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MAY 1, 1923.
BUILDING THE NEW MIND
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always ahownding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."—1 Corinthians 15:58.
SEEING that we are fast approaching the consummation of the hope of the church, every new creature in Christ should be doing some work of the Lord and in his name. The amount of work he or she does must of course depend upon circumstances and environment.
From time to time we hear of some who object to so much being said about service. Surely those who thus complain do not have the proper conception of what the Lord expects of us.
Strengthening the New Creature
—Our Principal Work
What the new creature desires above everything else is, that he might partake of the resurrection of Christ Jesus. In the context St. Paul was describing that glorious prospect, how that the
new feature, working and fighting the good fight of faith, must go down in death in order that he might be raised up to the glory of the Lord. Then he adds: “Therefore, my beloved brethren.” Hie words here relate back to what he has been discussing. To paraphrase his language, he says: 'Behold the great prospect set before you—a prize far greater than tha angels of heaven ever have had or can have! You have started in this race-course for that prize. Therefore he steadfast and unmoveable..’ That means that one should not permit himself to be shaken by the sophistries of those who would turn his way toward worldly things. Having put his hand to the plow, he should not look back.
Employment in Spiritual Work
Builds Spiritual Mind
Then adds the Apostle: “Always abounding in the work of the Lord.” To abound means to increase or accomplish more. What, then, is the work of the Lord? We answer: His work is twofold, both of which phases are important: (1) The working out of our salvation by conforming our lives to the rules governing the new creation, that we might be made copies of God’s dear Son; and (2), in order to accomplish the first, we are to glorify the Lord by making known his kingdom. What work would we expect to do in order to reach this goal? Surely not working for the world. While it is necessary for many of the Lord’s people to work at a worldly avocation in order to earn a livelihood, we are sure the Lord would have us understand that our chief w’ork is to prepare ourselves for his kingdom; and we can best do this by having the mind occupied as much as possible with things per-
taining to his kingdom. At odd moments we can be planning when and where and how we can glorify the Lord by making known the message of his kingdom to others. During the time of meditation the mind is therefore centered upon questions concerning the kingdom; and during the time of activity in carrying out those plans, both the mind and body are employed in things pertaining to the kingdom. It is the mind that must be transformed. Hence we must have our minds occupied with the right things. .
Devotion to Renewing of Inner Man
Some have the thought that probably their part of the work would amount to nothing; they can do little. But St. Paul answers : “Forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” It is not how much we accomplish. The whole question is, Do we have the mind occupied with things pertaining to the kingdom ? Do we have our affections set there ? And are wre doing with our might what our hands find to do as opportunities come? The promise, then, is that if we do this (which is our reasonable service) it will not be in vain, but will accomplish that which the Lord designed for it to accomplish, preparing us for his glorious kingdom.
Productive of Spiritual Energy and Enlargement
We are living in a time when the Lord would have the message proclaimed to the world. If we love him, we will keep his commandments and keep them gladly .; and at this time one of his commandments is that we, as the ambassadors of the King, should call the peopled attention to the message of reconciliation to God, and that the only way that leads to life and happiness is through his provision?; that his kingdom is now being set up in order that this great good for mankind may be accomplished. The people are starving for real food concerning their own salvation. The Lord’s consecrated and spirit-begotten ones have had placed in their hands the food that the people need; and with it goes the responsibility of ministering it to every one who has the hearing ear.
Maturing of the New Mind
Clearly the Scriptures make it a condition precedent to our entering into the glory of the Lord that we render our reasonable service; and this reasonable service includes the use of all our time, energy, influence, money and strength (aside from that which is necessary to provide for our dependent ones) to serve the Lord's people and proclaim the message of his kingdom.
Spiritual Food - Spiritual Exercise - Growth
Let every one in the classes, then, attend the service meeting held on the first Wednesday night in each month. Imhihe more and more of the spirit of service to the Lord, and watch for and seize every opportunity to enter the service and to grow in wisdom and grace and abound in the work of the Lord.
