Success in any line demands a definite aim. People who achieve true success in life keep steadily in view the aim worthy of their endeavor. Such an aim is set before the young people 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.
God's purpose for the children growing up in our homes is wider, deeper, higher, than our restricted vision has comprehended. From the humblest lot those whom He has seen faithful have in times past been called to witness for Him in the world's highest places. And many a young person of today, growing up as did Daniel in his Judean home, studying God's Word and His works, and learning the lessons of faithful service, will stand in legislative assemblies, in halls of justice, or in royal courts, as a witness for the King of kings. Multitudes will be called to a wider ministry. The whole world is opening to the gospel.
Millions upon millions have never so much as heard of God or of His love revealed in Christ. It is their right to receive this knowledge. And it rests with us who have received the knowledge, with our children to whom we may impart it, to answer their cry. To every household and every school, to every parent, teacher, and child upon whom has shone the light of the gospel, comes at this crisis the question put to Esther the queen at that crisis in Israel's history: "Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14.
The Suffering of God
Those who think of the result of hastening or hindering the gospel think of it in relation to themselves and to the world. Few think of its relation to God. Few give thought to the suffering that sin has caused our Creator. All heaven suffered in Christ's agony, but that suffering did not begin or end with His manifestation in humanity. The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God. Every departure from right, every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity to reach God's ideal, brings grief to Him. When there came upon Israel the calamities that were the sure result of separation from God--persecution by their enemies, cruelty, and death--it is said that "His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel." "In all their affliction He was afflicted." Judges 10:16; Isaiah 63:9. As the "whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs" (Romans 8:22), the heart of the infinite Father is pained in sympathy.
Our world is a vast gathering of sin-and-disease-stricken people, a scene of misery that we dare not allow even our thoughts to dwell upon. Yet God feels it all. In order to destroy sin and its results He gave His best Beloved, and He has put it in our power, through cooperation with Him, to bring this scene of misery to an end. "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14.
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15) is Christ's command to His followers. Not all are called to be ministers or missionaries in the ordinary sense of the term, but all may be workers with Him in giving the "glad tidings" to the world. To all, great or small, learned or ignorant, old or young, the command is given.
In view of this command, dare we educate our sons and daughters for only a life of respectable conventionality, a life professedly Christian but lacking His self-sacrifice, a life on which the verdict of Him who is truth must be, "I know you not"?
Thousands are doing this. They think to secure for their children the benefits of the gospel while they deny its spirit. But this cannot be. Those who reject the privilege of fellowship with Christ in service reject the only training that imparts a fitness for participation with Him in His glory. They reject the training that in this life gives strength and nobility of character. Many a father and mother, denying their children to the cross of Christ, have learned too late that they were thus giving them over to the enemy. They sealed their ruin not alone for the future but for the present life.
Even in seeking a preparation for God's service, many are turned aside by wrong methods of education. Life is too generally regarded as made up of distinct periods--the period of learning and the period of doing, of preparation and of achievement. In preparation for a life of service, young people are sent to school to acquire knowledge by the study of books. Cut off from the responsibilities of everyday life, they become absorbed in study and often lose sight of its purpose. The ardor of their early consecration dies out, and too many take up with some personal, selfish ambition.
Upon graduation, thousands find themselves out of touch with life. They have so long dealt with the abstract and theoretical that when the whole being must be roused to meet the sharp contests of real life, they are unprepared. Instead of the noble work they had purposed, their energies are engrossed in a struggle for mere subsistence. After repeated disappointments, in despair even of earning an honest livelihood, many drift into questionable or criminal practices. The world is robbed of the service it might have received, and God is robbed of the souls He longed to uplift, ennoble, and honor as representatives of Himself.
Human Judgment Faulty
Many parents err in discriminating between their children in the matter of education. They make almost any sacrifice to secure the best advantages for one that is bright and apt. But these opportunities are not considered necessary for those who are less promising. Little education is considered essential for the performance of life's ordinary duties.
But who is capable of selecting from a family of children the ones upon whom will rest the most important responsibilities? Remember the experience of Samuel when sent to anoint from the sons of Jesse one to be king over Israel. Seven noble-looking young men passed before him. As he looked at the first, in features handsome, in form well-developed, and in bearing princely, the prophet exclaimed, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the Lord." But God said, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." So of all the seven the testimony was, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." 1 Samuel 16:6, 7, 10, NRSV. Not until David had been called from watching the flock was the prophet permitted to fulfill his mission.
The elder brothers, from whom Samuel would have chosen, did not possess the qualifications that God saw to be essential in a ruler of His people. Proud, self-centered, self-confident, they were set aside for the one whom they lightly regarded, one who had preserved the simplicity and sincerity of his youth, and who, while little in his own sight, could be trained by God for the responsibilities of the kingdom. So today, in many a child whom the parents would pass by, God sees capabilities far above those revealed by others who are thought to possess great promise.
And as regards life's possibilities, who is capable of deciding what is great and what is small? Many a worker in the lowly places of life, by setting on foot agencies for the blessing of the world, has achieved results that kings might envy!
