Authority
33
Christ worked, wearing His yoke and learning of Him, His meekness
and lowliness.
[28]
A conference president’s spirit and demeanor, in word and in deed,
reveals whether he realizes his weakness and places his dependence on
God, or whether he thinks that his position of influence has given him
superior wisdom. If he loves and fears God, if he realizes the value of
souls, if he appreciates every jot of the help that the Lord has qualified
of a brother-worker to render, he will be able to bind heart to heart
by the love that Christ revealed during His ministry. He will speak
words of comfort to the sick and sorrowing. If he does not cultivate
a masterly manner, but bears in mind always that One is his Master,
even Christ, he can counsel the inexperienced, encouraging them to be
God’s helping hand.—
Letter 10, 1903
, pp. 3, 4 (January 8, 1903, to E.
R. Palmer).
The God Given Personality of Men—The man-ruling power that
has been coming into our ranks has no sanction in the word. Satan
has stolen in to lead men to depend on men, and to make flesh their
arm. I am instructed to say, Break every yoke that human invention
has framed, and heed the voice of Christ, “Take My yoke upon you,
and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find
rest unto your souls: for “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
The man who because he is president of a conference dares to take
the responsibility of telling his fellow-workers what their duty is, is
working out a wrong experience. The influence will be to destroy
the God-given personality of men, and place them under human juris-
diction. Such management is laying a foundation for unbelief. The
men who instruct their fellowmen to look to men for guidance, are
really teaching them that when they go to the Lord for counsel and the
direction of His Spirit regarding their duty, they must not follow that
counsel without first going to certain men to know if this is what they
must do. Thus a species of slavery is developed that will bring only
weakness and inefficiency to the church of God.
Those who bring in this unhappy chapter into the experiences of
our work, and willingly accept the idea that the rulership of other
men’s conscience has been given to them, need to understand that they
have made a grave mistake. Their office was never intended to give to
them the responsibility which they have been led to think it bestowed.
The danger signal is now lifted against this evil. Never, never let men