With Christian greetings, we are
Your brethren and servants in the Lord,
AcLxzertisQ the PClNG and KINGDOM
METHODS OF WORK
Interest that will order a book Is such as enables the Individual to sec the? usefulness jof the article being sold. Interest that Is held by a good sketcfi”of the field covered by the book is generally effective, especially when there are gape left in the transition of the. events you mention. You have not toid them everything find they are aware of this. You have mentioned some interesting items about which they are concerned. Their curiosity has been Aroused, and they are inter- ' ested to know just what the book says regarding the events that occurred between the points mentioned. They are certain that these gaps are filled; and if fhey question you as to this point, you can remind them that these are well covered by the volume. Too often good interest is spoiled by the worker answering such questions that are asked to get information, whereas they should be referred to the book. The example of the following colporteur Is a good one'! ~ '
“I sold the combination; and after some questions were passed, arrangements were made’ for me to come back in the evening, when the husband would be nt home, tn the evening at 7 p. m. I called, and had the opportunity of being used by our King in making plain that the King lias come and that, the kingdom for which they had long prayed is here. After I had finished, I showed them the Hakv, and explained how It could be used tn any family to teach the family more in a month than they would learn in a lifetime going to church. Then I learned that the wife was a Sunday School teacher. She said: ‘I am a Sunday School teacher, and you have taught me more since you have been in our home than I ever expected to know/ Then I called her attention to the fact that Christ was the teacher and the one who would enlighten her mind if she became a willing instrument in his hands. 1 also called their attention to the volume-1, and the big combination—Seventh Volume, Towkb, Goldrn Aon, and No. 1919 Bible—and sold the big combination and left five IlAni'S und a promise to help them get started in the the IlAnr Study. On my next call she told me she had used some thoughts from the ‘Millions’ book in the Sunday School, and was told by the superintendent to use the Sunday School lesson. She told me she felt just like taking the hook to him and telling him that she would not teach the class any more. I told her that such would be the Lord's will, and would be the means of bringing her more light. Now the Presbyterian Church is short a SundayAtahool teacher, and In this little town a Haw Study of our Lord's WoWFis started with about eleven members."—S. g. Goodwin, 111.
It will be noted that when the lady told the colporteur that he had taught her things she had never known before, the colporteur reminded her that the fjord was the teacher and that his words were container in the Bible; and that this resulted hi an order for the seven volumes, ( the I. B. g. A. Bible, the Watch Towek, and the Golden Age. Had • the individual beeu left under the impression that the colporteur was giving his own ideas, she would naturally arrange for the colporteur to call at her home quite frequently. But now the colporteur has gotten them to read the volumes, wliieh will give them more information than he could.
From What Angle Does the Prospect View the Books?
Tiie polut pf interest, it is well to remember, is not in the book that you arc selling, nor in the worker personally, but In the one that you are fenvassiiig. Hence your remarks should be individual; they shonld be suited to the person you are addressing. It has been found very effective to employ the pronoun “you" frequently in canvassing. You will thus make the matter an individual oruj and when your remarks are suited to the individual, you convey to him the thought that what you are talking about is much alone the lines of his own thinking. Consequently he is trying to see how the book will be of service to himself individually; and probably more particularly just how useful it is as a part of daily life. By thus making the person you are talking to a part of what you are saying, your remarks become interesting. If you find out in the course of your conversation that the, person canvassed holds some erroneous views on Scriptural matters,Ido not attempt to correct these,! but leave that work rather for the nook to accomplish: for in correcting him you may create an-tagoiiism' \Einphasize, rather, the beauty of the things you are speaking of, which are new views to hi'tn,^ It is morj>.jjjfficult to change old., ideas than to create new_ ones, and suggestions "of new Ideas are generally accepted monTreaciily than are arguments showing why
certain beliefs should not be held. Too often people look upon attempts to correct their views as a criticism of themselves personally. They feel themselves at fault for holding opinions that are considered out of date. But on the other hand, they do not wish you to know that you have taught them anything new; and to impress this idea upon yon, they generally refuse to order; for they want you to know, that they do not consider you to be their superior or their teacher.% U /Hence the more you can demonstrate to them that what you are tell-l ,\J jng them is much along the lines they have been thinking, the more] ’ A certain you are of success.
Different Individuals—Then Different Ways of Using
Before people will go to the expense of buying the books they will • first have to desire them, mid this desire must be great enough to prompt the individual to part with his money in order to possess the books. Naturally, then, he must see some use for them; and for the most part this usefulness will have to consist of some benefit to him, as it is quite unlikely that he wilfc wish to possess books merely to onia-luent his bookcase. He must be convinced that the hooks will benefit him personally ; for people generally act when they can see that they are adding to either their possessions or their character through the use ot" them.
I Thus, somewhere in your canvass, argument is to be advanced {that will demonstrate how Lite books fulfill the person’s estimation of kiieir worth. 'They may desire the books, but are waiting tor some reflBOn that will demonstrate their usefulness and, further, that the : books serve the very purpose they have in mind, as was the case with the person canvassed by the colporteur;
"One lady said : 'I gave ¥5 for a book, tblnfflng that I was getting something that would help me understand the Bible, only to find it just childish stories.' 1 then read from different chapters of the Hasp. She joyously exclaimed; ‘That is just the book I want! What else have you?’ She took a ‘Finished Mystery,’ Hari1, and all the booklets."
