ean 4 VI OWA Re i a ie o's) a : ‘ ‘ Nh. at oy eH Md we i 1 1g yh Soa , s 7 ww = What Shall I Do with My Life? A Study Course for Pupils of Junior and Senior High School Age Pugs che wa vekir: we f e £O agigat SEW By / HaRCLD aby DONNELLY Westminster High School Texts PHILADELPHIA THe WESTMINSTER PRESS 1936 - Copyright, 1924 By F. M. BraseLMali | f ‘ / —— ‘ q nh s - « - sa re $ ‘ ’ ' TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION RM ENist? GFL DE COUISG tyke kn «Sates ne eter e hae via wie 5 SERTECIE ENV OLC 00) CHE) CHUM EE) SR oo st ks oles Heetee he e's ener creas 6 Sources for Supplementary Material. ...............0.0cceeee rf PAR, Bat Wauat SHAui Br My Lire Purrosn? PURE SACs eral Ont ghee My ire Went 25 oa etale allah ce with: 15 Seeoantent Ase Ol Lalerrns feet. che syste te as bcceale cos 6 20 III Elements Involved in the Right Use of Life............ 24 IV How Shall I Determine the Right Life Purpose?........ 28 V Life Purposes that Jesus Rejected ................... 33 VI Principles Governing Jesus’ Choice—His Consciousness OME SOU ENT eee kot PRET «Cee ee eee 38 Pile Jesus wonsciousness: of Mien: 0. hod al aris sR lees 43 VIII Jesus’ Consciousness of Self—The Son of God.......... 50 IX Jesus’ Consciousness of Self—The Son of Man......... 56 movers healization ofxa Mission. . 2 25...4.45 0.6 oe 1a a he 62 Pole inerlaie urpose J estis Accepted. a. ss. 5s. vee sc. se de be 68 Pasa ene tsreaLovecd Of Males... . es ap ee aie ce «8 0 os 13 XIII Jesus the Answer to Man’s Need...............02000- 80 my What onall Be My Life Purpose?*.............6..5 6 86 cM eet oa Wuat SHAui Br My Lire Work? Meteor WOrk: ot eas was ts Mee oS ove 95 II Principles Underlying the Right Choice............... 99 III Principles Underlying the Right Choice (Continued). ...104 Peatneurvesteation of Occupations... ....4...5. 5845. 108 EE TER Cit SE ash ioe. oh. chedales a's, o's cea aE 112 MECCA OCCUPATIONS» .5 5 ac och wes tics e'sen'sto ees 118 SEO Ci ra ae cl 124 Vill IX xX XI XII XIit XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII TABLE OF CONTENTS — Continued PAGE PART JI—Continued The Mechanic: Tradés. /4......5.1 3.) pees ep 129 Mantufacturing. ./y..\.. sc. See ae eo Gs ie 135 The. Building ‘Trades. ....53:i.. os «sects 2 gon eo 141 The Engineering Professions... 0...) cn. ee ee 146 1) Sr re ee Pe pe 154 Journalism |. 3. See 7 Gey ogo s «<< eee 159 The Teaching Profession *.<:......: i... emo eee 165 Medicine: 5° e.25 en he hae Ved pes Ales 171 social Services ys .e 05-4 pan utes tee ae ee ge 177 The: Ministry $4 cisco ees os Doreen nee 184 Myself and My Life Work: What and Where?......... 191 PART III WHat SHALL Be My Lire Procram? My Life Program 2-002 2ii.% fig eles ealdos 5) ee 203 A Program for My Physical Life: . 7.5 ic. 2. ae 207 A Program. for My Mental Life: 2.42. as eee 211 The Place of College in My Program..:.....:......25 216 A Program for My Social Life... ... ....... sides ee 221 The Opportunities and Obligations of My Social Life. . .225 A Program'for My Spiritual: Life... ¢.1 2.2.27. eee 230 , A Program ‘for My ‘Time 4259) i 4ps see Paps 234 A Program for My Possessions... <... J. sas 5 239 My Life for Christ. 2.5.4. 290% Gs a fe tee 245 t> INTRODUCTION Tuer PURPOSE OF THE COURSE “What shall I do with my life?” is one of the greatest questions that young people are called upon to face. It is becoming necessary for them to find some answer to this question even during their high-school days. Since the responsibility for that answer rests upon each individual, and since it is a responsibility that cannot be assumed by anyone else, a course of lessons dealing with the question can perform its greatest service by helping those who follow it to think through the problem for themselves. Such is the purpose of these lessons. In each lesson the class has been thought of as a com- mittee, under the chairmanship of the teacher, working together to discover the solutions for the daily problems. The questions asked are merely suggestions that may be followed by this committee in their thinking. Often special investigations will be required and additional information secured, for it has not been thought desirable, even if the limitations of space permitted, to include in tabloid form all the required information. However, suggestions as to source materials and methods of investigation have been made and these will prove helpful. As we begin this work together, let us approach the task in a thoughtful and reverent spirit. Let each of us think: “My life is before me with its infinite possibilities and opportunities. Whether I succeed or fail does not depend upon the circumstances of environment or upon the smile or frown of a fickle fortune. In a very real sense, ‘I am the master of my fate.’ Neither will it be necessary for me to wait for the passing of the years to know whether success or failure is predominant in my life. That is determined now as I answer for myself the great question, ‘What shall I do with my life?’”’ 5 5 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? A SpecriaAL WorD TO THE TEACHER This course of lessons is in reality a combination of Bible study, missions, and stewardship, although these terms are not used. It would be difficult on this basis to define clearly the status of each lesson. The essential ele- ments of all three are covered, however, even if in a rather unusual way. In the preparation of these lessons two things have been kept in mind. First, the desirability of the pupils doing their own thinking has led to the large use of questions and to the particular method of approaching each problem. Several of the lessons have been worked through by groups of young people acting as committees. Somewhat the same method of teaching is suggested. If the teacher wiil think of himself as the chairman of a committee and will get his class to take the attitude of a committee, the les- sons will be more valuable than if the stereotyped form of “recitation’’ be followed. The second thing that has been attempted is the giving of sufficient information with each lesson to permit an intelligent decision regarding its prob- lems. Often this requires supplementary investigation, particularly in connection with the study of occupations in Part II. In this study the teacher will find it especially helpful to invite a representative of the occupation under discussion to be present, not so much’*to hear him speak before the class as to have him take part in the discussion and answer the questions regarding the occupation he represents. In studying the various occupations, there may be some members of the class who will not be inter- ested in certain of them. For this reason, the teacher will do well to emphasize the value of knowing about all occu- pations, whether or not they are possible vocations in individual cases. Each lesson contains a special notebook assignment, INTRODUCTION 7 which may be used and modified at the discretion of the teacher. When the suggestions ‘ ‘For Special Investigation” are given it may be desirable to use these as the notebook