened, and increased by use. No one should feel that he is his own master, and can do as he pleases with his time and his intellect. Time and talents belong to God, and he has intrusted them to us, to be employed for his glory.” The Signs of the Times, August 23, 1883.

No Loss

In considering making a commitment to God, there is a tendency to wonder, Am I going to lose something or miss out on something in this life? Especially is this the case for those who are young, since there are many things in life they have not yet experienced. Many young people question, If I commit my life to God now, will I miss out on some pleasure or fun in this life? Since I am a young adult, these questions have come to my mind also. There are several answers that I have found in inspired writings.

First, God has said in His Word, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; . . . Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:3, 4. God desires to give us our desires! On the other hand, He is a father, so He does not always give us what we want because it is not for our best interest. Sometimes God does not give us what we desire because He is looking at the big picture and sees that which we do not. “We have a wise, loving heavenly Father, who hears the prayers of His children. But He does not always give them what they desire. He withholds that which He sees would not be for their good. But He bestows on them all that they need. He gives them that which is necessary for growth in grace. When we pray, we should say, ‘Lord, if what I ask for is for my good, give it to me; but if it is not, withhold it, but give me Thy blessings.’ The Lord hears our petitions; He understands our situation, and He will supply the very thing we need. He will strengthen our faith and increase our spirituality. The Lord is good and merciful, perfect in understanding and infinite in wisdom.” The Upward Look, 369.

Second, for anything that we may “miss out on” in this life, God has promised ample repayment. “Jesus does not require of man any real sacrifice; for whatever we are asked to surrender is only that which we are better off without. We are only letting go the lesser, the more worthless, for the greater, the more valuable. Every earthly, temporal consideration must be subordinate to the higher. But abundant blessings are promised to sincere faith and obedience. ‘Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundred-fold, and shall inherit everlasting life.’ [Matthew 19:29.]” Review and Herald, August 11, 1891. This is the reward of those who commit themselves to God’s service. God will more than one hundred times make up the things that we may lose in this life for serving Him and give us eternal life.

Remember Now Your Creator in the Days of Your Youth . . .

Why should you commit your life to God while you are young? When you are young, there is a tendency to think that you have many years left to live, so you can enjoy some worldly pleasures now and come back to God later. The wisest man who ever lived has something to say about this: “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth . . . .” Ecclesiastes 12:1. When you are young is the best time to commit your life to the Lord. First of all, you can devote more of your life to God’s service. Second, when you are young, you are not yet set in habits, and it is easier to be molded for use in God’s service. Third, if you go out into the world now, when you are young, it is not going to be easy to come back and commit your life to the Lord. In fact, it will be much harder. You will have formed bad habits—things you have seen and listened to that cannot be erased from your mind—with which to battle, that you would not have had, had you not strayed from the Lord. Fourth, everyone has influence upon others. If you choose not to live for Christ, others, by your example, may choose not to live for Him either.

“Do not for a moment suppose that religion will make you sad and gloomy and will block up the way to success. The religion of Christ does not obliterate or even weaken a single faculty. It in no way incapacitates you for the enjoyment of any real happiness; it is not designed to lessen your interest in life, or to make you indifferent to the claims of friends and society. It does not mantle the life in sackcloth; it is not expressed in deep-drawn sighs and groans. No, no; those who in everything make God first and last and best, are the happiest people in the world. Smiles and sunshine are not banished from their countenance. Religion does not make the receiver coarse and rough, untidy and uncourteous; on the contrary, it elevates and ennobles him, refines his taste, sanctifies his judgment, and fits him for the society of heavenly angels and for the home that Jesus has gone to prepare.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 83, 84.

“Jesus wants the service of those who have the dew of youth upon them. He wants them to be heirs of immortality. They may grow up into a noble manhood and womanhood, notwithstanding the moral pollutions that abound, and that corrupt so many of the youth at an early age. There is no happiness or safety but in the fear of the Lord. Young friends, morning and evening let your prayers go up from unfeigned lips that the Holy Spirit may take possession of your hearts and keep you from the seductive influences of the world. Work for Jesus; stand up for Jesus; and he will stand up for you in the day of God’s vengeance.” The Signs of the Times, September 11, 1884.

“Young people who follow Christ have a warfare before them; they have a daily cross to bear in coming out from the world, and being separate, and imitating the life of Christ. But there are many precious promises on record for those who seek their Saviour early. . . . ‘Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.’ Wisdom calls to the sons of men, ‘I love them that love me; and they that seek me early shall find me.’ They will find that the ‘path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day;’ and at the last, the Judge of all the earth will give every one according to his works. [Ecclesiastes 12:1; Proverbs 8:17; 4:18.]” Review and Herald, July 15, 1884.

“Dear youth, the very best thing you can do is to enlist freely and decidedly in the army of the Lord. Surrender yourself into the hands of God, that your will and ways may be guided by the One who is unerring in wisdom and infinite in goodness. . . . Let your name be enrolled in the heavenly records as one of the chosen and elect of God.” Our High Calling, 219.

