Thorough Preparation Necessary to Success
By V. O. Cole
OUR leading brethren have seen the necessity of raising the standard of attainment in the ministerial ranks. The requirements of our school-teachers, medical missionaries, and physicians are also being raised to a higher standard in efficiency; then why should it not be so with our colporteurs? Surely the times demand it, and success will largely depend upon it. We should not think of asking our brethren to take up ministerial, Bible, medical missionary, or educational work without some preparation for it; then is it fair to ask them to engage in the colporteur work without a preparation, and expect them to have great success? In view of the fact that “if there is one work more important than another, it is that of getting our publications before the people, thus leading them to search the Scriptures;” and also taking into consideration what it means to our people to make failures in their endeavors after sacrificing to enter the work, should we not make greater effort to assist them in securing the preparation necessary to succeed? IN 2 Samuel 18 we have the example of one who ran, but was not able to deliver his message. Ahimaaz volunteered his services, and was very zealous in pursuing his work. It was said of him that he was a good man, and that he had good tidings to bear to the king; but when it came time to deliver the message, he could only say, “I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.” As a result, the king said to him, “Turn aside, and stand here.” The record says, “He turned aside, and stood still.” Cushi then came with the same message, to be delivered to the same king. See how thoughtful, considerate, and tactful he was in delivering it. When the king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” his answer was, “The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.” Here we have two characters brought to view. As far as we know, they were both good men. They both had zeal and ambition to do service for their master. They both had a message to deliver. One, however, was a failure, the other a success. One was told to stand aside, and he stood still; the other delivered a message that moved the king to tears. What made the difference? One had his tidings ready (“convenient,” margin), the other did not. We are living too close to the end now to make shipwreck in our work by not having our tidings ready. Just how many who have entered the work and have made failures which caused them to “stand aside” for a season, we do not know; but we are anxious that others may not have to travel this discouraging road. The annual colporteurs’ institutes, rightly conducted, have proved to be great blessings to those engaged in this line of work. The experienced colporteurs, as well as those who are just beginning, should attend. Of course this will not take the place of house-to-house training given by the field agent; for both are very essential, and no colporteur should be asked to take up the work without this help. The field agent should give those who enter the work between the annual institutes, a few days’ instruction in their homes before starting out, and should be with them several days in the field to help them in getting started. In this way we shall be able to save many of our people to the work. It is far better to have a few successful colporteurs than to have a great number with many failures. Let us endeavor to select good material, and then give sufficient help in the preparation.