work. The subjects, ‘For Special Discussion,” at the close of each lesson are intended to make that lesson personal for each member of the class. Some of these may be too per- sonal for class discussion, but the students should be en- couraged to think about them and to answer each question for themselves. It may be wise to divide the class ocea- sionally, allowing the boys and girls to discuss certain of these more personal problems separately. The teacher will find it helpful to obtain the free litera- ture suggested in the source material, particularly that from the Mission Boards. There should be, through all the lessons, the underlying spirit of missions—not that there is any thought of sending all our boys and girls to the mission fields, but because we believe that the great missionary enterprise of the Church is of vital interest to every fol- lower of Jesus, who gave his life for the world. SOURCES FOR SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL From what has been said regarding the purpose and plan of the following lessons, it is evident that some sup- plementary materials will at times be valuable. No at- tempt has been made to list all of the available materials but only those have been chosen which will be particularly helpful to the teacher and student. Most of the material suggested is In connection with Part II since the need for technical information regarding the various occupations cannot be met completely within the limited space of each lesson. The books that are mentioned may be secured from any bookstore or through the Board of Christian Education of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. A., Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia, Pa., or any of its Depositories. g WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? PART I ‘A Challenge to Life Service,’’ Harris-Robbins. “Getting Into Your Life-Work,”’ Doxsee. “The Social Principles of Jesus,’ Rauschenbusch. “This Mind,’’? McDowell. tea hie TT 1 General. 1. Psychology and Vocational Guidance. “Choosing a Vocation,” Parsons. “The Vocational Guidance of Youth,’’ Bloomfield. “Vocational Guidance,”’ Puffer. “The Psychology of Vocational Adjustment,” Kitson. “Vocational Self-Guidance,” Fryer. “Organization of Vocational Guidance,”’ Payne. 2. Psychological and Vocational Tests. “Christian Calling Self-Analysis Blank.”’ Associ- ation Press. “Intelligence Tests and Their Use,” Whipple. (Twenty-first Yearbook, National Society foi the Study of Education.) 3. Choice of a Life Work. “The Choice of a Life Work” (pamphlet), J. Lovell Murray. “The Find Yourself Idea,’’ Robinson. “A Guide to the Study of Occupations,” Harvard University Press. “Life Work Volume,” Father and Son Library. “Modern Christian Callings.”’ Edited by Sneath. “Seven Professions and the Teaching of Jesus,” Wilson. INTRODUCTION 9 ‘Occupations,’ Gowin and Wheatley. “Vocations Within the Church,” Crawford. II. Special Occupations. 1. General. “Life Work Volume.” Father and Son Library. “Occupations,” Gowin and Wheatley. “Vocations Within the Church,” Crawford. “Vocational Library.” Westminster Press. “The Triumphant Ministry,” Kilbourne. “Reapers of His Harvest,” Faris. “Their Call to Service,” Howard. “Heroes of the Campus,” Cochran. “Vocational Series.”’ Scribner’s. “The Advertising Man,” Calkins. “The Engineer,’ Hammond. “The Ministry,” Slattery. “The Newspaper Man,” Williams. “The Physician,” Finney. “The Teacher,” Pearson. Pamphlets on the Christian Ministry: Department of Recruiting, Board of Christian Education of the Presbyterian Church in the U. 8S. A., 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Pamphlets and Bulletins Sent Free on Request: Bulletins of the Department of Agriculture, Wash- ington, D. C. Annual Report of the Commissioners of Education, Washington, D. C. Information in Christian Social Service: Depart- ment of City, Immigrant, and Industrial Work, Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church of the U.S. A. 2. The Teaching Profession. “Go Teach.”’ Council of Church Boards of Edu- cation. 10 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? “Religious Education as a Field of Life Service,” Coe. “Teaching in Church Institutions as a Life Work,” Seaton. 3. Social Service. ‘Careers in Public Health.’ Rockefeller Founda- tion. “The Field of Social Service.” Philip Davis Foundation. “Twenty Years at Hull House,’”’? Addams. 4. The Secretaryship of the Christian Associations. “A Vocation with a Future” (Y. M. C. A.), Soares. “The Executive of the Association’’ (Y.W.C.A.), Crotty. 5. The Ministry. “But Why Preach?” Council of Church Boards of Education. “The Claims and Opportunities of the Christian Ministry.”? Edited by Mott. “The Range Finders,’’ Wishart. “The Romance of Preaching,’ Horne. III. Special Fields. “For a New America,” Hayne. “Playing Square with To-Morrow,” Eastman. “Ancient Peoples at New Tasks,” Price. “A Better World,” Dennett. ““A New Era in Asia,” Eddy. “The Gospel and the Plow,” Higginkottom. “World Friendship, Inc.,” Murray. INTRODUCTION ib PART III “An Introduction to the Study of the Mind,” Athearn. “HWducation for Successful Living,” Clarke. Family Religion: The Department of Home and Church, Board of Christian Education, Witherspoon Build- ing, Philadelphia, issues three bulletins on Family Religion: No. 3, “Christian Educa- tion in the Family” (For Use with Younger Children); No. 6, “Christian Education in the Family” (For Older Boys and Girls); No. 11, “A Church Program for Promoting Christian Family Life.” Single copies of each will be sent free upon request. “How to Conduct Family Worship,” Robinson. “Life as a Stewardship,” Morrill. “Serving the Neighborhood,” Felton. “The Christian Home,” Faris. “The Family,’’ Luccock. “The Home God Meant,” Luccock. Books and Pamphlets on the Use of Drugs. The Narcotic Educational Association, Pasadena, California. “Tobacco, Aleohol, and Drugs.”’ Department of Moral Welfare, Board of Christian Educa- tion, Columbia Bank Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “You and Yours,” Morrill. - 4 PART I What Shall Be My Life Purpose? CHAPTER I THE VALUE OF LIFE OW much is your life worth? Would you sell it for a million dollars? If some one wanted to buy your life and make you a complete slave, what price would you ask? Just how much are you worth to yourself? What is the value of your life to the State? How do you know that it is valuable? Does God consider your life of any value? What did Jesus say about the worth of a man? The valuation of self. There is a widespread tendency to-day to place a value upon everything. We talk of “the value of education,” “the value of recreation,” “‘the value of the home,” and ‘‘the value of religion.’”’ Sometimes the values assigned are approximately correct, but often they are not. The newspapers, commenting recently upon the death of a prominent business man said that he was “worth over two million dollars.” To be exact, that was the amount of money he left, but undoubtedly he valued his life more highly than that. In speaking of the necessity of each man’s putting the proper value upon life, Jesus said: “For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? For what should a man give in ex- change for his life?’’