Education for the Missionary Work
“We are laborers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye
are God’s building.”
1 Corinthians 3:9
.
The work of the Christian laborer is not light or unimportant. He
has a high vocation, from which his whole future life must take its
mould and coloring. He who gives himself to so sacred a work should
bend all his energies to its accomplishment. He should aim high; he
will never reach a higher standard than that which he aims to attain. He
cannot diffuse light until he has first received it. He must be a learner
before he can have sufficient experience and wisdom to become a
teacher, able to open the Scriptures to those who are in darkness. If
God has called men to be laborers together with him, it is equally
certain that he has called them to make the best possible preparation
to rightly represent the sacred, elevating truths of his word.
Those who desire to give themselves to the work of God, should
receive an education and training for the work, that they may be pre-
pared to engage in it intelligently. No one should feel that he can
step at once upon the upper rounds of the ladder; those who would
succeed must begin at the first round, and climb upward step by step.
Opportunities and privileges are granted them for improvement, and
they should make every effort in their power to learn how they may do
the work of God acceptably.
Wherever our ministers shall labor, in Europe or in America, they
should seek to arouse the youth to prepare for active service in God’s
great field of battle. All who claim to be the servants of Christ have
a work to do for him. The very name of servant conveys the idea of
hire, work, responsibility. God has intrusted to every one, powers to
be employed in his service. He has given to each his work, and he
requires that every faculty shall be improved to his glory.
Just in front of our printing office in Basle is a large park of many
acres, reserved by the government for military drill. Here day after
day, at certain seasons of the year, we see the soldiers training. They
are drilled in all the duties of the army, so that in case of war they may
203