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Mind, Character, and Personality Volume 1
Counsel to an Executive—Your dependence must be in God. You
are not to let other men empty their minds into your mind. You are not
to allow them by their persuasions to lead you into false paths. Put
your trust wholly in Him who declares, “I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee” (
Hebrews 13:5
).—
Letter 92, 1903
.
Dependence Upon God Builds Confidence—When men cease
to depend upon men, when they make God their efficiency, then there
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will be more confidence manifested one in another. Our faith in God
is altogether too feeble and our confidence in one another altogether
too meager.—
Special Testimonies for Ministers and Workers 3, 1895,
48
. (
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 214
.)
Self-dependence Leads to Temptation—By earnest prayer and
dependence upon God, Solomon obtained the wisdom which excited
the wonder and admiration of the world. But when he turned from
the Source of his strength and went forward relying upon himself, he
fell a prey to temptation. Then the marvelous powers bestowed on
this wisest of kings only rendered him a more effective agent of the
adversary of souls.—
The Great Controversy, 509
(1911).
Dependence on Others May Mean Immaturity—Men who
ought to be as true in every emergency as the needle to the pole
have become inefficient by their efforts to shield themselves from cen-
sure and by evading responsibilities for fear of failure. Men of giant
intellect are babes in discipline because they are cowardly in regard
to taking and bearing the burdens they should. They are neglecting
to become efficient. They have too long trusted one man to plan for
them and to do the thinking which they are highly capable of doing
themselves in the interest of the cause of God. Mental deficiencies
meet us at every point.
Men who are content to let others plan and do their thinking for
them are not fully developed. If they were left to plan for themselves,
they would be found judicious, close-calculating men. But when
brought into connection with God’s cause, it is entirely another thing
to them; they lose this faculty almost altogether. They are content to
remain as incompetent and inefficient as though others must do the
planning and much of the thinking for them. Some men appear to be
utterly unable to hew out a path for themselves. Must they ever rely
upon others to do their planning and their studying, and to be mind
and judgment for them? God is ashamed of such soldiers. He is not
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