—Mark 8:36, 37. As we face the years, we feel that more valuable to us than the whole world is this life of ours. Of course we are not thinking merely of physical life, but of ‘‘life,” as meaning our whole self, our entire being, our ‘‘soul.”’ How much is your life worth to you? The value of life to society. You are not alone in considering your life of inestimable worth. Society and 15 16 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? the state in which you live also place a high value upon you. The state has spent much time, money, and careful thought, upon its educational system. It has provided for its boys and girls schools that will help them to develop in the best possible way through the grade-school, the high-school, and the university years. Not only does it provide these schools, but also, knowing that some parents do not realize the importance of education, it enacts com- pulsory educational laws that keep the boys and girls in school until they reach a certain age. The state is not even satisfied with caring for normal boys and girls. Schools are established for the deaf, the dumb, and the blind, and for other children who in some way are not up to the general average. The state has built its entire educational system upon belief in the value of the individual. This is just one illustration of this belief. In what other ways does the state prove its high regard for your worth? It is true, however, that society has not always recog- nized the value of the individual and that in some places. to-day only certain classes of people are considered im- portant. We are living in a country that has been greatly influenced by Jesus and his teaching. What difference has this made in the attitude of the state toward the indi- vidual? How does the estimate of life’s value in this country compare with that in some non-Christian lands, such as India or China? What difference does the coming of Christianity make among the outcaste classes in these lands? In Jesus’ day the Jews despised “outcaste”’ peoples; they spoke with scorn of the “publicans and sinners” and gave them as little consideration as possible in the state. The attitude that Jesus took was just the reverse of this. One incident will illustrate the contrast: “And after these things he went forth, and beheld a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said THE VALUE OF LIFE iy unto him, Follow me. And he forsook all, and rose up and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house: and there was a great multitude of publicans and of others that were sitting at meat with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with the publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are in health have no need of a physician; but they that are sick. I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’’— Luke 5:27-32. By his actions and words Jesus expressed his belief in the value of all life. He called as one of his twelve disciples, a despised taxgatherer named Levi; he ate in intimate fel- - lowship with him and his friends. When the “ Pharisees and their scribes,’ who were among the religious leaders of the Jews, severely criticised him, through his disciples, for eating ‘‘with publicans and sinners,” his somewhat ironical reply clearly indicated that he believed these despised people were as worth while as the men who made the criticism. The value of life to God. More important, however, than our own estimate or that of society as to our worth is the value that God himself puts upon us. What is God’s valuation of aman? How much is your life worth to him? How does God show his estimate of our worth? There are at least three evident indications of the value that God places upon mankind. The first of these lies in the responsibility he has given to men. In the business world the best way to judge a man’s ability and his value to those for whom he works is not by the amount of money he receives but by the amount of responsibility that is placed upon his shoulders. The man who is worth most to the firm carries the most responsibility. It is usually true that the firm, in return, pays him the highest salary, but such is not always the case, so that responsibility 18 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? rather than salary is the best basis for judging a man’s worth. With this fact in mind, think of the world and of man’s place in it. What is his place in the world? Does he have any special responsibility? How does this responsi- bility compare with that of the rest of creation? “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor. Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, Yea, and the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth!’’—Ps. 8:3-9. As he sang this song, David voiced his belief that God shows his estimate of man by the position of responsibility, of “dominion,” in which he has placed him. How highly must God value us when he made us ‘‘to have dominion over the works” of his own hands! A second indication of the attitude of God toward man is found in the attitude of Jesus, the great Revealer of God. Jesus is God expressed in human terms so that we can see and know him better. Jesus’ teaching was always very clear concerning this relationship between himself and God. Note his last talk with his disciples before his death: “Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know me, Philip? he THE VALUE OF LIFE 19 that hath seen me hath seen the Father; how sayest thou, Show us the Father?’’—John 14:8, 9. Jesus surely believed in the worth of man. What inci- dents illustrating this can you recall? Did he make any distinction as to value between poor and rich, sick and well, bad and good, despised and honored? Cite incidents that show the value he placed upon men and women in each of these classes. (See such passages as Luke 7:22; 18:18-24; 5:18-26; 9:10-17; 7:36-50; John 1:45-51; 3:1-13.) As you study the life of Jesus, you see that his main con- cern was man. He summed up his life purpose in different ways but always he placed man in the center. On one occasion he said, ‘‘The Son of man came not to be min- istered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” If Jesus so valued men that he was willing to give his very life for them, then God himself must place the same value upon them. The third indication of God’s regard for man is found in the very fact of Jesus’ life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only be- gotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”—John 3:16. God places such a high valuation upon man that he was willing to send his only Son for man’s salvation; he was willing to see that Son rejected and put to death by the men he came to save; and in spite of this he forgives them if only they will accept his Son and believe in him. If it is ever possible to measure the value of anything by the price that is paid for it, then