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Receive That You May Give, September 1
Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall
receive his own reward according to his own labour.
1 Corinthians 3:8
.
When Christ called His disciples from their fishing nets, He told them
that they were to be fishers of men. By this Christ meant that they were to
work. In communicating the truth to others, they were to cast their nets on
the right side of the ship. By this Christ meant that they were to work in
faith to save souls. And this work for individuals would, in the providence of
God, lead them to work for communities. They were not to think themselves
part of different systems of work, but individual threads of the great whole,
inseparably united, like links in a chain, connected with their fellow men and
with God.
God desires that the youth shall become skillful, thorough laborers, wear-
ing Christ’s yoke, lifting His burdens. “Ye are labourers together with God,”
He says. The children and youth should seek most earnestly to advance in
understanding, in mental acquirements; their aim should be in spiritual as well
as temporal things, to work upon the plan of addition. “Giving all diligence,”
the apostle Peter says, “add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness
charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that he shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (
2
Peter 1:5-8
)....
Advancement in true education does not harmonize with selfishness. True
knowledge comes from God, and returns again to God. His children are to
receive that they may give again. Those who through the grace of God have
received intellectual and spiritual benefits are, as they advance, to draw others
with them to a higher excellence. And this work, done to promote the good
of others, will have the cooperation of unseen agencies. As we faithfully
continue the work, we shall have high aspirations for righteousness, holiness,
and a perfect knowledge of God. We ourselves will become complete in Christ
in this life, and will take with us to the courts above our increased capabilities,
there to continue our higher education.—
Manuscript 108, September 1, 1898
,
“Higher Education.”
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