EXAMPLE AND INFLUENCE by Christian at Work

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 24, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 25.

EXAMPLE AND INFLUENCE.

By Christian at Work

THE first thing a child attempts to do is almost invariably something it has seen someone else do; and all the way up from earliest infancy, human beings are creatures of imitation. Hence the truth of the oft-repeated assertion that children become just what their parents see fit to make them. Consciously or unconsciously, an example is constantly being enacted, sure to be followed by the little folks, and a bad or pernicious example will be copied quite as readily as a good and beneficial one. Temperance speakers are fond of repeating the little incident of a boy who, on sitting down with his father to dinner at a hotel, was asked by the waiter what he would have to drink, and replied, "Whatever father has." Any suspicion that his father could order anything harmful never entered the boy's mind. But the power of example is by no means confined to children or young people. Men and women are constantly influencing one another in various and countless ways. An amusing story has been told in print of a lady who, taking tea with a neighbor one night, remarked:—

"How nice your gingerbread looks and tastes; I used to have it for supper quite regularly, but at last decided that it was a useless expense with my large family, so as a matter of economy I stopped making it."

"Well," replied her hostess, "I've often thought of that, for our family is quite as large as yours, but as all seemed to enjoy the gingerbread so much when supper time came, I have kept on making it."

The next night when the family of the lady who had visited, gathered about the tea table, there was a plate of beautiful, tempting gingerbread. To the remarks of satisfaction which were expressed, she replied:—

"Well, I find our neighbor over the way thinks she can afford to have gingerbread for supper, and if she can, I don't see why we can't also."

But at the neighbor's over the way there was no gingerbread on the table when the family assembled for the evening meal. To the dissatisfied looks and words to which the lack gave rise, the mother replied:—

"Well, Mrs. So-and-so, across the street, has no gingerbread for supper, as she thinks it a needless expense, and if it is such for her, I am sure it must be for us also."

There are myriads of like cases transpiring every day. Our words and deeds are indeed like the pebble dropped into the pond; their

influence is felt to the outermost bound of the sensitive surface, until there can be no estimate of the amount of influence wielded either for good or ill, neither can there be any recall.

As to personal responsibility in the matter of influence, that query has been met and answered away back in the early chapters of the Bible. When one man dared to ask, "Am I my brother's keeper?" the stern voice of God replied that that brother's blood was crying to him from the ground. Elude and evade the question now as to the importance of our example over others, as we may, the solemn fact of there having been a great responsibility in this respect, of which we ought at least to have been aware, will face each one sooner or later. Many a conscientious man and woman has refrained from participation in pleasures or engagements they felt convinced would be powerless to harm them, for fear of the influence they might exert over others, were their example followed. How many thousands have been led to the Saviour and into church through the example of others, only the judgment day will reveal. Alas! that there must be a reverse side to this consideration, that there must be those who will have to realize then that, through their lax, indifferent example, there were those who regarded religion as an unimportant, meaningless thing! It often needs but a word spoken in season to open the eyes wide, and to stir the heart to a sense of the deep realities and responsibilities resting upon each one of the Lord's true followers. In following the best and highest example ever known, that of our Pattern and Redeemer, our own example will become worthy of imitation, and the influence we exert will be for good.—Christian at Work.