“Early piety insures to its possessor the full enjoyment of all that makes life happy, and will give him a right to the future, immortal life. Those who seek God early have the assurance that they shall find him. Those who wait until the span of life is almost ended before they seek God, lose a life of pure, elevated happiness,—happiness that never comes in the pursuit of the pleasures that this life affords. Those who have been long acquainted with God, who from their youth have drawn their happiness from the pure fountain of heaven, are prepared to enter the family of God.

“Good and evil are set before the youth of today. They are left free to choose which they will. In yielding to Satan, they give up eternal happiness for pleasures which are vain and fleeting. That which he promises them they never obtain; for the path of sin is a path of sorrow.” The Youth’s Instructor, October 25, 1900.

Bible Examples

In the Bible, we find many examples of youth who gave their lives to God and His service. Joseph, when a teenager, was sold into slavery. There are few characters in the Bible about which nothing bad is said, and Joseph is one of them. He committed his life to God, no matter what. He did not deny his faith when tempted by Potiphar’s wife. In fact, he went to prison unjustly because he was committed to God. “Loyalty to God, faith in the Unseen, was Joseph’s anchor. In this lay the hiding of his power.” Education, 54.

Daniel was another person who committed his life to the Lord when he was young. He was removed from his family at a young age and taken to the court of the greatest monarch of that time. The greatest wealth, fame, and temptations were all around him, and yet, because of his commitment to God, he did not fall for the temptations. God honored Daniel and his friends for their faithfulness to Him by giving them understanding greater than all others of Babylon. Daniel is another Bible character of whom no fault could be found.

“The same mighty truths that were revealed through these men, God desires to reveal through the youth and the children of today. The history of Joseph and Daniel is an illustration of what He will do for those who yield themselves to Him and with the whole heart seek to accomplish His purpose.” Ibid., 57.

Moses, who was younger than Joseph or Daniel when taken from his parental home, also chose to commit his life to God. God’s principles had been taught to him by his mother in his youth, which laid the foundation for his greatness in God’s cause. “These histories are of vital interest. To none are they of deeper importance than to the youth. Moses renounced a prospective kingdom, Paul the advantages of wealth and honor among his people, for a life of burden bearing in God’s service. To many the life of these men appears one of renunciation and sacrifice. Was it really so? Moses counted the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. He counted it so because it was so. Paul declared: ‘What things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ.’ Philippians 3:7, 8, R.V., margin. He was satisfied with his choice.

“Moses was offered the palace of the Pharaohs and the monarch’s throne; but the sinful pleasures that make men forget God were in those lordly courts, and he chose instead the ‘durable riches and righteousness.’ Proverbs 8:18. Instead of linking himself with the greatness of Egypt, he chose to bind up his life with God’s purpose. Instead of giving laws to Egypt, he by divine direction enacted laws for the world. He became God’s instrument in giving to men those principles that are the safeguard alike of the home and of society, that are the cornerstone of the prosperity of nations—principles recognized today by the world’s greatest men as the foundation of all that is best in human governments.” Ibid., 68, 69.

Another example of commitment in youth was Jeremiah, who was called to work for the Lord. “Among those who had hoped for a permanent spiritual revival as the result of the reformation under Josiah was Jeremiah, called of God to the prophetic office while still a youth. . . .

“In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to his trust and who would stand for the right against great opposition. . . . ‘Say not, I am a child,’ the Lord bade His chosen messenger; ‘for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee.’ [Jeremiah 1:7, 8.]” Conflict and Courage, 237.

Modern-day Inspirations

In modern times, there lived a woman by the name of Betty Scott Stam who wrote the following commitment to the Lord when she was about eighteen years old: “Lord, I give up all of my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt. Send me where Thou wilt and work out Thy whole will in my life. At any cost. Now and forever.” Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be A Woman, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, 1976, VIII. Betty Scott Stam went to China as a missionary and married another missionary, John Stam, in China. A few months after they were married, they were captured by Chinese Communists and marched off to their deaths, leaving behind a tiny baby girl. Betty stayed true and firm to her commitment to the Lord.

Another person whose commitment to the Lord came first was Jim Elliot. He, along with several others, went as a missionary to the jungles of Ecuador. They went to try to reach a Stone Age tribe that later murdered them. Jim knew that it might mean losing his life to reach this tribe, but he said, “I’m ready to die for the salvation of the Aucas.” Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor, 172. His commitment to God was so firm that he was willing to lay down his life.

Call for Commitment

Today, God is calling for commitment to Him and to His cause. “The burden-bearers among us are falling in death. Many of those who have been foremost in carrying out the reforms instituted by us as a people, are now past the meridian of life, and are declining in physical and mental strength. With the deepest concern the question may be asked, Who will fill their places? To whom are to be committed the vital interests of the church when the present standard-bearers fall? We cannot but look anxiously upon the youth of today as those who must take these burdens, and upon whom responsibilities must fall. These must take up the work where others leave it, and their course will determine whether morality, religion, and vital godliness shall prevail, or whether immorality and infidelity shall corrupt and blight all that is valuable.” Gospel Workers, 68.

