Centering Too Much in Battle Creek
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has prospered us. If you who have charge of an institution see other
institutions bravely struggling for standing room so that they may
do a work similar to the work of the institutions with which you are
connected, do not be jealous.
Do not seek to push a working force out of existence and to exalt
yourselves in conscious superiority. Rather, curtail some of your
large plans, and help those who are struggling. Aid them in carrying
out some of their plans to increase their facilities. Do not use every
dollar in enlarging your facilities and increasing your responsibilities.
Reserve part of your means for establishing in other places health
institutions and schools. You will need great wisdom to know just
where to place these institutions so that the people will be the most
benefited. All these matters must receive candid consideration.
[137]
Those in positions of responsibility will need wisdom from on high
in order to deal justly, to love mercy, and to show mercy, not only to a
few, but to everyone with whom they come in contact. Christ identifies
His interests with those of His people, no matter how poor and needy
they may be. Missions must be opened for the colored people, and
everyone should seek to do something and to do it now.
There is need that institutions be established in different places,
that men and women may be set at work to do their best in the fear
of God. No one should lose sight of his mission and work. Everyone
should aim to carry forward to a successful issue the work placed in
his hands. All our institutions should keep this in mind and strive for
success; but at the same time let them remember that their success will
increase in proportion as they exercise disinterested liberality, sharing
their abundance with institutions that are struggling for a foothold. Our
prosperous institutions should help those institutions that God has said
should live and prosper, but which are still struggling for an existence.
There is among us a very limited amount of real, unselfish love. The
Lord says: “Everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” “If we love one
another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.”
1 John
4:7, 8, 12
. It is not pleasing to God to see man looking only upon his
own things, closing his eyes to the interests of others.