The Review and Herald
November 14, 1893
“Come Ye Yourselves Apart, ... and Rest Awhile”
(Concluded.)
Those who hold responsible positions in the work have many burdens to bear, and are in danger of becoming crushed under them. The Lord does not mean to press weights on any one to crush out his life, and forever stop his bearing any burdens. Our loving heavenly Father says to every one of his workers, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.” Again comes the injunction, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” The Lord estimates every weight before he allows it to rest upon the heart of those who are laborers together with him. Jesus has borne sorrows and burdens, and he knows just what they are. He has his eye upon every laborer. The Lord “telleth the number of the stars,” and yet “he healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” The Lord invites you to roll your burden on him; for he carries you on his heart. RH November 14, 1893, par. 1
Then have real, practical faith in Jesus, and believe he will carry every load, great or small. You must take the anxieties to Jesus, and believe he takes them, and bears them for you. I know that at this time the true laborers for God have many things pressing upon them; but take them to Jesus, and lay them trustingly upon the Redeemer. RH November 14, 1893, par. 2
Jesus will not consent to bear our burdens unless we trust him. He says, “Come unto me, all ye weary and heavy laden; give me your load, trust me. You cannot renew a right spirit in man. You cannot give man a new heart. I, your Redeemer, will use you as my instrument. Will you trust me to do the work which it is not possible for the human agent to do?” Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future. But Jesus sees the end from the beginning, and he has prepared the way to bring relief. “So much to do!” Yes; but who is the chief worker?—Jesus Christ your Lord. He offers to lighten the loads we carry by putting himself under the loads. Abiding in Christ, and Christ abiding in us, we can do all things through him who strengthens us. RH November 14, 1893, par. 3
Don't worry. Men in responsible positions should not be kept up through unseasonable hours in committee meetings. They need rest for the brain, and will break down unless they have rest. Reforms will have to be brought round in the holding of committee meetings, that those who are actors in these meetings may have clear, sharp thoughts, and thus expedite the business. RH November 14, 1893, par. 4
Committee meetings as they are run by our people through the hours when men should rest the weary brain, are destructive to the mental, physical, and moral powers. Then have it understood that those who come to the committee meetings come with the thought that they are to meet with God, who has given them their work; that it is a sin to waste moments in unimportant conversation; for they are doing the Lord's business, and must do the work in the most business-like, perfect way. Let all understand that there is to be no trifling. Every one should come to these meetings in a consecrated, devotional frame of mind, because important matters are to be considered in relation to the cause of God. This work is to be done after his own order, and if men have been elected to the grave responsibility of having a voice, and exerting an influence in the accomplishment of this great work, let their actions in every particular show that they recognize their responsibility and accountability to understand the will of the Lord as far as it is possible. If a person comes to these meetings with a careless, irreverent manner, let him be reminded that he is in the presence of a witness by whom all actions are weighed. Let none come to these meetings with a hard, cold, critical, loveless spirit; for they may do great harm. RH November 14, 1893, par. 5
I have been shown that these committee meetings are not always pleasing to God. A spirit is brought into the meetings by some which savors more of the spirit of the prince of darkness than of the spirit of the Prince of life and light. They have had a presence with them to keep them on the wrong side. O what a record has passed into the books of heaven of some of the counsel and committee meetings! How Satan has exulted! Servants of God have been in attendance. They needed rest of mind, they needed sleep; “for so he giveth his beloved sleep;” but the unfeeling, hard manner of some on the committee who were destitute of the love and Spirit of Christ, has distressed and burdened the burden-bearers until they have been nearly crushed to death. They have wept and prayed, and carried a load of anxiety. I have been shown of the Lord that he does not require his workmen to sacrifice in this line. Life is too precious in his sight to be imperiled in this way. Leave the load on the Lord, and wait. We must work as reasonable beings. Our bodies have been purchased by the infinite price of the Son of God. He says, “Know ye not that ... ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” RH November 14, 1893, par. 6
Thank God with soul and voice; and say, “I thank God that I am alive; I thank God for my reason; I thank God for physical strength that I may speak and act under his supervision. I will not overtax my God-given powers. I will not feel that I can do the work which the Lord God of heaven alone is able to accomplish, and will do if I do not get in the way, and consider myself able to do the grand work which God alone can do. I should exhaust all my stock of reserve force, break down my mental and physical powers, and be useless if I thought I could do it all.” RH November 14, 1893, par. 7
Things will go wrong because of unconsecrated workers. You may shed tears over the result of this; but don't worry. The blessed Master has all his work from end to end under his masterly supervision. All he asks is that the workers shall come to him for their orders, and obey his directions. Everything,—our churches, our missions, our Sabbath-schools, our institutions,—is carried upon his divine heart. Why worry? The intense longing to see the church a living and shining light as God designs it shall be, must be tempered with entire trust in God; for “without me,” says Christ, “ye can do nothing.” “Follow me,” says Jesus. He must lead the way; we must follow. Christ dwelling in the soul will prompt to proper action. Empty, weak, worthless, as we feel ourselves to be, the Holy Spirit of God is working through the human instrumentality for the saving of many souls. Hearts that were stored with pollution have become vessels unto honor, habitations for God. “Not unto us, but unto thy name be all the glory.” We are nothingness of ourselves; but the Lord God is everything; he is all and in all. RH November 14, 1893, par. 8
It is not the power that emanates from men that makes the work successful, it is the power of the heavenly intelligences working with the human agent that brings the work to perfection. A Paul may plant, and an Apollos may water, but it is God that giveth the increase. Man cannot do God's part of the work. As a human agent he may co-operate with the divine intelligences, and in simplicity and meekness do his best, realizing that God is the great Master Workman. Although the workmen may be buried, the work will not cease, but it will go on to completion. RH November 14, 1893, par. 9
When Jesus said the harvest was great, and the laborers were few, he did not urge upon his disciples the necessity of ceaseless toil, but said, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” He tells his disciples that their strength has been severely tried, that they will be unfitted for future labor unless they rest awhile. In this the Master would teach his workers a lesson, and shall they not heed his words? With an eye single to the glory of God, in the name of Jesus, economize your powers, that after being refreshed with rest, you may do more and better work. Would that every child of God might be impressed with the necessity of being temperate in his eating, dressing, and working, that he may do the best work for the cause of God. When the laborer has been under a pressure of work and care, and is overworked in mind and body, he should turn aside and rest awhile, not for selfish gratification, but that he may be better prepared for future duties. We have a vigilant foe, who is ever upon our track, to take advantage of every weakness that he may make his temptations effective for evil. When the mind is overstrained and the body enfeebled, he can take advantage, and press the soul with his fiercest temptations that he may cause the downfall of the child of God. Let the laborer for God carefully husband his strength, and when wearied with toil that must come upon him, let him turn aside and rest and commune with Jesus. RH November 14, 1893, par. 10