Working Out the Plans by W. A. S.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 14, 1902

Working Out the Plans

By W. A. S.

WE must have plans for our work. There must be system in our movements. An army in the field without a plan of campaign can accomplish little. Infinitely more worthy of study and careful planning is this blessed work of God.

But many put the plan in the place of the working out of the plan. Annual conferences are held, and all the people join in discussing plans, and voting resolutions. Then many go home as if their work were done, saying, in effect, “Now we shall see how the plans work!”

Of course the plans cannot work. The best plan ever devised never did a stroke of work. The plan itself must be worked. Good plans are but as the intrenchments thrown up in front of the enemy on the battle field. The intrenchments amount to nothing unless the soldiers man the intrenchments.

During the past summer our conferences, in camp meetings assembled, have been laying down plans. Resolutions have been adopted, urging the people to push the circulation of our literature, to engage in personal effort for souls, to be faithful in remembering the mission offering week by week. These plans are the intrenchments thrown up for the coming year’s campaign. Now let us all man the intrenchments, each in his place.

Certain kinds of breastworks are better than others. Military science devotes no little attention to the subject. But, after all, it is the quality of the man behind the gun that counts.

Whatever our plans, however carefully thought out, or however faulty, if only behind these lines of attack there be found a united people, true to King Jesus, with hearts courageous and faces set like a flint toward the front, victory, and that speedy and glorious, is assured.

There is no possible way of keeping the blessings of the camp-meeting season save by engaging now in definite soul-winning service. This is a people’s war. Christ himself is given of God to be “a leader and commander to the people.” He calls now upon every soul of us to man the intrenchments. W. A. S.