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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 26, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 53.

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Personal Work

By Stemple White

STEMPLE WHITE
In order to help people, one must get in personal touch with them. In his ardent, self-sacrificing labor for civil reforms, Jefferson’s sympathetic love led him to mingle with the people. In his advice to Lafayette he wrote, “You must ferret the people out of their hovels as I have done, look into their kettles, eat their bread, loll on their beds on pretense of resting yourself, but in fact to find if they are soft.” Those men succeeded in their work.
Even so the “hunters” and “fishers” sent out today to finish the Lord’s work, must ever keep close to the people, yet closer to God. An advertising man recently wrote, as quoted in Current Opinion for July: “The preacher who never rings doorbells during the week rarely ever rings the bell when he shoots in the pulpit on Sunday. That is why I rate that country preacher up in Vermont as a pastmaster. He not only knows every one, but he knows among just what mental neighbors in men’s minds every sentence he says will have to lodge, and what obstacles it will have to pass to get in at all. So he always talked to us as one who had a feeling for our infirmities, mental as well as other kinds.”
“When a minister has presented the gospel message from the pulpit, his work is only begun. There is personal work for him to do. He should visit the people in their homes, talking and praying with them in earnestness and humility. There are families who will never be reached by the truths of God’s word unless the stewards of his grace enter their homes and point them to the higher way. But the hearts of those who do this work must throb in unison with the heart of Christ.” “Much depends upon the manner in which you meet those whom you visit. You can take hold of a person’s hand in greeting in such a way as to gain his confidence at once, or in so cold a manner that he will think you have no interest in him.”—Gospel Workers, pp. 187, 189.
Every member may and should be a worker for Christ. Each one can act a part. Before the material finds its place in the finished temple, it has received a personal touch. Let us do our part well.