Thoughts for Hospital Workers, 1910

January 13, 1910 Mrs. White’s Visit to Boulder, Colorado

 

W. C. White

 

     THE EASTERN COLORADO CONFERENCE HELD ITS ANNUAL CAMP-MEETING AT BOULDER, AUGUST 26 TO SEPTEMBER 5. THE MEETING WAS HELD ON THE CHAUTAUQUA GROUNDS, ABOUT TWO MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY. NEARLY A THOUSAND OF OUR PEOPLE WERE IN ATTENDANCE. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 1)

 

     MRS. WHITE AND HER PARTY REACHED BOULDER MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST 30, AND WERE ENTERTAINED DURING THE MEETING AT THE COLORADO SANITARIUM. ALTHOUGH THE CAMP-MEETING WAS NEARLY THREE MILES FROM THE SANITARIUM, THE STREET-CARS MADE IT CONVENIENT FOR PHYSICIANS AND TEACHERS, AND SOME OF THE NURSES AND HELPERS, TO ATTEND THE MEETING A PART OF EACH DAY. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 2)

 

     MANY CHANGES HAD TO COME TO THE SANITARIUM AND TO THE CONFERENCE IN THE FOUR YEARS SINCE MRS. WHITE’S LAST VISIT. FROM THE SANITARIUM DR. H. F. RAND HAD GONE TO CALIFORNIA, AND ELDER F. M. WILCOX TO WASHINGTON, D. C., AND THE CONFERENCE HAD BEEN DIVIDED, NEARLY A HALF OF THE TERRITORY AND A FIFTH OF THE MEMBERSHIP FORMING THE WESTERN COLORADO CONFERENCE. BUT THE WORK HAD GROWN, AS WAS SHOWN BY STATISTICS AND BY THE LARGE CAMP-MEETING. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 3)

 

     THE COLORADO SANITARIUM HAS HAD MANY DIFFICULTIES TO FACE IN RECENT YEARS, BUT ITS WORK HAS ADVANCED, AND AT THE TIME OF OUR VISIT DR. J. D. SHIVELY, THE MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT, AND ELDER MEADE MACGUIRE, THE BUSINESS MANAGER, WITH A LARGE CORPS OF NURSES AND HELPERS, WERE EXCEEDINGLY BUSY, FOR THE INSTITUTION WAS FULL OF PATIENTS. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 4)

 

     IN HER ADDRESS TO THE WORKERS AT THE COLORADO SANITARIUM, MRS. WHITE SAID:– (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 5)

 

     “It should be a great satisfaction to you to be in a sanitarium like this, where each one is taught to take part in the work of ministering to others. Let each one seek to do the work as he will wish it had been done when the end of all things shall come. Thus you may have a little heaven here below, and angels of God will work through you to make right impressions upon the minds of those who come as patients and guests to the institution. Christ wants to use you as his servants. Seek to help wherever you can. Cultivate the best dispositions, that the grace of God may rest richly upon you. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 6)

 

     “Young and old may learn to look to God as one who will heal, as one who sympathizes, who understands all their necessities, and who will never make a mistake. Your humanity may lay hold of the divinity of Christ by living faith, and you may learn to carry out in this institution the principles of heaven. This will make you a blessing to all around you. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 7)

 

     “Put away all that would hinder you from reaching the high standard set for you in the Word of God. Do not foster a spirit of jealousy or evil surmising or anything that would grieve the Spirit of God. There are those who have this evil in their natures, but if they retain it, Satan will work through them to spoil the influence of this sanitarium. We can not afford to have any such work carried on here. Every worker must stand on the platform of eternal truth. In manifesting a spirit of jealousy, we reveal a characteristic of Satan. We can not afford to harbor one desire that has its origin in him. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 8 )

 

     “We are seeking for the life that measures with the life of God; therefore our natures must be brought into conformity with the will of God. We must so conduct our life-work that we can go to God in confidence and open our hearts to him, telling him our necessities, and believing that he hears, and will give us grace and strength to carry out the principles of the Word of God. What we want is heaven, the victor’s crown, an entrance through the gates to the city of God, the right to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God. We want to see the King in his beauty. Then let us daily keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, the perfection of human character, and laying hold of his divine nature, we shall have the strength of divinity to overcome every evil tendency and desire. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 9)

 

     “Christ came to earth to suffer and to die that we might lay hold on eternal life. He gave himself that we might be partakers of the divine nature, and overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust. The Lord bids us work out our salvation with fear and trembling. If we perfect a Christian character, we must put away from our lives every evil thing. When we are truly converted to God, we shall hate the things that separate us from him. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 10)

 

     “Christ desires to give to all at his coming the crown of life. I pray that we who are gathered here today may be among those who at that time will greet him with joy, saying, ‘Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 11)

 

     SABBATH, SEPTEMBER 4, HAD BEEN LOOKED FORWARD TO AS THE GREAT DAY OF THE MEETING; BUT EARLY IN THE MORNING IT BEGAN TO RAIN, AND DURING THE DAY THERE WAS A GREAT DOWNPOUR. IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT TWO INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. SEVERAL TENTS WERE BLOWN DOWN, AND A FEW WERE FLOODED. BUT MOST OF THE TENTS WERE ON A HIGH GROUND, AND MANY OF THE CAMPERS WERE IN THE CHAUTAUQUA ASSEMBLY COTTAGES. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 12)

