12
Welfare Ministry
sympathies, give efficiency to their prayers, and develop in them a
character like that of the divine pattern.
It is to provide these opportunities that God has placed among us
the poor, the unfortunate, the sick, and the suffering. They are Christ’s
[18]
legacy to His church, and they are to be cared for as He would care
for them. In this way God takes away the dross and purifies the gold,
giving us that culture of heart and character which we need.
The Lord could carry forward His work without our cooperation.
He is not dependent on us for our money, our time, or our labor. But the
church is very precious in His sight. It is the case which contains His
jewels, the fold which encloses His flock, and He longs to see it without
spot or blemish or any such thing. He yearns after it with unspeakable
love. This is why He has given us opportunities to work for Him, and
He accepts our labors as tokens of our love and loyalty.—
Testimonies
for the Church 6:261
.
That We May Understand the Mercy of God—The poor man
as well as the rich man is the object of God’s special care and attention.
Take away poverty, and we should have no way of understanding the
mercy and love of God, no way of knowing the compassionate and
sympathetic heavenly Father.—
Letter 83, 1902
.
God Gives to Us That We Might Give to Others—God imparts
His blessing to us that we may impart to others. When we ask Him
for our daily bread He looks into our hearts to see if we will share
the same with those more needy than ourselves. When we pray “God
be merciful to me a sinner,” He watches to see if we will manifest
compassion toward those with whom we associate. This is the evidence
of our connection with God, that we are merciful even as our Father in
heaven is merciful.—
Testimonies for the Church 6:283, 284
.
Withholding Dwarfs Spiritual Growth—Nothing saps spiritual-
[19]
ity from the soul more quickly than to enclose it in selfishness and
self-caring. Those who indulge self and neglect to care for the souls
and bodies of those for whom Christ has given His life, are not eating
of the bread of life or drinking of the water of the well of salvation.
They are dry and sapless, like a tree that bears no fruit. They are spiri-
tual dwarfs, who consume their means on self; but “whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap.”—
The Review and Herald, January 15,
1895
.