Loyal to God's Instrumentalities by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 19, 1909

Loyal to God's Instrumentalities

By F. M. W.

Our denominational work is represented under four great departments; namely, evangelical, educational, publishing, and medical. While each of these departments occupies a distinctive field of its own, all are closely correlated, and together form one complete and harmonious whole. It would be difficult for us to carry forward this last great movement with any of these lines of work lacking.

Our people have shown their loyalty to this truth in the earnest manner in which they have carried forward every branch of this great work. Thousands are accepting the gospel message through the distribution of our publications. In their sale is afforded a great field of labor for self-supporting missionary work, in which it is gratifying to see thousands of our people engaged.

Our schools for the most part are full to overflowing, and one very encouraging feature of their experience is that by far the larger part of those in attendance are preparing to engage directly in some labor connected with this cause. Not only do our schools prepare laborers for the great field, but they save as a result thousands of our youth who otherwise would turn to worldly pursuits. Following closely the work done by our publications as they go out into all the world, the living preacher is sent to bring the seed sown to further perfection.

The latest instrumentality in carrying forward this movement, but for that reason none the less important, is our medical work. Nearly threescore sanitariums have been erected in different parts of the world, and these are busily engaged in an important service of ministering to the sick and needy, while at the same time they train young men and women to go out as medical missionaries. They thus accomplish a double missionary work,—that of relief and that of education. In these medical institutions, our people have valuable resources. Our sanitariums are visited by classes of people who are not ordinarily reached by other means. These are brought into contact with the truth in some form, and if they do not become adherents, are at least favorably impressed with our work as a people.

For the great amount of good which our medical institutions may accomplish, both in training our young men and women for active service and in ministering to the needs of the sick and the afflicted, our people everywhere should heartily rally to their support. It is gratifying that they are already doing this, but even in a larger measure they can render them substantial help. The members of our churches make up the constituency of our medical department, as they do of every other department, and they should take pleasure in seeking to promote the interests of our sanitariums the same as they do the interests of our printing-offices or colleges. They may do this in several ways.

First, and primarily, they can render them valuable aid through prayer, proper sympathy, and a spirit of Christian helpfulness. Of all classes of workers in this cause, those in our institutions are under the greatest temptation, and for that reason need a special supply of grace and help for their work. With our sanitarium workers, shut up day after day within four walls, associated continually with worldly men and women, there is constant danger that their work will become a routine. They need special grace to enable them to sense at all times the opportunities which are brought within their very doors, and their need of a living connection with spiritual power in meeting these opportunities.

Second, our people can render material help to our sanitariums by giving to them personal patronage. When in need of medical aid, they should seek help, as far as consistent, in our own institutions. We believe it is much better for our people who are sick to entrust themselves to God-fearing physicians and nurses than to go to worldly hospitals.

Third, our brethren and sisters everywhere can act in their neighborhoods as agents of the institutions. Some of our sanitariums to-day are paying out thousands of dollars in advertising in various ways. If all our people would rally as one man, and take upon themselves the responsibility of advertising our sanitariums in their particular sections of the country, bringing before the sick and afflicted of their acquaintance the merits of our work and the advantages which would come to them by spending several weeks at our institutions, there would be no need of other advertising; our sanitariums would be filled to overflowing.

Our field laborers—ministers, Bible workers, and those who go from house to house selling our literature—have excellent opportunities to search out the sick and suffering. A word of encouragement at the right time would direct many guests to these places of refuge.

All our medical institutions would be glad to furnish to our people circulars, catalogues, and general advertising matter for judicious distribution in this way. In return for this effort, our brethren would oftentimes see some who had failed otherwise in being impressed with the truth, reached through the influences with which they would be surrounded. We earnestly hope that our people will appreciate not alone the responsibility which rests upon them in sustaining our medical work, but the privilege which is offered them in so doing, and the great opportunities which exist in the accomplishment of great good through this important instrumentality.

In every section of country our brethren and sisters should unite in close sympathy with every department of the work. This is a united movement. There is no branch of it sufficient of itself to go forward alone and unaided. No man of himself is a complete whole. Each needs his brother's help. Each department needs the help of every other department. Let us ever bear this in mind, and labor together for the accomplishment of the one end, the aim of all our endeavors, the giving of the gospel in its completeness to our fellow men.

F. M. W.