“There is a great work before us, and each individual has a special part to act. We shall not all have the very same line of service, but if we will commit our ways fully unto the Lord, He will direct our paths. Oh, that there were hundreds more of consecrated young people! God wants a large army of earnest, consecrated youth to gird on the armor, and to fight manfully the battles of the Lord. There is a work for each one to do.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 2, 286.

“With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come—the end of suffering and sorrow and sin! How soon, in place of a possession here, with its blight of sin and pain, our children might receive their inheritance where ‘the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever;’ where ‘the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick,’ and ‘the voice of weeping shall be no more heard.’ Psalm 37:29; Isaiah 33:24; 65:19.” Education, 271.

“Success in any line demands a definite aim. He who would achieve true success in life must keep steadily in view the aim worthy of his endeavor. Such an aim is set before the youth of today. The heaven-appointed purpose of giving the gospel to the world in this generation is the noblest that can appeal to any human being. It opens a field of effort to everyone whose heart Christ has touched.” Ibid., 262.

“Those who stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel should be faithful soldiers in Christ’s army. They should never be disloyal, never be untrue. Many of the young will volunteer to stand with Jesus, the Prince of life. But if they would continue to stand with Him they must constantly look unto Jesus, their Captain, for His orders. They cannot be soldiers of Christ, and yet engage with the confederacy of Satan, and help on his side, for then they would be enemies of Christ. They would betray sacred trusts. They would form a link between Satan and the true soldiers, so that through these living agencies the enemy would be constantly working to steal away the hearts of Christ’s soldiers.

“I ask you, dear youth, who profess to be soldiers of Jesus Christ, what battles have you fought? What have been your engagements? When the word of God has plainly revealed your work, have you refused to do it because it did not suit your inclination? Has the attraction of the world allured you from the service of Christ? Satan is employed in devising specious allurements; and by transgression in what seem little matters he draws you away from Jesus. Then larger attractions are presented to seduce you fully from God.

“You may have your name upon the church books and claim to be a child of God, yet your example, your influence, misrepresents the character of Christ, and you lead others away from Him. There is no happiness, no peace or joy, to a professed believer whose whole soul is not enlisted in the work the Lord has given him to do. He is constantly bringing the world into the church, not by repentance and confession and surrender to God, but by surrendering more and more to the world, and engaging on Satan’s side in the battle rather than on Christ’s side.

“I would appeal to the youth to cut the finest thread which binds you in practice and in spirit with the world. ‘Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.’ [11 Corinthians 6:17, 18.]

“Will our youth heed this voice of invitation? How little do our young people realize the necessity of setting before their youthful associates a Christlike example in their life and character. Many of our youth understand the theory of the truth, but how few understand by experimental knowledge the practical bearing of the truth upon their every action. Where are youthful missionaries doing any work that presents itself to them in the great harvest field? Where are those who are daily learners in the school of Christ? Let them never feel that they are prepared to graduate. Let them wait in the courts of the Lord, that they may be directed as to how to work in unison with the heavenly intelligences. Dear youth, I wish to speak decidedly to you because I want you to be saved. Lose no more time. You cannot serve God and mammon. You may apparently be Christians, but when temptations come, when sorely tried, do you not generally yield?” Messages to Young People, 138–140.

“God is weighing our characters, our conduct, and our motives in the balances of the sanctuary. It will be a fearful thing to be pronounced wanting in love and obedience by our Redeemer, who died upon the cross to draw our hearts unto Him. God has bestowed upon us great and precious gifts. He has given us light and a knowledge of His will, so that we need not err or walk in darkness. To be weighed in the balance and found wanting in the day of final settlement and rewards will be a fearful thing, a terrible mistake which can never be corrected. Young friends, shall the book of God be searched in vain for your names?

“God has appointed you a work to do for Him which will make you colaborers with Him. All around you there are souls to save. There are those whom you can encourage and bless by your earnest efforts. You may turn souls from sin to righteousness. When you have a sense of your accountability to God you will feel the need of faithfulness in prayer and faithfulness in watching against the temptations of Satan. You will, if you are indeed Christians, feel more like mourning over the moral darkness in the world than indulging in levity and pride of dress. You will be among those who are sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. You will resist the temptations of Satan to indulge in vanity and in trimmings and ornaments for display. The mind is narrowed and the intellect dwarfed that can be gratified with these frivolous things to the neglect of high responsibilities.

“The youth in our day may be workers with Christ if they will; and in working, their faith will strengthen and their knowledge of the divine will will increase. Every true purpose and every act of right doing will be recorded in the book of life. I wish I could arouse the youth to see and feel the sinfulness of living for their own gratification and dwarfing their intellects to the cheap, vain things of this life. If they would elevate their thoughts and words above the frivolous attractions of this world and make it their aim to glorify God, His peace, which passeth all understanding, would be theirs.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 370, 371.

Now is the time to choose to make a commitment to God to serve Him at whatever the cost and wherever He leads. Youth is the best time to commit your life to the Lord.

Jana Grosboll, an Electrical Engineering graduate student, serves Steps to Life as its Network Administrator.