 

     THE LARGE CONGREGATION, ASSEMBLED IN THE GREAT CHAUTAUQUA AUDITORIUM, WERE SHELTERED FROM THE STORM, BUT THE ROAR OF THE HEAVY RAIN ON THE ROOF MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO HEAR THE SPEAKER. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 13)

 

     WHEN MEETING TIME CAME, THE STREET-CARS WERE UNABLE TO RUN. BUT A CARRIAGE BROUGHT MRS. WHITE TO THE GROUND, AND SHE SPOKE TO THE PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM LEFT THE BACK SEATS AND STOOD CROWDED CLOSE TO THE PLATFORM. AFTER READING THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER OF JOHN AND PORTIONS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND CHAPTERS OF ACTS, SHE SAID:– (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 14)

 

     “My brethren and sisters, we are not half awake. We do not half appreciate the precious time that is passing into eternity. We do not realize the value of the souls for whom Christ gave his precious life. We need to put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness and work in harmony with him, in harmony with his ministers, in harmony with all who truly believe the truth for this time. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 15)

 

     “Many are clinging to their old habits and practises, and some are even denying Christ as Peter did. These lose the blessing that they would have at every step if they would follow on to know the Lord. Let us press together. It is no time now for us to quarrel among ourselves, no time to draw apart. Let us not thus counterwork the work that God is seeking to do for us and through us. We need the cementing power of the Holy Spirit to come upon this people. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 16)

 

     “God has a work for his people to do for the world, and if they will work in harmony with one another and with heaven, he will demonstrate his power in their behalf as he did for his first disciples on the day of Pentecost. Those days in which the disciples prepared themselves by prayer and putting away of all disunion, brought them into such close relation to God that he could work for them and through them in a marvelous manner. Today God desires to accomplish great things through the faith and works of his believing people. But we need to stand in right relation to God, that we may understand his voice when he speaks to us. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 17)

 

     “As a people we have had great light and many privileges, yet we are lacking in advanced spirituality. Every sanitarium, every institution in our ranks, should stand forth as a representative of the living principles of truth. In every department of their work, God’s glory and the advancement of his kingdom should be the first consideration. Our medical institutions should stand where the glory of God can be clearly revealed through them. It used to be so in the beginning of our work, when the sanitarium was first established at Battle Creek. Now we have sanitariums in many places. An important question to be considered is, What kind of men and women shall those be who occupy positions of more or less responsibility in these institutions? They should be those whose daily lives emit the light of truth, who with sanctified tongues speak only those words that will prove a blessing to others. If the work is done that God desires to see accomplished as the result of the establishment of our sanitarium work, we shall see in these institutions workers who give evidence that they are converted. We must have workers wholly surrendered to God. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 18)

 

     “Time is passing, and souls are perishing for lack of the truth. Let the light shine forth from our sanitariums in clear, distinct rays. May the God of Israel impress upon the hearts and minds of our people the sacredness and the importance of the work to be done. If men and women will co-operate with God with all the powers of their being consecrated to him, they will stand as ministers of righteousness to their fellow men. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 19)

 

     “I know the burdens that many of our sanitariums carry, and I am instructed to say to those in positions of responsibility in these institutions, Let every influence be of such a character as will draw with Christ. Then the sick will understand that Christ is there. Let the meek and lowly Jesus be represented, in the dress of the workers, in the words they speak, in the spirit they manifest. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 20)

 

     “The blessing of God is waiting to come in large measure upon the workers in the Colorado Sanitarium. I have seen angels of God hovering, hovering, hovering over the workers there. Let none who are there refuse to be converted. Let none feel too important to come under discipline to God. Let the workers understand that they are responsible to God to see that the best influence is exerted in this institution, that the salvation of God may be revealed. The Lord desires to see each one acting his part intelligently as a laborer together with him, that the light of heaven may come into our institutions, and a wonderful work be done. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 21)

 

     “Instruction was given me in the night season that I must bear a decided message to this people. You greatly need to experience a deeper heart work. It is your privilege to receive more of the Spirit of God, as you engage in fasting and earnest prayer. You need to accept the promises and assurances of God and walk out on them in faith. You need to learn how to present the truths of the Word to those around you in all their binding force and in all their encouragement, that the unconverted may feel the influence of the Spirit of God upon heart and mind and character. (RH, January 13, 1910 par. 22)

 

     “May God bless you, my brethren and sisters. My heart is drawn out in tenderness and love for you. You are a large company here. Will you not consecrate yourselves to God? We invite you to come to Jesus, to believe in him, and receive from him the outpouring of his Holy Spirit. He will give you this, if you ask in faith believing. Then work in harmony with him to disseminate truth. If you will seek individually to answer in your lives Christ’s prayer for his disciples, you will follow on to know the Lord. This is not like the fading strength and glory of the setting sun, but like the morning, the rising sun, which is ever increasing in warmth and light and power.”

 

Sanitarium, Cal.

