p. 13 | Magnifying Little Things by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 7, 1910

Magnifying Little Things

By F. M. W.

ONE purpose should possess the heart and one inspiration thrill the life of every Seventh-day Adventist, and that is the giving of the message of Christ's coming to the world in this generation. To this high calling, every question of minor importance and every personal consideration should be subordinated. One spirit should energize the body, and operate in every individual movement. Only as the work committed to us is appreciated in its greatness and importance, only as the Spirit of God rules and reigns in each individual life, can unity of sentiment and harmony of action be preserved.

Each member of this church has had in life an individual mold of character and a distinctly personal experience. Each has been led over a different road than any of his fellows. This to some degree has given to each one a certain bias of thought and reasoning. Realizing this, how careful each should be to see that he maintains that relationship toward his fellows which will make for peace and for concerted, harmonious action. Says the apostle Paul:—

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

Keeping the unity of the Spirit does not necessarily mean that one man must think in the mold of another, or that one must not express an opinion contrary to established precedent, or to the opinions of others, but it does mean that though he may differ with his brethren in methods, in plans, and even in principles, he will do so as a Christian.

It is one thing to differ from our brethren and do it in such an egotistical, self-righteous manner as to repel rather than to win, and another to choose the better way,—to mollify the difference as far as possible by love and Christian courtesy. When each esteems other better than himself, when each counts his brother as honest as himself, when each believes that God by his Spirit can speak to his brother as well as to himself, differences will be robbed of much of their rancor and bitterness.

Truth is vital. Principles are above men, and should be held and properly promulgated, even at the expense of the dearest friendship, if need be. But let truth be maintained in love, and principles promulgated with due consideration for those holding opposite views.

If we must differ, let us differ as men, not as children; as friends, and not as foes; as Christians, and not as those actuated by the spirit of the accuser. From the views of others, let us dissent, if need be, kindly and considerately, and with due regard for our own limitations of vision and conception. We can not afford to be too dogmatical of our own opinions or too condemnatory of the opinions of others. We can see where we have erred in the past, and the future may reveal that our opinions to-day need revision.

We do not refer in this to the plain, fundamental truths of the gospel and the great doctrines constituting the frame-work of this message. These are plain and positive in declaration. They admit of no vital difference, and but little discussion as to their meaning. But it is the details of the doctrines, the finer, subtler meanings, which are most likely to produce differences. These sometimes grow big with importance, and come to take the place of the great fundamental truth of which they are but a small part. Better let these discussions rest. Let us not unduly magnify little things. The great movement itself demands our energy. Satan would be pleased indeed to see our time occupied with minor questions, the determination of which, on either side, would add not one whit to the power of the message.

It is said that some of the old philosophers used to argue for hours over the proposition that man could not move. He could not move where he was; and he could not move where he was not; therefore, he could not move. While there is little danger that we shall spend time over such silly questions, there is constant danger that we shall be led to spend time over questions quite as useless so far as the saving of souls is concerned. We may spend days in discussing whether or not the needle's eye through which Christ said the camel could not pass, was a gate opening to the city of Jerusalem, or the eye of an ordinary sewing needle; or arguing over the question as to what the seven thunders of Revelation 10 uttered; but during all that time souls around us are perishing, and we are ignoring and losing sight of the great issues which should command our thought. Our contention even may be for truth, and yet it is well always for us to consider which will accomplish the most good, to allow some minor truth to quietly rest, or to promulgate it to the sacrifice of peace and the creation of discord.

Let us be guarded that we be not switched off from the great main track of this movement. The apostle Paul exhorts Titus in words suited to our consideration:—

“But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.”

Again, in his epistle to Timothy, this great teacher, while exhorting his disciples to study the Word in order to rightly divide it, also warns against the danger of turning aside to discuss questions of minor consequence:—

“Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. . . . But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. . . . But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.”

This is good counsel for us to-day, quite as much as for the church of the first century. May we say to every suggestion which would detract from the promulgation of the great issues of this movement, in the words of Nehemiah: “I am doing a great work, so that I can not come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” F. M. W.