p. 58 | Thoughts for Ministers by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 9, 1870

Thoughts for Ministers.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

2 Tim. 2: 15. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” To be successful in any occupation, especially to excel, men have need to study and labor earnestly and hard, not only for a short time, but constantly and long. Almost any one can become a tinker at any trade, without much application; but such men are of little use to themselves or any one else. They can do but a botched job at the best. No man wants such a hand on any respectable job.

It is honorable and praiseworthy in any man, having chosen his trade, to earnestly labor to excel in it, to be an extra workman. Such a man does honor to his profession, benefits himself and those who employ him. All this is equally true of that man who is to be a minister of Jesus Christ. Here is a calling as much higher than any worldly occupation, as Heaven is higher than earth; and as much more lasting in its effects, as eternity is longer than time. The work of the carpenter, the mason, the artist, however finely executed, will soon pass away; but the work of the minister must be as enduring as the everlasting ages. How important then that he qualify himself to be a good workman, to do a fine job, and to excel in his occupation. The great apostle, Paul, evidently viewed the subject in this light, judging from the work that he did. This evidently was the idea in his mind when he wrote to Timothy, a young minister, the words of our text: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.” Paul would not have Timothy think that because God had called him to the ministry, therefore he had nothing to do in preparing himself for it, but simply to stand up and open his mouth and let the Lord fill it. No, indeed; he was to study, apply himself by close, earnest thought, and careful application to his work, that God might approve him as a good workman, that in the day of Judgment he might not be ashamed of his work. The Lord calls for workmen, good workmen, those who can excel, of whose work the good Master Builder will not be ashamed.

Success in the ministry is not a happen-so, any more than in any other calling. The faithful minister is always successful; if not in one way, the Lord will bless his labors in another. The same diligence and study which secures success in other callings, will secure it in this. God’s word is pledged for it. But slackness, carelessness, and laziness, will produce a like effect in this, as in other callings. It will be a poor job, miserably done.

From long observation I am satisfied that to a very great extent ministers do not put forth that effort to be good workmen, in this calling, that other men do in almost any other occupation. They go at it carelessly, without order, without that study that they know would be necessary in any other vocation. It is the Lord’s work, and they propose to leave most of it for the Lord to do. This is all wrong. The Lord can use very feeble means, and often does; but yet he calls on us to do all we can, to be efficient on our part, and then the Lord will supply the lack.

What shall we do to prepare ourselves to be efficient ministers? It appears to me that one of the leading things for the minister is order and system in his studies. Without this, I am certain that but very little can generally be accomplished. Where they have no system, no regular, laid-out plan for daily labor, they will find that their days and weeks and months slip by, and but very little is accomplished.

Something must be done every day, and that should be in the same direction. If we wait for the leisure day, or week, or month, to read an important book, or

to prosecute a desired study, that time will never come. It must be taken up now, and something done at it every day. Those who have ever been successful in the past, have been noted for their order and system in their studies and labor; but there is always a great temptation for Seventh-day Adventist ministers to neglect this very thing. To illustrate: Elder A. goes to a certain church and spends a week. He stops with brother B., whom he has not seen for months; and of course they must have a good talk about the truth, the cause, &c. Elder A., somewhat tired, does not rise till near breakfast time, which is a little later than usual, as the minister is there. By the time that prayers are attended, the breakfast over, it is 8 o’clock, or after. Then they must have a sociable talk of an hour or so; then Eld. A. must go out and look at the crops. This brings it nearly noon. Perhaps before dinner he takes time to read a little in his Bible, write a letter home, and look at the newspaper. Then dinner, and another long talk of no especial benefit to any one.

After dinner he makes two or three calls, and finds it about time for meeting. Thus his day is gone. He has not studied his Bible, as he ought to, nor prepared himself in any way for his sermon; hence he gets up and preaches a discourse that perhaps he has repeated a hundred times before, which is about as dry to his hearers as to himself. He goes home dissatisfied and discouraged, perhaps resolves to do better to-morrow; but to-morrow he finds himself in another family. He must go through the same round as to-day. He may have on his mind a great many books he is going to read, a number of studies he wishes to take up; and many important things he expects to do; but he does not find time to get at it to-day, nor to-morrow, and the whole week goes the same. Perhaps he may summon a little more resolution some day, and begin fully determined to carry it out. But Sabbath comes, and he is in meeting all day; Sunday also, and no time to spare. Monday has to travel most of the day, and is in no mood to study. By this time he gets discouraged and gives it up. And thus he goes on months and years, as weak as water, and as empty as a barrel.

How, then, shall this be avoided? Well it can be avoided in some way; for many faithful ministers have labored under far greater disadvantages than we do, and have found time and means to become very learned and efficient ministers. Many such examples are on record, showing that it can be done; but it required energy and perseverance to accomplish it. They adopted a regular system of study and labor for each day, and then unwaveringly pursued it. We can do the same.

We must learn to value hours, and even minutes, and to carefully use them as they come to us. If we wait for a whole day or week of leisure in which to do our work, it never will be done. Do we have five minutes to ourselves, have something at hand to do. If we carefully improve them, we shall be astonished to find how many bits of time we can pick up every day. If these are all used in the same direction, we shall be able to see something accomplished in time.

Another important consideration is to think, and to think closely and carefully; not only while we are preaching, nor yet only while we are reading; but when we are riding or walking by the way, the thoughts can be very profitably employed.

When Sir Isaac Newton was asked how he had accomplished so much, he replied, “By thinking.” The great Erasmus used to study his subject while riding horseback. When he stopped for an hour for dinner, he was prepared to write out an article all matured in his mind. Time flies rapidly. A few days, and our portion of it will have gone. We must work, and work fast, seize the moments as they fly or we shall accomplish but very little. If any class of persons ought to be earnest, energetic, and careful of every moment of time, it is Adventist ministers. May the Lord help us to feel it. D. M. CANRIGHT.