                                                                –

(RH, January 13, 1910 par. 23)

 

 

Missionary Work at Home

Missionary Work at Home

The Signs of the Times-1877

Many are ever restless and disappointed, seeking for some greater work than that which now occupies them. Some mothers long to engage in missionary labor, while they neglect the simplest duties lying directly in their path. The children are neglected, the home is not made cheerful and happy for the family, scolding and complaining are of frequent occurrence, and the young people grow up feeling that home is the most uninviting of all places. As a consequence, they impatiently look forward to the time when they shall leave it, and it is with little reluctance that they launch out into the great world, unrestrained by home influence, and the tender counsel of the hearth-stone.

The parents, whose aim should have been to bind these young hearts to themselves, and guide them aright, squander their God-given opportunities, are blind to the most important duties of their lives, and vainly aspire to work in the broad missionary field.

As I have marked these unhappy, restless spirits, and deplored their power to shadow the lives of others, the thought would arise: What a fearful deception is upon them! How terrible a mistake they are making!

Some of this class pronounce the faithful Christian mother worldly, as they mark how attentive she is to the wants of her husband and children, how zealous in performing the sweet home duties. They sigh because of her lack of spirituality, thinking the labor wasted that goes to make home a place of comfort and happy rest. Their minds fail to understand how the performance of these humble tasks can satisfy the heart.

Jesus made the lowly paths of human life sacred by his example. For thirty years he was an inhabitant of Nazareth. His life was one of diligent industry. He, the Majesty of Heaven, walked the streets, clad in the simple garb of a common laborer. He toiled up and down the mountain steeps, going to and from his humble work. Angels were not sent to bear him on their pinions up the tiresome ascent, or to lend their strength in performing his lowly task. Yet when he went forth to contribute to the support of the family by his daily toil, he possessed the same power as when he wrought the miracle of feeding the five thousand hungry souls on the shore of Galilee.

But he did not employ his divine power to lessen his burdens or lighten his toil. He had taken upon himself the form of humanity with all its attendant ills, and he flinched not from its severest trials. He lived in a peasant’s home, he was clothed in coarse garments, he mingled with the lowly, he toiled daily with patient hands. His example shows us that it is man’s duty to be industrious, that labor is honorable.

His life, written upon the pages of history, should encourage the poor and the lowly to perform contentedly the humble duties of their lot. Honorable work has received the sanction of Heaven, and men and women may hold the closest connection with God, yet occupy the humblest position in life. Jesus was as faithfully fulfilling his mission when hiding his divinity with the humble occupation of a carpenter, as when employed in healing the sick, or walking upon the white-capped billows to the aid of his terrified disciples. Christ dignified the humble employments of life, by occupying a menial condition, that he might be able to reach the mass of mankind and exalt the race to become fit inmates for the paradise of God.

For a long time, Jesus dwelt at Nazareth, unhonored and unknown, that he might teach men how to live near God while discharging the humble duties of life. It was a mystery to angels that Christ, the Majesty of Heaven, should condescend, not only to take upon himself humanity, but to assume its heaviest burdens and most humiliating offices. This he did in order to become like one of us, that he might be acquainted with the toil, the sorrows, and fatigue of the children of men, that he might be better able to sympathize with their distresses and understand their trials.

Those who divorce religion from their business are reproved by the example of Jesus. Hidden away among the hills of Nazareth, yet having such claims upon heaven that he could command the entire angel host, he was a simple carpenter, working for wages, and living a godly life in the face of all discouragements.

It requires much more grace and stern discipline of character to work for God in the capacity of mechanic, merchant, lawyer, or farmer, carrying the precepts of Christianity into the ordinary business of life, than to labor as an acknowledged missionary in the open field, where one’s position is understood, and half its difficulties obviated by that very fact. It requires strong spiritual nerve and muscle to carry religion into the work-shop and business office, sanctifying the details of every-day life, and ordering every worldly transaction according to the standard of a Bible Christian.

Jesus, in his thirty years of seclusion at Nazareth, toiled and rested, ate and slept, from week to week and from year to year, the same as his humble contemporaries. He called no attention to himself as a marked personage, vet he was the world’s Redeemer, the adored of angels, doing, all the time, his Father’s work, living out a lesson that should remain for humanity to copy to the end of time.

This essential lesson of contented industry in the necessary duties of life, however humble, is yet to be learned by the greater portion of Christ’s followers. If there is no human eye to criticise our work, nor voice to praise or blame, it should be done just as well as if the Infinite One himself were personally to inspect it. We should be as faithful in the minor details of our business, as we would in the larger affairs of life.

God is testing and proving us by our daily lives, watching the development of our characters, weighing our moral worth. Those who slight the spirit of the word of God in their business life, as carpenters, lawyers, and merchants, are unfaithful in matters of eternal interest, since it is the life that indicates the spiritual advancement, and registers upon the Book of God the unchangeable figures of the future. The angels are mournfully inscribing a fearful record of slighted duties and neglected opportunities against many who make exalted professions. Those who are unfaithful in little things, cannot be entrusted with the true riches of the kingdom.

Mrs. E. G. White, in Health Reformer, October 1, 1876