A Lesson from Experience by L. L. C.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 4, 1916

A Lesson from Experience

By L. L. C.

ONE of our exchanges tells of a personal experience, and draws a lesson therefrom, which we think worthy of being passed on to our readers.

The editor, it seems, lives at some distance from the office of the paper, and finds it necessary to take an early morning train to arrive at the office at the opening hour. Arising early one morning, he looked at his watch without his spectacles, and thought it was four o’clock when really it was five. He therefore supposed he had plenty of time for doing a number of things besides taking his breakfast, and still catch the train.

He consulted his watch several times to note the passing time. When he thought it was 5:30, he happened to glance at a clock and noticed that it was 6:30, too late to catch the train. His watch was correct, and though he looked at it several times, his initial error of thinking it one hour earlier than it was, kept him from really noticing the hour. He took it for granted that he knew the hour, and watched only the minute hand.

The lesson to be drawn from this experience is that many times our previous conceptions hinder us from a true view of the facts. Having grasped one side of some truth, one may practically close his eyes to any further enlightenment in regard to it. Because of preconceived ideas concerning the teaching of the Bible, many who read that holy volume fail entirely to see its real teaching. Everything they read is interpreted, not so much with reference to other scriptures, as with reference to their own system of belief. Let us individually decide that we will come to the Bible with entire open-mindedness, to find what it really does teach. Only thus can God give us the full truth. L. L. C.