try to imagine the value of man whom God “bought back”’ with the price of his only Son! NoTEBoOoK ASSIGNMENT From the passages referred to above, select those that seem to you most clearly to indicate Jesus’ value of a 20 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? man. Head this. page in your notebook, “The Value of Men.” Under this put the subheading, “According te Jesus,” and then list the incidents you have chosen, stating in your own words just what value Jesus placed upon men. Follow this with a second subheading, ‘‘According to Me,” and frankly list your own attitude toward boys and girls not of your “bunch,” including foreigners and colored people. Do the two lists show the same valuation? For SprctaLt Discussion What ‘class lines” are drawn in your town? in your school? If you really follow Jesus’ teaching on the value of life, what changes would you have to make in your attitude toward certain other people ? CHAPTER II Tue Rigut Uss or LIFE MPORTANCE of the right use of life. If your life is valuable, how important is what you do? What difference does it make whether you follow a trade or follow a pro- fession? Why does it make a difference? Who is affected by your choice? What difference does it make to you how you use your life? What difference to society? What dif- ference to God? Why should anyone else be interested in your choice of a life work? Is anyone else responsible for what you do? Where does the real responsibility for your decision rest? In the parable of The Talents, Jesus describes the obu- gations resting upon his followers to make the best use of their abilities and endowments whether natural or acquired: “For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; THE RIGHT USE OF LIFE 21 and he went on his journey. Straightway he that received the five talents went and traded with them, and made other five talents. In like manner he also that received the two gained other two. But he that received the one went away and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them. And he that received the five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: lo, I have gained other five talents. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord. And he also that re- ceived the two talents came and said, Lord, thou de-: liveredst unto me two talents: lo, | have gained other two talents. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord. And he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow and gathering where thou didst not scatter; and I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast thine own. But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter; thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back mine own with interest. Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath the ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away. And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.”—Matt 25: 14-30. Importance for self of the right use of life. Why is it important to me that my life be used wisely? What dif- 22 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? ference does it really make as far as I myself am concerned? It means the difference between success and failure, be- tween the big life and the little life, between happiness and despair. How is this shown in the parable? What did the third man actually do that caused his condemnation? Was he condemned because he did nothing at all? The wise use of life does not always mean a choice be- tween doing what is morally right and what is morally wrong. More often it means choosing between doing that which is the best and that which is less than the best. How would you illustrate this fact? The man who makes the right use of life doubles his capacities and his abilities. It is of great importance, then, to each man that he make the best use of the talents he has received. Importance to society of the right use of life. Why is it important for society that you make the right use of your life? Efforts are being made to-day to see that the boys and girls find the right occupation. Society is not merely trying to keep them from doing things that are not for their welfare, but is also attempting to guide them into the place where they can do their best. Of what importance to society is it that we should do our best? Money that is kept hidden in the ground does no one any good. When it is placed in the bank, however, the farmer borrows it and uses it in growing his crops, the merchant borrows it and purchases stock with which to meet the needs of his customers, and the man who put it into the bank draws it out again with interest. Just as the right use of money is important to society, so the right use of life is of even more importance. Each one of us owes it to his neighbor and to the world to make the right use of life. Importance to God of the right use of life. Why is the right use of my life important to God? What difference did it make to the master in the parable whether or not THE RIGHT USE OF LIFE 23 the servants made the right use of their talents? How is God affected by what the individual does? There are at least two ways in which the use that each person makes of his life affects God. In the first place, by the right use of life a closer relation with God is made possible. The master rewarded his faithful servants by welcoming them into the fellowship of their lord. In the second place, the right use of life will help to extend the Kingdom of God. This was the objective of Jesus himself, the great purpose of his Father, God. Every man is under obligation to God, from whom come his talents, to make the right use of his life, that he may do his share in answer- ing the prayer of Jesus, “Thy kingdom come.” The responsibility for the right use of life. The value of life and the importance of its right use place a ereat responsibility upon each one of us. We are not re- sponsible for the capabilities with which we have been endowed, but we are required to use rightly those which have been given to us. This was the great mistake of the man who received the one talent. “What can I do with one talent?’ he thought. ‘I may even lose that if I am not careful.” So he hid it away and then tried to blame his act upon the hardness and unreasonableness of his master. The responsiblity, however, was his own and he himself had to pay the price of his neglect. He lost his talent, lost his position with his master, and faced the future in sorrow and hopelessness. Each of us is responsible for the use of his life—respon- sible to himself, to society, and to God. To be true to this responsibility we must make the right use of life. NOTEBOOK ASSIGNMENT Page heading: “A Paradox of Jesus.’”’ After consulting the dictionary write your own definition of a “paradox.” Can a statement be a paradox and yet be true? Study 24 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? Matt. 10:39. Write the verse first in your own words, using the same paradoxical form. Then rewrite it in simple statements, keeping the meaning of Jesus. Is there any connection between the teaching in this verse and that in the parable of the Talents? For SpecrtaL Discussion What is wrong with the statement: “This .is my life and Ill do just what I want to with it”? Do we ever follow the example of the third servant in the parable in refusing to do what we know to be our duty? What differences would be made in our school life if we all made the right use of life as described in the parable? CHAPTER III Tuer ELEMENTS INVOLVED IN THE Ricut USE or LIFE HAT is involved? What is involved in the right use of life? Does it merely mean doing the right thing? Are occupations right or wrong in themselves, or is there something entirely apart from them that makes them so? Can the same occupation be right for one person and wrong for another? Does the right use of life mean find- ing the right occupation? What else is involved? There are certain occupations which in themselves are wrong. They have been outlawed by society. The selling of wines and beers was at one time a respectable occupa- tion, but gradually it has been recognized as harmful to the welfare of men and women until now it is classed as “unlawful.” What other occupations are there that have been declared unlawful by the State? Certainly all of these are wrong in themselves. Without considering these unlawful occupations, can a man make the wrong use of life in choosing any legitimate vocation? The practice of medicine is always recognized ELEMENTS IN THE RIGHT USE OF LIFE 25 as a valuable and important occupation. Would it ever be wrong for you to study medicine? Under what circum- stances? What did we learn in the previous lesson that will help in answering these questions? The right life work. There are a great many occupa- tions that a young man or a young woman may choose which in themselves are right, but this does not mean that of necessity they will be the right vocation for that par- ticular young man or young woman. It is possible to make a wrong use of life by choosing a life work that will not permit the best use of all our talents. Jesus taught his followers this in the parable of the Talents, given in the preceding lesson. Two servants were rewarded for faithfully making use of their talents and the man who was condemned received his condemnation because of neglect in the use of his talent. The right use of life, then, will involve the choice of the right life work. This life work will not be the same for every young man and young woman, but will depend somewhat upon individual abilities. Take, however, two young men with abilities that are similar. They both enter the medical profession. One, and most physicians are like him, uses his profession to heal the diseases of men, for- getting about himself and often receiving little or no pay for his work. The other, like the doctor in Post’s ‘The Mountain School-Teacher,”’ refuses to practice unless he is sure of his fee. The first is a doctor because of what he can give; the second because of what he can get. Both are fitted by their abilities and endowments to become physi- cians, but one makes the right use of life and the other does not. What makes the difference? The right life purpose. The right use of life involves not only the choice of the right life work; it also means that the fundamental purpose of the life must be right. In fact, the right choice of a life work is dependent upon 26 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? the right life purpose. What a man does is determined largely by what he is. Jesus frequently emphasized the importance of taking care of the heart and thus directing the life. On one occa- sion he said: “Tor there is no good tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree that bringeth forth good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.’’—Luke 6:43-45. Ralph Connor, in ‘‘The Foreigner,” says, ‘‘For after all, it is in the heart a man carries his life, it is through the heart come his finest ideals, from the heart his truest words and deeds.” Which is of more importance in the right use of life, a right life purpose or a right life work? Is one possible without the other? The right life program. There is a third factor in- volved in the right use of life. Having determined the right purpose and decided upon the right occupation, there remains the actual working out of these in everyday life. This we call a “life program.” Life is more than the vocation we follow. It includes as well many other tasks that may be entirely unrelated to our main job. Think of the men and women who are doing successful pieces of work. How many things are they doing that are not part of their regular vocation? Everyone to-day must take his share of responsibility in the community and in the state where he lives; he has certain duties in his home and in his church; he must have some knowledge of, and take some part In, national and international affairs. And then, ELEMENTS IN THE RIGHT USE OF LIFE 27 after he has spent the necessary time in his occupation and in performing these other tasks, there remains the great question of using the leisure time that is his. But for us who are still looking forward to life, the most important and most immediate problem is that of preparing our- selves adequately for our life work. Questions such as these make it necessary to discuss the method of building a right life program that shall unite the various elements in our lives so that we can make the best possible use of all our time, money, and abilities. Notrespook ASSIGNMENT With the help of a concordance find three passages where Jesus teaches the necessity of doing the right thing, and three others where he indicates the need for a right heart. Copy these in parallel columns. Briefly explain why there is no contradiction in emphasizing both of these. For SpeEcIAL Discussion Does the kind of work you do in school depend at all upon what you think about your school? What must be your attitude toward a job if you are going to do the best work? What do you mean by ‘“‘school spirit??? Can boys or girls with no school spirit do as good work on a school team as they could if they had that spirit? Why do you “grouch”’ when you have to do things at home? How can you really enjoy everything that you have to do? QUESTION FOR DEBATE Resolved, That it is more important to think right than it is to_do right. 