The Religion of Little Things, November 15

His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:23.

Said Christ, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). In the little matters some do not think it necessary to be so very exact, but this is the deception of Satan.

Selfishness is at the root of all unfairness and all lack of fidelity…. There is with many of the youth who profess to believe the truth a vanity, pride, profligacy, and carelessness that are making them reckless and disqualifying them for a noble and elevated life here, and unfitting them for the future life hereafter…. There is not with all a careful improvement of the time for which they are paid. Those who fritter away their time or fail to put it to the best use are robbing God. Some … have a very favorable opinion of those who are careless, reckless of money and reckless of time, but God regards all these things in their true character—frauds which He will avenge.

Time, talents, and skill are to be brought into use and put to the very best account…. Let every one be true to principle, as if the eye of the Infinite was upon him. You may, young men and women, make of yourselves what you will, by the grace of God combined with earnest efforts and determined will to resist inclination to indulgence….

Christ gave to man a perfect example, but those who move out on what they call a liberal plan, and become careless in the little matters, will soon show a wide deviation from Christ's example, the only true pattern. Young men and women, will you study more closely and prayerfully the life of Christ, and make that life your criterion, your standard? ^{18Manuscript 6, 1878.}

Practical religion must be carried into the lowly duties of daily life. And in the performance of these duties you are forming characters that will stand the test of the judgment. Then, in whatever position you may be placed, whatever your duties may be, do them nobly and faithfully, realizing that all heaven is beholding your work.^{19The Youth's Instructor, January 28, 1897.}

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Trading on God's Gifts, November 14

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Matthew 25:15.

The parable of the talents … has a personal and individual application to every man, woman, and child possessed of the powers of reason. Your obligation and responsibility are in proportion to the talents God has bestowed upon you….

When the master of the house called his servants, he gave to every man his work. The whole family of God are included in the responsibility of using their Lord's goods. Every individual, from the lowliest and most obscure to the greatest and most exalted, is a moral agent endowed with abilities for which he is accountable to God…. The spiritual, mental, and physical ability, the influence, station, possessions, affections, sympathies, all are precious talents to be used in the cause of the Master….

Let the businessman do his business in a way that will glorify his Master because of his fidelity. Let him carry his religion into everything that is done, and reveal to men the Spirit of Christ. Let the mechanic be a diligent and faithful representative of Him who toiled in the lowly walks of life in the cities of Judea. Let every one who names the name of Christ so work, that man by seeing his good works may be led to glorify his Creator and Redeemer….

Those who have been blessed with superior talents should not depreciate the value of the services of those who are less gifted than themselves. The smallest trust is a trust from God. The one talent, through diligent use with the blessing of God, will be doubled, and the two used in the service of Christ will be increased to four; and thus the humblest instrument may grow in power and usefulness. The earnest purpose, the self-denying efforts, are all seen, appreciated, and accepted by the God of heaven…. God alone can estimate the worth of their service and see the far-reaching influence of him who works for the glory of his Maker.^{17The Review and Herald, May 1, 1888.}

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Threads in the Web of Humanity, November 13

For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Mark 13:34.

When God commanded the tabernacle to be built in the wilderness, each man's work was assigned him…. In setting up and taking down the tabernacle, in moving from place to place in the wilderness, the position each was to occupy was plainly specified.

Christ was the invisible General of that company of more than a million people, and there were no haphazard, disorderly movements made. Order, dispatch, and exactitude were required of each one at the post of duty assigned him. This is an important lesson to the church and to every man whom God has chosen to act a part in His great work. No one is required to do another's work. Each is to do the work assigned him with exactness and integrity. The management of that great church in their journeyings in the wilderness symbolizes the management of the church till the close of earth's history, till we come into possession of the heavenly Canaan….

The Lord has need of all kinds of skillful workmen. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11, 12)…. Each worker in every branch of work in the Lord's vineyard must have a head and a heart sanctified through the truth to enable him to see not merely the part of the work which is under his supervision, but its relation to the great whole. When the workers are consecrated to God they will reveal the love of God for their brethren who work under the unseen, divine Master Worker. “We are labourers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9)….

We are all part of the great web of humanity, thread packed against thread to bring out the pattern of the fabric and make it a complete whole…. Be God's thread to work out His design. You can never handle yourself.^{16Letter 86a, 1893.}

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Cast Out Every Idol, November 12

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Matthew 4:10.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3)…. It is not alone in denying the existence of God or in bowing down to idols of wood and stone that this first commandment is broken. By many who profess to be followers of Christ, its principles are infringed, but the Lord of heaven does not acknowledge those as His children who are cherishing in their hearts anything that takes the place which God alone should hold. With many the gratification of appetite holds sway, while with others dress and love of the world are given the first place in the heart….

God has given us many things in this life upon which to bestow our affections, but when we carry to excess that which in itself is lawful we become idolaters…. Anything that separates our affections from God and lessens our interest in eternal things is an idol. Those who use the precious time given them by God—time that has been purchased at an infinite cost—in embellishing their homes for display, in following the fashions and customs of the world, are not only robbing their own souls of spiritual food, but are failing to give God His due. The time thus spent in the gratification of selfish desires might be employed in obtaining a knowledge of the Word of God, in cultivating our talents, that we might render intelligent service to our Creator…. God will not share a divided heart. If the world absorbs our attention, He cannot reign supreme. If this diminishes our devotion for God, it is idolatry in His eyes….

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). When our hearts are tuned to praise our Maker, not only in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs but also in our lives, we shall live in communion with Heaven…. There will be gratitude in the heart and in the home, in private as well as in public devotion. This constitutes the true worship of God.^{15The Youth's Instructor, December 31, 1896.}

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Count the Cost, November 11

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:35-37.

The Lord Jesus … lifts up His voice to break the spell of infatuation upon human minds and asks the momentous question, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” …

Disease and death are in our world, and how little we know when our individual probation shall end…. How many, if now called to render up their accounts, would do it with grief, regret, and remorse that their God-given probationary time was so fully employed in self-serving! The eternal interests of the soul have been fearfully neglected for unimportant affairs. The mind is kept busy, just as Satan designs it shall be, with selfish interests and nothing of any consequence, and time may be passing into eternity without a fitting up for heaven at all.

What can be compared with the loss of a human soul? It is a question which every soul must determine for himself—whether to gain the treasures of eternal life or to lose all because of his neglect to make God and His righteousness his first and only business. Jesus, the world's Redeemer, … looks with grief upon the large number of those who profess to be Christians who are not serving Him but themselves. They scarcely think of eternal realities, notwithstanding He calls their attention to the rich reward awaiting the faithful who will serve Him with their undivided affections. He brings eternal realities within the range of their vision. He bids them to count the cost now of being an obedient and faithful follower of Christ, and says, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

He would have every individual sense his responsibility to so use his precious time here in this world that it will be fruitful daily in good works. This is the only worthy aim of every living mortal—to employ his God-given faculties with endless results in view.^{14Manuscript 45, 1890.}

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