392
The Adventist Home
influence to destroy self-respect or bar the way to usefulness. If they
can take Jesus with them and maintain a prayerful spirit, they are
perfectly safe
Any amusement in which you can engage asking the blessing of
God upon it in faith will not be dangerous. But any amusement which
disqualifies you for secret prayer, for devotion at the altar of prayer, or
for taking part in the prayer meeting is not safe, but dangerous
Amusements That Unfit for Ordinary Duties—We are of that
class who believe that it is our privilege every day of our lives to glorify
God upon the earth, that we are not to live in this world merely for our
own amusement, merely to please ourselves. We are here to benefit
humanity and to be a blessing to society; and if we let our minds run
in that low channel that many who are seeking only vanity and folly
permit their minds to run in, how can we be a benefit to our race and
generation? How can we be a blessing to society around us? We
cannot innocently indulge in any amusement which will unfit us for
the more faithful discharge of ordinary duties
The welfare of the soul should not be endangered by the gratifica-
tion of any selfish desire, and we should shun any amusement which
so fascinates the mind that the ordinary duties of life seem tame and
uninteresting. By indulgence in such pleasure the mind becomes con-
[514]
firmed in a wrong direction, and Satan so perverts the thoughts that
wrong is made to appear as right. Then restraint and submission to
parents, such as Christ rendered to His parents, seem unbearable
Objectionable Social Gatherings Depicted—There are many
things which are right in themselves, but which, perverted by Satan,
prove a snare to the unwary
As ordinarily conducted, parties of pleasure ... are a hindrance
to real growth, either of mind or of character. Frivolous associations,
habits of extravagance, of pleasure seeking, and too often of dissipa-
tion are formed that shape the whole life for evil. In place of such
4
The Review and Herald, August 19, 1884
.
5
Counsels to Teachers, Parents, and Students, 337
.
6
Ibid., 336
.
7
The Youth’s Instructor, July 27, 1893
.
8
Letter 144, 1906
.