The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-01-28

YOUR WORK AND YOUR WORLD.

~ 81.
You are never worth much until some
enc needs you Happiness depends on
being useful, or, at least, believing
that we are. The superfuous person is
always in danger. He is out Of place
in a universe SO ordered that it's per-
fection depends on each one taking hts
place and doing his work. There never
was normal life Of which it could not
be truly said that the world had need
of him.
1t Is better to make the vain mans
error Of thinking that the fate Of the
world hangs in suspension, dependent
on your existence, than to fly to the
opposite extreme and to lie inert, be-
lieving that it makes no difference
whatever whether you are alive or not,
whether you do your work or lot. The
value Of any life depends much or Its
sense Of being essential to all lives
This is saving sense. 1t makes ear
nest souls. It gives life purpose and
so gives 1t power. The men who 60
wrong are those who have no sense Of
wide responsibilities. The young man
without this belief that the world
needs him drifts and easily becomes the
prey of baser purposes and passions.
Give him work, awaken a sense Of him
self as essential to the welfare Of 9TH
ers, and you have taken long step
toward his salvation.
This high faith that the world and
the whole order of earth and heaven
need us is something we all need. There
has been a type Of theological think
ing, custom of speaking as though
man was altogether an Insignificant
and negligible factor, as though the in
finite being could do all things without
our aid. No wonder we have learned
to call ourselves worms Of the dust,
and to act agreeably thereto.
You cannot attain to high character
without high purpose. If we are the
helpless dust of the ages, then we can
not rise above the level Of the dust. 1t
is the sense Of divine work that gives
the dignity Of a divine character. The
order of this rational universe is such
that the father of all cannot fulfill his
high purposes without the service of
the least of his family, so that even I
am essential to its fullness.
The least life has its place in the
plan Of the great all. High heaven has
need Of you; your fellows have need of
you, your times need you. 1t may seem
that if you dropped out none would
note your going; but if you do not live
your full life all life will be the poorer
and If you do not do your full work
the worlds will halt in their ways.
Few Of us have any intrinsic i'm
portan-e in the world; many fail be-
cause they forget this. But all have
potential Importance and more fail be-
cause they neglect this and lack the
energy Of the vision to take up their
work, develop their powers. and play
their part in the affairs of their time
and so In all time.
We are too easily contented with
visions Of an angels dignity in the fu-
ture and an angels work to do then.
We feel that over there we will amount
to something; here we must be content
to go on as obscure nonentities. But
greater far than anything we have
dreamed Of for angels is the honor and
Importance Of a mans work here.
There can be little hope Of development
in the future for souls that have re-
manned dwarfed in dull content here.
Every life is an essential part of all
life. This makes my life applicable;
it makes it more than endurable, en-
joyable. l begin to see life, not as
chance to suck the orange Of expert
ence dry, not as chance to get or gain
alone, but as chance to serve, to do
a mans work in the world, to become
co-operator and partner with the most
high.
through her child's dependence on her !;
the man finds himself as he finds how
others need him. New high resources
Of idealism and noble endeavor show
themselves in us all Under the stress
Of necessity's call when great issues or
events await our endeavors.
All the sacrifice, the heroisna. the de-
votion of the past have sprung from
this sense in men-that others needed
them The best thing that can happen
to us might be some burden Of respon-
sibility. To make our lives worth
while, high and holy, to give life pur-
pose and power, we need to see ever
how true it is that the Master of all
has increasingly need Of the least Of
us oil