COOL INDIFFERENCE by L. Flora Plummer

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 9, 1900

“COOL INDIFFERENCE.”

By L. Flora Plummer

MRS. L. FLORA PLUMMER.

In 1898 this sentence was published as a part of a message to the people of God: “Our great peril is in regarding the Lord’s plans with cool indifference.” In each of these closing years, the work of God in the earth increases in importance and solemnity. Each plan that is laid to advance it, takes on a deeper significance as the time of probation grows shorter. And now it is plainly stated that any one who looks with careless indifference upon the Lord’s plans is in great peril. It is evident, then, that the carrying out of his plans, whatever they may be, is of great benefit to the person helping to carry them out.

But in these days, when there are so many ideas and notions advocated, how may we know what the Lord’s plans are? None of us would willingly place ourselves in “great peril” by disregarding his plans. But we wish to be careful. We would rather wait and see how a plan “works” before we have much to do with it. And while we wait, our attitude could not be more truly described than by the two words “cool indifference.”

The people of God ought to be able to recognize the Lord’s plan without having to wait to see how it works. His plans will be in harmony with his word and with the testimonies of his Spirit. It need not be expected that every plan will be marked out in detail by the Spirit of God; for by his Spirit the Lord has said that we must devise plans for accomplishing certain results. Hence, plans that are urged by men and women may be the Lord’s own plans; and in regarding them indifferently, we may be placing ourselves in peril.