Earnestness of Purpose
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Whole-hearted Service
I address you, young men: Be faithful. Put heart into your work.
Imitate none who are slothful, and who give divided service. Actions,
often repeated, form habits, habits form character. Patiently perform
the little duties of life. So long as you undervalue the importance
of faithfulness in the little duties, your character-building will be
unsatisfactory. In the sight of Omnipotence, every duty is important.
The Lord has said, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful
also in much.” In the life of a true Christian there are no non-essentials.
Many who claim to be Christians are working at cross-purposes
with God. Many are waiting for some great work to be brought to them.
Daily they lose opportunities for showing their faithfulness to God;
daily they fail of discharging with whole-heartedness the little duties
of life, which seem to them uninteresting. While waiting for some
great work in which they may exercise their supposedly great talents,
and thus satisfy their ambitious longings, their life passes away.
My dear young friends, do the work that lies nearest at hand. Turn
your attention to some humble line of effort within your reach. Put
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mind and heart into the doing of this work. Force your thoughts to
act intelligently on the things that you can do at home. Thus you
will be fitting yourself for greater usefulness. Remember that of King
Hezekiah it is written: “In every work that he began, ... he did it with
all his heart, and prospered.”
The Value of Concentration
The ability to fix the thoughts on the work in hand is a great
blessing. God-fearing youth should strive to discharge their duties with
thoughtful consideration, keeping the thoughts in the right channel,
and doing their best. They should recognize their present duties, and
fulfill them without allowing the mind to wander. This kind of mental
discipline will be helpful and beneficial throughout life. Those who
learn to put thought into everything they undertake, however small the
work may appear, will be of use in the world.
Dear youth, be earnest, be persevering. “Gird up the loins of your
mind.” Stand like Daniel, the faithful Hebrew, who purposed in his
heart to be true to God. Do not disappoint your parents and friends.