p. 195 | Each has His Work

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 17, 1864

Each has His Work.

ALL men can not work in the same way. "There are diversities of operations." Upon the face of a watch you may see an illustration of my meaning. On that small space you have three workers; there is the second-pointer performing rapid revolutions; there is the minute-pointer going at a greatly reduced speed, and there is the hour-pointer tardier still. Now, any one unacquainted with the mechanism of a watch would conclude that the busy little second-pointer was doing all the work; it is clicking away at sixty times the speed of the minute-pointer, and as for the hour-hand, that seems to be doing no work at all. You can see in a moment that the first is busy, and in a short time you will see the second stir; but you must wait still longer to assure yourself of the motion of the third.

So it is in the church. There are active, fussy men, who appear to be doing the work of the whole community; and others slower still. But can we do without the minute and the hour-pointers? The noisy second-hand might go round its little circle for ever, without telling the world the true time. We should be thankful for all kinds of workers. The silent, steady hour-hand need not envy its noisy little colleague. Each man must fill the measure of his capacity. Your business is to do your allotted work, so as to meet the approbation of the Master.