Make certain, then, that every child receives an education for the highest service. "In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that." Ecclesiastes 11:6.
The specific place appointed us in life is determined by our capabilities. Not all reach the same development or do the same work with equal efficiency. God does not expect the hyssop to attain the proportions of the cedar, or the olive the height of the stately palm. But each should aim just as high as the union of human with divine power makes possible.
Many do not become what they might because they do not put forth the power that is in them. They do not, as they might, lay hold on divine strength. Many are diverted from the line in which they might reach the truest success. Seeking greater honor or a more pleasing task, they attempt something for which they are not fitted. Many a person whose talents are adapted for some other calling is ambitious to enter a profession, and one who might have been successful as a farmer, an artisan, or a nurse, fills inadequately the position of a minister, a lawyer, or a physician. Others, who might have filled a responsible calling, for lack of energy, application, or perseverance, content themselves with an easier place.
We need to follow more closely God's plan of life. To do our best in the work that lies nearest, to commit our ways to God, and to watch for the indications of His providence--these are rules that ensure safe guidance in the choice of an occupation.
He who came from heaven to be our example spent nearly thirty years in common, mechanical work, but during this time He was studying the Word and the works of God. He also was helping and teaching all whom His influence could reach. When His public ministry began, He went about healing the sick, comforting the sorrowful, and preaching the gospel to the poor. This is the work of all His followers.
"The greatest among you," Christ said, "must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For ... I am among you as one who serves." Luke 22:26, 27, NRSV.
Love and loyalty to Christ are the spring of all true service. In the heart touched by His love, there is born a desire to work for Him. This desire should be encouraged and rightly guided. Whether in the home, the neighborhood, or the school, the fact that there are poor, afflicted, ignorant, or unfortunate people should be regarded, not as a misfortune, but as affording a valuable opportunity for service.
In this work, as in every other, skill is gained in the work itself. It is by training in the common duties of life and in ministry to the needy and suffering, that efficiency is assured. Without this the best-meant efforts often are useless and even harmful. It is in water, not on the land, that people learn to swim.
Importance of Church Membership
Another obligation, too often lightly regarded--one that should be made plain to every young person who has been awakened to the claims of Christ--is the obligation of church relationship. Very close and sacred is the relation between Christ and His church--He the bridegroom, the church the bride; He the head, the church the body. Connection with Christ, then, involves connection with His church.
The church is organized for service, and in a life of service to Christ, connection with the church is one of the first steps. Loyalty to Christ demands the faithful performance of church duties. This is an important part of one's training, and in a church imbued with the Master's life it will lead directly to effort for the outside world.
There are many lines in which young people can find opportunity for helpful effort. Organize them into bands for Christian service. Parents and teachers, by taking an interest in their work, will be able to give them the benefit of their own larger experience, and can help them make their efforts effective for good.
Acquaintance awakens sympathy, and sympathy is the spring of effective ministry. To awaken in children and young people sympathy and the spirit of sacrifice for the suffering millions on other continents, let them become acquainted with these lands and their peoples. In this line much might be accomplished in our schools. Instead of dwelling on the exploits of the Alexanders and Napoleons of history, encourage students to study the lives of greats such as the apostle Paul, Martin Luther, Moffat, Livingstone, Carey, and the present global advances of missionary effort.
Young and Old Needed
In this closing work of the gospel there is a vast field to be occupied, and more than ever the work is to enlist helpers from the common people. Both young and old will be called from the farm, the vineyard, and the workshop, and sent forth by the Master to give His message. Many of these may have little education, but Christ sees in them qualifications that will enable them to fulfill His purpose. If they put their hearts into the work, and continue to be learners, He will fit them to work for Him. He who knows the depths of the world's misery and despair, knows by what means to bring relief. He sees on every hand souls in darkness, bowed down with sin, sorrow, and pain. But He also sees their possibilities. He sees the height to which they may attain.
The burden for these needy ones in the rough places of the earth Christ lays upon those who can feel for the ignorant and those who have wasted their talents. He will be present to help workers whose hearts are susceptible to pity. He will work through those who can see mercy in misery, and gain in loss. When the Light of the world passes by, calamities will be seen as disguised blessings; woes, as mercies. Workers from the common people, sharing the sorrows of fellow human beings as their Master shared the sorrows of the whole human race, will by faith see Him working with them.
"The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hastens quickly." Zephaniah 1:14. And a world is to be warned.
With such preparation as they can gain, thousands upon thousands of people of all ages should be giving themselves to this work. Already many are responding to the call of the Master Worker, and their numbers will increase. Christian educators should give such workers sympathy and cooperation. They should encourage and assist students under their care to gain the preparation needed for service.
In no line of work can young people receive greater benefit. All who engage in ministry are God's helping hand. They are co-workers with the angels; rather, they are the human agencies through whom the angels accomplish their mission. Angels speak through their voices, and work by their hands. And the human workers, cooperating with heavenly agencies, have the benefit of their education and experience. As a means of education, what "university course" can equal this?
With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Savior 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 in it forever," where "the inhabitant will not say, 'I am sick,'" and "the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard." Psalm 37:29; Isaiah 33:24; 65:19.