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Each Youth Must Decide for Himself, May 12
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.
1
Corinthians 9:25
.
It rests with us individually to decide whether our lives shall be controlled by
the mind or by the body. The youth must, each for himself, make the choice that
shapes his life; and no pains should be spared that he may understand the forces
with which he has to deal, and the influences which mold character and destiny.
Intemperance is a foe against which all need to be guarded. The rapid increase
of this terrible evil should arouse every lover of his race to warfare against it.—
Education, 202
.
The observance of temperance and regularity in all things has a wonderful
power. It will do more than circumstances or natural endowments in promoting
that sweetness and serenity of disposition which count so much in smoothing life’s
pathway. At the same time the power of self-control thus acquired will be found
one of the most valuable of equipments for grappling successfully with the stern
duties and realities that await every human being.
Wisdom’s “ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace”
(
Proverbs 3:17
). Let every youth in our land, with the possibilities before him of a
destiny higher than that of crowned kings, ponder the lesson conveyed in the words
of the wise man, “Blessed art thou, O land, when ... thy princes eat in due season,
for strength, and not for drunkenness!” (
Ecclesiastes 10:17
).—
Education, 206
.
“Let thine heart keep my commandments,” God says; “for length of days, and
years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee.” “They are life unto those that find
them, and health to all their flesh.” “Pleasant words,” the Scriptures declare to be
not only “sweet to the soul,” but “health to the bones” (
Proverbs 3:1, 2
, margin;
4:22
;
16:24
).
The youth need to understand the deep truth underlying the Bible statement
that with God “is the fountain of life” (
Psalm 36:9
). Not only is He the originator
of all, but He is the life of everything that lives. It is His life that we receive in
the sunshine, in the pure, sweet air, in the food which builds up our bodies and
sustains our strength. It is by His life that we exist, hour by hour, moment by
moment. Except as perverted by sin, all His gifts tend to life, to health and joy.
“He hath made every thing beautiful in its time” (
Ecclesiastes 3:11
, R.V.);
and true beauty will be secured, not in marring God’s work, but in coming into
harmony with the laws of Him who created all things, and who finds pleasure in
their beauty and perfection.—
Education, 197, 198
.
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