Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-10-17
C1ODERN SOCIAL e dPTATIoNS
Sc Largely from u False Sense of
-ProportiOu-MHnh should BE
Sought Before Success.

The temptations of social life large
w arise from false sense of proper.
.EtS5D. We are like men who stand so
---Eaose 90 some outju,ting rock that they
ecs1aCt see the mountain. We are so
lose to our immediate work. says the
&Eongre gatiOnaliat. that we cannot real.
n that it is only a part of our true
ife. The whole duty of man cannot
Zoe bounded by the apparent REQUIRE
11EEnts Of business success. 1t takes
N&ccount OF relations to God as we'll as
FSelt, 70 others as certainly as to those
-Ebo are dependent on US. We may
, praise diligence in business with a
. $500 conscience only so long as we
Nbine with IL the other require.
-Snts OF the apostle: In diligence
A,!H -sio'hful; tervent in spirit: serv.
~ the Lord" Because we have our
zee in the social order and business
.---smpetition TO sustain, we must study
q Sc proportion of these claims TO the
demands OF our flial relation to God
oz-d our brothcrly relation to men. 1t
Sjli be serving the world badly if we
-s1ccee6 in Offering It a successful
--.Csiness at the cost OF giving il a
1Nn and petty and degenerate man.
aere is a certain cynically allit.
--tive rule of life which charges a
"SeUng man to set on, get honor, get
.Au1est." The stress of business COM
~10eIuOn seems 10 call for some such
ECoSress by way of success TO position
ea-Go self-Eespect. 1t is a real and con
-,s-a1t temptation, only TO be met by
remembering that IL the man makes
T-5e business. the business also makes
|3Ss man. Even success may be too
clsariy bought. II may be spending
"a life 10 climb the rock when the rea.
E5-luiain Of vision and honor is be.
ia II. IT may mean so short-sighted
s. perspective that time fills the Wis
y While eternity is out of sight, and
-----~o,t the praise of men may satisfy
sVtliie the praise of God may be forsot,
SIX, or refused. The business man
needs the sense of proportion which
[<Al2es account of God as we'll as man,
S@E old age as well as maturity, of self
-oect in days to come as well as the
Witty which follows wealth today.
The companion of this desire to get
sea5E IN business at any cost is the So
t%&eA rivalry and display which is al
ways with us, but which has never
Reached larger proportions than in our
c7scent prosperous times. 1t is a
-J4slamour which takes possession of the
Sasaul and destroys the sense of great
a-zIn small, of true and false. 1t evades
@SssAnHion, it escapes analysis. 1t turns
szseDsibie men and women into foolish
sEaEes, a competency into the strain of
E.soverty, wealth into real Indulgence
s1Sscause the thing desired is always
s0t beyond the reach of those who
Nak It. This social ambition which
Ia the one side seeks self giorification
ny lavish display and on the other by
%sesplsiDg those who are lower in the
s-zanzs o. fashion becomes a DESTROYER
oHC the brotherhood of men, a contra
'OAtctioh of the Christlike spirit.
Here, too, a sense of the proportion
sSd our life, q sense of the dignity OF
<ssyeTy child of God is the correctly
nor this insanity of false ambition
The resources which are employed fol
ta5srvlce are the true satisfactions n
SEs7e social instinct, and bring the tru,
seward of honor. To seek with fever
Ah endeavor the praise of men is al
Gays disappointing To seek tn,
7z9raise Of Coo sooner or later ais,
tarings IN its train the honor and tb,
EscYe OF men