It is very essential to the welfare of the minister as well as to the
welfare of the church that the ministers treat each other with special
courtesy and consideration. The mere act of a young minister in taking an
easy seat and leaving some older brother or sister in the ministry to sit
in an uncomfortable place, and other similar acts of discourtesy, will have
a bad effect upon the congregation. Many times young ministers hold an
irreverent attitude toward older ones. They should consider them as their
seniors and as fathers in the gospel. Older ministers, too, should act as
fathers in the gospel and show all consideration and kindness when giving
advice and admonition to the younger brethren. Before approaching a younger
worker to admonish or instruct him, you who are older in the gospel work,
should wait carefully before God in prayer for what to say. You should call
to mind the testings, trials, and experiences of your younger days in the
ministry. If you keep these fully in mind and speak to the young ministers
as you would have wished some one to speak to you in your early days, you
can save your younger brethren in the ministry many heartaches and trials.
If approached in this way, they are much more likely to heed your warnings
and your advice.
Young people are apt to think that if a road appears fair before them it is
safe to travel. Sometimes in the path that seems so open to you, the older
ones see pitfalls and dangers. If you will but be cautioned by those who
are more experienced, you will be saved many trials and heartaches. Again,
young ministers are sometimes very timid and do not exercise themselves in
spiritual things as they should, especially in the presence of their
elders. When this occurs, both the older and younger ministers should do
all they can to remedy the trouble. The older ministers should encourage
the younger to do their duty, and the younger should lean on God for the
help they need, and should move out, even when they have to go with fear
and trembling.
Dear young fellow worker, if you want to make a success of your calling,
keep close to the Savior; keep in touch with him at all times. Do not let
your mind drift away on things that are not for your good. Let your
meditation be such that your soul will be stored with truths that will be
helpful to give out to others.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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