p. 24 | The Value of Education in Our Work

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 9, 1907

_The Value of Education in Our Work_

THE degree of a man's success in this world in any line of work depends, as a rule, upon his education in that line. This education may come to him as the result of much hard thinking, it may be the result of costly experience, or it may come without much effort. But the education he must have. All the means to gain the desired success may be placed in his hands, but without the education to use them, the success sought will remain in the dim future. Whatever the trade or business of life, he must be educated for it. He may gain the education while working, but it is the education that brings success. He can not use his powers without it.

Even among our animals the same rule holds good. The horse gives us a good example. The same powers are in the horse wild that are in the horse broken to use. But until educated to use those powers, he is useless to man.

It is the breaking, educating, that makes him useful.

A man is not equally successful in all lines. He is not equally well educated in all lines. In some lines he is not given the power of gaining an education easily. By birth, inheritance, a man is given the power to gain easily an education in some certain lines. Other lines of education demand much hard work. All are imperfectly educated by reason of this inheritance. It is this birthright which we call a bent in a certain direction. But to all is given the power of gaining an education in any line if they are only willing to do some hard work.

In all men God places the ability to gain a knowledge of him, to become educated in his ways. To all his servants he gives this ability according to his promise in James. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

To work for God we must have this education. We must know God and fear him, for Solomon says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” We must know his mercy, know his goodness which leads us to repentance, know the power of his love which saves us. This education is not gained from books. It is learned only by companionship with God.

The most of the disciples of Christ were unlearned men. They had not the education necessary to make a great success of their occupations. As they were, they started with Christ, and by his companionship during three and one-half years they became so well educated that they were enabled to preach their message to the world, and their wisdom enabled them to stand before the great men of earth and successfully defend their cause. This education enabled them to exert an influence so great that it has been felt in every age and every clime.

But we must not think from their example that God endows us with all the education necessary to work for him. God does not do for people what they can do for themselves. If we lack wisdom which we might gain for ourselves by our own efforts, we can be certain that God will not fulfil to us the promise of James 1:5. When we have reached our limit, then it is that God works for us. As the old adage puts it, “Man's extremity is God's opportunity.”—Selected.