Work Qualifications and Efficiency
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estimate the interests of the publishing work, but his influence was an
injury to the office.—
Testimonies for the Church 5:414, 415
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Exalt Principle, Not Selfish Policy—The policy which worldly
businessmen adopt is not the policy to be chosen and carried out by
the men who are connected with our institutions. Selfish policy is not
heaven-born, it is earthly. In this world the leading maxim is, “The
end justifies the means;” and this may be traced in every department
of business. It has a controlling influence in every class of society, in
the grand councils of nations, and wherever the Spirit of Christ is not
the ruling principle. Prudence and caution, tact and skill, should be
cultivated by everyone who is connected with the office of publication
and by those who serve in our college and sanitarium. But the laws of
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justice and righteousness must not be set aside, and the principle must
not prevail that each one is to make his particular branch of the work a
success, regardless of other branches. The interests of all should be
closely guarded to see that no one’s rights are invaded. In the world the
god of traffic is too often the god of fraud, but it must not be thus with
those who are dealing with the Lord’s work. The worldly standard is
not to be the standard of those who are connected with sacred things....
Worldly policy is not to be classed with sound discretion, although
it is too often mistaken for it. It is a species of selfishness, in whatever
cause it is exercised. Discretion and sound judgment are never narrow
in their workings. The mind that is guided by them has comprehensive
ideas and does not become narrowed down to one object. It looks
at things from every point of view. But worldly policy has a short
range of vision. It can see the object nearest at hand, but fails to
discover those at a distance. It is ever watching for opportunities to
gain advantage. Those who follow a course of worldly policy are
building themselves up by pulling out the foundation from another
man’s building. Every structure must be built upon a right foundation,
in order to stand.—
Testimonies for the Church 5:561-563
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The Lord’s Judgment the Basis of Efficiency—The Lord wants
the workers in the Review and Herald office to learn to submit their
judgment to His judgment and then to use all their abilities for Him,
giving Him their best thoughts and their best efforts. The Lord has a
vineyard to be cultivated. The cultivation of this vineyard makes it
necessary for every believer to be a producer of good works as well as
a consumer....