p. 11 | An Earnest Admonition to Missionaries by Do Better

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 12, 1912

An Earnest Admonition to Missionaries

By Do Better

[A writer in the Indian Witness, styling himself “Do Better,” has sent some words to missionaries which they would do well to remember and profit by. We present the article herewith.—J. L. S.]

IF there is one thing a missionary has to watch himself about in this land of sunshine and whitewash, it is infirmities. “Would the giftie God would gie us to see ourselves as ithers see us, it would from many a trouble free us and sair affliction”—for the one we live with. There are two classes of infirmities,—those we can't help, and those we can help. The first may be a weak body, a timid, sensitive, bashful, or acrid disposition; the second sort, a sharp or slanderous tongue, an unforgiving spirit, a cruel self-will, a gossipy, touchy, bossy, egotistic, critical, or unkind disposition, “believing all things,” especially bad things about everybody.

Now missionaries come out here from various motives, and they and their God must settle that; but what sort of nature they bring with them to the work is what interests the ones they have to work with. Is the new missionary sweet, gentle, helpful, spiritual, tractable, willing to learn? or is the new missionary sour, self-conceited, bossy, and open-eared for all bits of gossip floating about?

A good start is a good thing in mission work, and woe be unto the missionary who hinders the new missionary in the start by whispering some evil thing about a fellow worker; by shrugging the shoulders when a certain one is mentioned, until a suspicion is aroused; by giving some “valuable hints as to whom to watch.”

The Word says, “Woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” Whoever poisons the mind of a new missionary against another missionary is causing some one to offend; and I believe the Good Book is true, and that it were better that that whisperer had fallen overboard en route to India than that suspicion, distrust, and unfriendliness should be sown by him in some fresh young heart full of zeal for God. Grace can cover all the infirmities under number one, and the missionary can get a strong body, overcome his timidity, and get thick-skinned, and grow in favor with God and other missionaries.

The cause of the second sort of infirmities is sin. They proceed from an evil heart, and the first thing to do is to go to the cross and get rid of them. Only the blood of Jesus will wash them away. Nowhere in the world can a sharp tongue and a gossipy nature find so ready a sphere of action as in the mission circle. Nowhere in the world is an unforgiving spirit so deadly, and a cruel self-will so cruel to the meek little new missionary as out here. Nowhere in the world can slander so kill and maim as out here, where we all live in the limelight. Nowhere in the world can unkindness be so unkind, and touchiness be so on the lookout for fancied wrongs as here.