A Successful Life by J. M. HOPKINS

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 20, 1916

A Successful Life

By J. M. HOPKINS

J. M. HOPKINS

What constitutes a successful life? In one sense of the word, every man is successful who achieves success in his chosen profession or vocation. Some are eminently successful as physicians and surgeons; others as jurists; others as teachers, clergymen, farmers, or tradesmen. Each profession has its successful followers. And this is all perfectly proper. No one would desire to have “Failure” or “Failed in life” inscribed on his tombstone as an epitaph. All worthy people aspire to success; all truly worthy people succeed, in some degree at least.

But is the most eminent success in life always the truest success? However successful one may be in the acquisition of wealth, fame, or position, does that constitute the highest, the noblest degree of success?

The truly successful life is that which most nearly meets the mind of God; that life, wherever and however it may be lived, that most nearly performs those duties consequent to its sphere of action. This may be in the lowly, humble walks of life. There are many isolated from the great world of whom nothing is known outside the narrow, limited circle in which their lives are passed, who are pure, true to principle and duty, kind, sympathetic, and helpful, and in every way to the very best of their knowledge and ability are meeting the claims of God and man. Upon all such God and angels look with loving approbation. A life of noble character building, of loyalty to principle, of faithfulness to duty, of kindly, loving ministration; a life that hungers and thirsts after righteousness, that grasps eternity in its result,—such a life is successful.

Elder C. A. Pedicord, of the Minnesota Conference, very generously gave me the following beautiful selection by some unknown author, at our State camp meeting last summer:—

“Filled His Place”

“It wasn't much of a place he filled, But he tilled and plowed, and he plowed and tilled, While the greatest cause for his soul's unrest Was a fear that he wouldn't do his best; So he smiled at his work and went ahead With a tuneful heart and a Christian grace. It wasn't much of a place he filled, But he filled his place.”

“The hands that they folded yesterday On his breast were rough and hard; but say, What does it matter, let me ask, If they did get rough at a humble task? For when life gets to the very end And Death looks up from the pallid face, What does it matter the place you filled, If you filled your place?”

“I fancy the joy of Paradise, When it's given out, will cause some surprise; For the greatest will fall, or I'm no seer, To those that did simple duties here, To the man who smiled as he went ahead, With a tuneful heart and a Christian grace. Though it wasn't much of a place he filled, If he filled his place.”

I have thanked God a hundred times for those blessed lines, for I am one of the many who have not much of a place to fill. So I may be able the more appropriately and tenderly to say to all my lowly brethren and sisters, Though it may not be much of a place God has called us to fill, let us faithfully fill our respective places in life. You know that the dear Father knows all about our heart's deep yearnings to do his will, to walk hand in hand with our divine Leader. This is success in its deepest, truest sense.

Roseburg, Oregon.