Character Builders by Mrs. M. C. Wilcox.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 18, 1902

Character Builders

By Mrs. M. C. Wilcox.

Mrs. M. C. Wilcox.

“Build the more stately mansions, O my soul, As the swift seasons roll.”

Did you ever feel, dear fathers and mothers, that your field of usefulness was narrow and circumscribed? Did you ever sigh for a broader expanse over which to shed your personal influence for the uplifting of your fellow men? If so, will you not stop and consider the immensity of the field to which you have already been called—“character builders”? To whom does this grandest of all works belong more than to parents?

Just look for a moment upon that sweet, innocent, helpless little infant just laid in the mother’s arms. What grand possibilities may be wrapped up in that tiny speck of humanity! How it draws upon your affections! And, as you look away into the future when it is grown to manhood or womanhood, you behold in it all that is lovely and pure, noble and true.

How well do I remember when my firstborn son was first laid in my arms! A prouder and fonder mother there never was, and as I gazed upon his sweet baby face, and smoothed his brow with a mother touch, I said, as I thought of the future, “My noble boy!” How little did I then dream of the struggles, the tears, the anxieties it would take on my part to make this fair ideal of him!

Ah, dear parents, it requires united effort, patient, unwearied effort, to make of our precious children all that we desire! They must be given line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until the character is rooted and grounded and established. And is this work a narrow work?—Ah, no! It is as broad as immensity, as far-reaching as eternity. It will require all there is of us, and, as we consider the work, we shall be led to exclaim, “Who is sufficient for these things?” Of necessity we shall be drawn to Him who is our wisdom and strength.

As I have been meditating upon the work to-day, I have felt that we are not giving sufficient attention to it. It is such common, everyday work that we are inclined to lose sight of its great importance. But my heart has been made to rejoice that some attention is given to it, for it is the foundation work of all works. It is the work of God in the fullest sense, this home work, this home education, this implanting and living the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the everyday life, this character building, and we need to have our minds called to its importance over and over again.

“A stream cannot rise higher than its source,” and so all the ambitions and aspirations we may have for our little ones are vain if we ourselves are far below the standard. “Be yourself what you desire your children to be,” are words worthy of careful consideration. But how shall we attain to a higher standard?—There is no way to it save by the religion of Jesus Christ. Nothing but this can enable us, after years of carelessness in forming habits that are evil, to eliminate those things from our lives. Nothing but this will enable us to expel the unlovely traits of character, and put features of beauty in their place.

And this work cannot be accomplished in a day. But by resolute, heroic purpose and unceasing prayer we shall continually advance.

Not alone are the eyes of our tender, helpless darlings upon us, noting all our failures and victories, but the eyes of our tender, sympathizing Saviour are upon us, watching our efforts with the deepest interest. He knows all our weaknesses, all our infirmities, all our discouragements. Ah, “He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” And this same mighty One has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” And, more, “He will subdue our iniquities.” “Sin shall not have dominion over you.” Praise His glorious name!

In view of this, shall we not with one hand grasp His hand, and with the other tenderly grasp our own little ones, and so climb to the highest round of the ladder in our most precious, God-given work.