This colporteur had demonstrated that the books would serve in the manner that the person desired them to serve. One colporteur uses the following method to accomplish his object:
"The Restoration chapter In the Haw seems to take well with most people. Also I And that most people are wanting to get away from the ‘eternal torment" theory, and therefore take The Bible on Hell. One gentleman said : ‘I have about quit going to church. I don’t get much Bible teaching. About all they want Is money. Some of the things you say are just what I think the Bible teaches. I believe that we are in the evening of this age and that we are going into the Millennium.’ ”
In this manner the people are made to see that the book not only . meets their desire, but gives them a basis upon which to conclude that it is without doubt the best In its field to be had; and this is an ; ' important element, for people in purchasing always desire to pur- ,! chase the best.
Necessary Though not Aware of It
A canvass progressing in this manner should also take into consideration that oftentimes it has never occurred to the persons canvassed that they are really in need of the service that your book will render them, and in such cases desire will have to he created. The two conditions can be easily located. As in the instances quoted above, the person immediately expressed himself. In the other Instance they do not express themselves, but what you are saying should be such as is calculated to Impress the necessity of profiting by the service of the book.
The colporteur who wrote us as follows met just such an instance:
“One lady today said that, she wondered what is the use if all professed Chris Ilans, are to get. the same reward in the end. Sa 1 showed her that they would not. get the smne, and that there is a great deal of use in taking religion seriously. Sometimes I mention that this trouble we are In was foretold in the Bible, and that even worldly people are admitting that it. is ; that sometimes we see the dark side only, but there is a bright side too which is also foretold in the Bible. I then give them examples something' like this’. ‘A mother or a father will chastise a child and then later kiss it and wipe away its tears. So the Lord is going to wipe away all tears from all faces very soon.’ It is a good plan to hove in reserve information to impart if necessary.
Indications That You Have Suceeded
Desire on the part of the individual will be indicated in various ways. One way of finding out is by saying something that will tend to draw a remark from him. For instance, the colporteur quoted speaks to them along a line with which they are already acquainted but have never really understood :
“After I had explained that Christ’s kingdom is now being established on emth and the meaning of our Lord’s prayer to that effect they responded; ‘Well, that is real good teaching. Fancy, we have always beeu repeating Unit prayer, but have never understood it!’ 1 received their order for a complete set of the Studies in the Scbiptuhes and a Seenerio."
; Where antagonism is manifested oftentimes the sincerity with which > you speak will enable them to appreciate the difference between your | Work and that of churchiauity in general. From the following letter it I is evident that, some people do not desire anything along religious lines because they are disgusted with the present-day churches. But the colporteur’s sincerity and frankness overcame this.
“One young man said : ‘I have not been inside of a church" for five years; but if I could hear a sermon like yoa have preached to mother and me today, I would go every Sunday.’ He bought a Haup Course and a ‘Finished Mystery,’ Another family, husband anti wife, said : ’We were formerly Missionary Baptists, hut have not attended church for thirteen years because of the unfaithfulness and hypocrisy in the churches.’ They invited me back to stay all night and to have dinner and breakfast. We sat up and talked till nearly one o’clock, and the questions those people asked were numerous.”
Excuses not Acceptable Get a Reason
-.Another way in which desire on the part of the individual-will indicate Itself is by his asking questions; particularly when he begins asking the price of the book, when it-will be" delivered, mid the payments. When your canvass has reached this point it is well to quickly close your remarks and attempt to obtain the order, leaving any additional remarks to be made later. On the other hand, lack of desire is generally indicated by the excuse “No money.” This is an excuse; for when the article is not wanted, people often state that they -do not want it and will tell why they do not want it; but when they say that they would like to have the book but do not have any money they merely mean that they do not have any money for a took which they do not see, from the remarks that you have made, will be of any use to them. The folloyving isf" an instance:
“One slater in canvassing a lady was given the old excuse: ‘I have no money/ The sister said: ’In the Golden Ape you will not need money.’ This remark awakened interest and sold a Harp Bible Studs Course. In canvassing a Catholic lady I was told that she could not afford to bay because of having just paid the priest $15.00 for a book. By showing her the contrast between ¥16.00 and 48 cents, I sold a Hasp Bible
, Study Course.”
/ In the first instance mentioned in this letter the method of thel I worker was a good one; for instead of telling the lady that she did a i have the money, she confined herself to such remarks as tended to * create interest in the took. It is well for workers to recognize that when this excuse Is advanced they have not given the persons the information necessary to lead them to a decision, and hence they offer an excuse.