28 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? CHAPTER IV How SHALL I DETERMINE THE Ricut Lire PURPOSE? HY is it important to find the right use of life? What elements are involved in its right use? Which of these is of first importance? How are we going to discover what is the right life pur- pose? What method shall we follow? Shall we investigate some of the life purposes that men have held and try to evaluate them? If so, upon what basis shall we test them? Will it be possible to find a single life purpose that is right for everyone? Is there anyone who has followed the right life purpose? What life purposes have men held? A life purpose is not something indefinite or theoretical, though it may seem rather unreal to some of us. For this reason, let us keep our discussion in the realm of the actual, as far as that is possible. We all know men and women who have been successful in their work and we know some who have failed. Some of them we know well enough to be able to | judge, with a fair degree of accuracy, what their life pur- poses were. Money, comfort, pleasure, service, social prestige, helpfulness, power, political position, are purposes that we readily recognize. What others can you add to complete the list? Which of these are worth-while pur- poses? Why did you choose them as worthy? We decided in one of the introductory lessons that it is impossible to expect all men and all women to do the same kind of work, to follow the same vocation. The world needs all types of workers and the workers themselves have a variety of abilities. Is the same variety true also in the matter of life purposes, or can we pick out one life purpose and say that it is right for everyone? We are thinking of “life purpose’ as something more than the mere words. DETERMINING THE RIGHT LIFE PURPOSE 29 It is inseparably bound up in the very fabric of life itself. It is the center and heart of everything. Jesus described it in terms of allegiance: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also. The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?’—Matt. 6:19-25. Jesus was here talking about life purposes and on this basis he divided men into two classes: those who look to the present, and those who look to the future; those whose “eye”’ is evil, and those whose ‘‘eye”’ is good; those who serve mammon and those who serve God. Then he drew his conclusion: “Do not make the mistake of magnifying the unimportant incidentals of life into its central pur- pose.”’ What, then, was his answer to the question as to the number of life purposes that may be right? Can each one of us have a life purpose that is different from others’ and still have a life purpose that is right, as is the case in occu- pations? Is there such a thing as ‘“‘the right life purpose” for all of us? What, then, is the life purpose that Jesus showed to be the right purpose? Following the verses quoted above, he 30 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? continues with a discussion of wrong life purposes and why they are wrong. Then he said: “For after all these things [wrong purposes] do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’”’—Matt. 6:32, 33. What did he mean by “his kingdom, and his righteous- ness’’? Is it possible to find this life purpose concretely expressed in the life of any individual? ? Illustrations are essential in understanding almost any subject. If we can “see” an abstract truth expressed in actual life, then we can begin to understand it. If we can find some one who put at the center of his life the right life purpose, then we shall have a model, a “blue print”’ to use in building our own lives. Where should you look for a life that was a perfect expression of the right life purpose? Many men and women have taken the above purpose as the central fact of their lives, but they have all come short of following it perfectly. One Man alone has lived the completely consistent life. He it was who stated the right life purpose and he it was who followed that purpose to the very end. If we seek for the concrete expression of the right life purpose, we shall find it in the life of Jesus, the God-man. Why choose Jesus? This matter of choosing the right life purpose is of such importance that we must feel very sure about our Ideal. Are we right in selecting Jesus as the perfect expression of that purpose? How can we know that we are? How would you form your opinion of any man? By what he says about himself and by what he does in his everyday life? Then why not follow the same plan in our judgment of Jesus? Because of what he said about himself. Jesus taught very clearly that he expected men to model their DETERMINING THE RIGHT LIFE PURPOSE 31 lives after his. During his ministry he called certain men to be his disciples but he went beyond merely acting as their teacher. He stood before them as the Ideal for their lives. During his farewell discourse with his disciples, he spoke of going to his “ father’s house,” and of his disciples’ following him thither. Thomas, not understanding what Jesus meant, said to him in puzzled fashion: “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; how know we the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.’”’—John 14:5, 6. | As in those days along the shores of Galilee’s sea, Jesus now commands all those who are willing to confess his name to follow him. It may mean a complete change of loyalty and a giving up of the things and the people held most dear, as he himself explains: “And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.’”—Matt. 10:88. When we reply as did Thomas, that the path is dark ahead, his answer, “I am the way,” leaves no further question. Because of what he did. As Jesus himself pointed out, what a man does must agree with what he says, for actions are truer than words. One day, as Jesus was walking in that portico of the Temple that was named after Solomon, a crowd of curious Jews stopped him. ‘Do not hold us longer in suspense,” they said. ‘Tell us whether or not you are the Christ.’”’ When Jesus in his answer explained his relationship to God by saying, “I and the Father are one,” the Jews accused him of blasphemy. Jesus replied: “Say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, be- lieve me not. But if I do them, though ye believe not me, 32 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.’”—John 10:36-38 Think back over the life of Jesus. Can you remember anything he ever did that was not manly, that you would not be proud to have done? Did anything he did ever contradict anything that he said? At the time of his trial the most powerful leaders of the Jews tried to find some just charge against him, but they could discover nothing. Pilate, the Roman governor, was compelled to admit that he found no fault in him, Luke 23:4. He was finally con- demned upon charges known to be false because of the insistent demands of the Jewish leaders, who hated him. From first to last his life on earth was thoroughly con- sistent. NoteBook ASSIGNMENT Page heading: ‘‘ Jesus, the Ideal.’’ Divide the page into two columns by a vertical line and head one column, “ He Said,’ and the other, ‘“He Did.” In the first, write in your own words Jesus’ statement of principles in the following passages: Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:31; Matt. 6:33; Luke 22:26. Then in the second column cite briefly an incident, giving the reference in the life of Jesus where he himself carried out the principle laid down in the column headed, ‘‘He Said.” Keep these two columns parallel. If you can find any inconsistency between what he said and what he did, put that down, being careful to point out just where the inconsistency les. What conclusion regarding the character of Jesus do you draw from this 2S For Spectra Discussion Have you any purpose in your own life? Why do you go to school? Why do you go to church and Sunday school? Suppose you accept Jesus as your Ideal, what difference would it make in your school work? Just what do you think of Jesus? What is the basis for your judgment? LIFE PURPOSES THAT JESUS REJECTED oo CHA PPT RV. Lire PURPOSES THAT JESUS REJECTED HAT have been some life purposes that men have followed? Does everyone have to make the definite choice of a life purpose? When did Jesus make that choice? Why do we study the choice of Jesus? What possible life purposes did he reject? When Jesus faced his work. After almost thirty years of preparation, Jesus was introduced to his task by John the Baptist, the “forerunner.” John was preaching on the banks of the Jordan River, calling men to repent- ance, for, he said, ‘““The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” To him Jesus came to be baptized and John recognized in Jesus the “Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!” For as Jesus prayed, the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove and a voice from heaven said, “Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.” This was Jesus’ introduction to his work. It is probable that often, in some form or other, Jesus had faced the question of the right life purpose. Now, however, he faces it with the necessity of deciding what that purpose shall be. Here he stands, with his preparation completed and his life work just ahead. What shall he choose as his great purpose? “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness during forty days, being tempted of the devil.’”’-— Luke 4:1-2a. Why did Jesus go up into the wilderness for forty days? He lived all his life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and this was evidently the Spirit’s plan. What was its purpose? 34 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? The first rejection. “And he did eat nothing in those days: and when they | were completed, he hungered. And the devil said unto him, If. thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it become bread. And Jesus answered unto him, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.’”’—Luke 4: 2b-4. In his account of this event, Luke seems to imply that Jesus was so absorbed in meditation that the time passed unnoticed. About what was Jesus thinking? Why was he so absorbed? He probably reached a definite decision regarding his life purpose. Just when his purpose seems to have been the strongest, the Devil attacked him in his weakest spot, for Jesus was very hungry. The “‘if’’ in the Devil’s first statement has the force of “‘since’’; Jesus was definitely aware of his relation to God because of the experiences through which he had just passed: “Since you are the Son of God, command this stone that it become bread and satisfy your great need.”’ Just what was the temptation? Broaden the thought a little and take “bread” as including all physical necessities and comforts. Let us use the term “material things.” There was nothing wrong in Jesus’ wanting bread, but it was wrong to use his power in something that was not God’s purpose. Material things are incidental in life and are not to be magnified into the main purpose. Notice that in Jesus’ answer he classes himself with men: ‘‘Man shall not live by bread alone.” He was quoting from Deut. 8:3, where Moses reminded the Children of Israel of God’s care for them in the wilderness. Jesus said, in effect: ‘There is something more to life than bread. That is but an incidental.’ What is the life purpose that Jesus here rejected? How would you state, in your own words, the reason for this re- jection? LIFE PURPOSES THAT JESUS REJECTED 30 The second rejection. “And he led him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them: for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomso- ever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship before me, it shall ali be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’’—Luke 4:5-8. Jesus, as he stood on the threshold of his life work, looked forward to the time when he should have won the world to himself. Satan now offered him all worldly power if he would but follow him. Many men have seen the “‘king- doms of the world in a moment of time” pass before the eye of their imagination, and the sight has caused them to fall at the feet of ‘the prince of this world.” It was not so with Jesus. The temptation of power could not swerve him from his purpose to follow God. Again he quoted from the Old Testament, another verse in the same speech of Moses, Deut. 6:13. Jesus did not hesitate to turn from what seemed to be an easy road to the accomplishment of his purpose. He recognized that the political power promised was not comparable to the spiritual power of his Kingdom. Later he said to Pilate, ‘“‘Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” John 18:37. His life purpose was not for power. Upon this power he turned his back. He chose rather the path of suffering that would lead to kingship only after cen- turies of struggle. If Jesus were living as man again to-day, what would be the form of this temptation? Is it a tempta- tion that men are meeting now? Is it ever right to seek power? 36 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? The third rejection. “And he led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou art the. Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to guard thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God.’’—Luke 4: 9-12. Satan made his final onslaught by choosing the strongest of his weapons, so keen that it pierces all but the finest armor. He called upon popular acclaim. Jesus, living to win the world, must now decide whether or not he would give his life to gaining the applause of the crowd. Satan took him up on a high tower of the Temple in view of the worshiping multitude. “Here is your opportunity,” he said. ‘You know that you are the Son of God. Proveit to | these people. Leap from this pinnacle to the court far below. God will protect you and the people will proclaim you as their great leader.” In support of his contention, Satan resorted to the method of Jesus, quoting a promise made in Ps. 91:11, 12. Men who have been able to stand against the temptation to give their lives in the pursuit of substance or of power, have been unable to resist the lure of popularity. It is the subtlest of all the temptations. And there is nothing wrong in popularity, taken by itself. The wrong comes in sacrifie- ing higher purposes for it. Jesus met this temptation as he met the others, quoting from the same speech of Moses, Deut. 6:16, “Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God.” His reply seems to have a twofold significance. Jesus applied the command to himself, saying that it was wrong for him to make trial of God. He also placed himself in the position of issuing the command to Satan as if he LIFE PURPOSES THAT JESUS REJECTED 37 would say: “Enough, Satan! Thou shalt not make trial of me, thy God.” Thus having failed in every attempt Satan left him, but only for a season. Read the account of the temptation as given in Matt. 4:1-11. What differences are there? Note that the order of the temptation is different. Which of the three tempta- tions seems the strongest? Why? In arranging them in the order of their strength, from weakest to strongest, do you prefer Matthew’s or Luke’s order? What are your reasons? NotTrEeBook ASSIGNMENT ) Page heading: ‘‘Wrong Life Purposes.’’ Use the three purposes Jesus rejected—Material Things, Power, and Popularity—as main headings, and put under each as many as you can of the life purposes you listed in Chapter IV. Those that remain may be included under a fourth main heading. What is it? For SpPEcIAL DISCUSSION Am I following, in my school life, any of the three life purposes that Jesus rejected? Am I looking for an “easy” life? Is it my ambition to hold school or class offices?) Am I doing things I know to be wrong because I want to be popular? If I follow Jesus, what changes shall I have to make? For INVESTIGATION Verse 13 says that the Devil “departed from him for a season,” evidently implying that Jesus faced temptations at other times. What other temptations were there and when did they occur? Can they all be classified under the three main headings given above? 38 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? CHAPTER VI PRINCIPLES GOVERNING JESUS’ CHOICE— Hts CoNnscilousNnEss OF Gop HAT three life purposes did Jesus reject? Why did he reject them? What was there in his life that led him to make the choice that he did? Willit help us in our decisions to study the reasons for his? Review the answers that Jesus made to each of the temptations (Matthew and Luke). What is there common to all three? Did Jesus base his answers on his own judg- ment, or did he, in each case, test his decision by God’s attitude toward it? The principles of Jesus. Having accepted Jesus as our Ideal in the matter of life purpose, it is natural that we should try to discover the fundamental principles upon which he based his choices. In school we study the life of such aman as Abraham Lincoln to find out what made him great and how he came to follow the life purpose that he did. Let us follow the same method in the case of Jesus. .- Let us study him as a man facing the same decisions that we face, and choosing the right unfalteringly. Why did he make these choices? What essential principles formed the foundation of his life? Can we build the superstructure of our lives on the same principles? What he thought of God. Beyond all shadow of doubt, the most important single principle underlying Jesus’ life was his conception of God. This is the real basis for everything that he said or did or thought. Just as he measured his decision at the time of the temptations by God’s purpose for his life, so throughout that life his con- stant thought was of God. What did he think about God? What did he call him? How did he act with regard to him? JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF GOD 39 As shown by his names for God. How many names can you think of that Jesus used in speaking of God? Do these show us anything about his conception of God? There are three names which we think of at once. Jesus used two of them in his answers to Satan: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,” Luke 4:8, and again, ‘‘Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God,” Luke 4:12. As we should naturally suppose, since Jesus was quoting from Deuteronomy, these are the common names for God used throughout the Old Testament. Jesus used them both frequently. In speaking to the Samaritan woman by the well, he said, ‘‘God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth,” John 4:24. Can you recall other instances where Jesus used the term ‘‘God’’? Warfield, writing in Davis’ Bible Dictionary (see article on “‘God’’) defined the word as follows: ‘‘The word God designates fundamentally the almighty Spirit who is worshiped and whose aid is invoked by men.”’ The name “Lord,” a translation of the Hebrew “Jehovah,” is used frequently in conjunction with God, and is another of the great Old Testament names for God. What do you learn about Jesus’ thought of God from these two names? The third name which Jesus used brings a new concep- tion regarding God. He called him “Father.” It is true that the Jews had occasionally spoken of God as their Father, but they used the term in a formal way without the personal relationship that Jesus implied. “At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father, for so it was well- pleasing in thy sight. All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, 40 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him.’’— Matt. 11: 25-27. Notice how close was the fellowship between Jesus and his Father. The “ Lord of heaven and earth,” the “Jehovah God” of Old Testament times, was “my Father.’ But Jesus did not think of God as exclusively his Father. He speaks of him also as “the Father,” “thy Father,” and “your Father.” “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall re- compense thee. And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like unto them: for your I’ather knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.’’—Matt. 6: 6-8. Jesus was teaching his disciples to have the same attitude toward God that he had, to feel toward him as children feel toward their father. We are to pray, not that we may inform God of our needs, but that we may have conscious communion with him as his children. John learned this lesson well for he said later, in one of his letters: “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we shall be called children of God; and such we are.”’—I John 3: 1a. How would you sum up Jesus’ idea of God as shown by the names he used? As shown by his attitude toward God. The constant attitude of Jesus toward God reveals the same feeling of intimacy that we have just seen in his use of God’s names. Where is the attitude evident? Do you find it in the prayers of Jesus? Turn again to the one quoted on page 39 of this lesson and note the perfect understanding that seemed to exist between Jesus and God. Now cite other instances of . JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF GOD 41 Jesus’ prayers that show this feeling of intimacy and dependence upon God. How often did Jesus pray? How do you think he prayed to God? Why did he pray? This attitude toward God is evident also in everything that he said. God had first place in his mind. Every one of his great sermons dealt in some way with the problem of man’s relation to God; every one was built on the conscious- ness of God’s very presence in his life. Jesus himself stated this very clearly: “For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his command- ment is life eternal; the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak.’”’— John 12:49, 50. How would you describe the attitude of Jesus toward God? Jesus’ consciousness of God. The great fact of Jesus’ life was his consciousness of God. What was the place of God in Jesus’ life? It is difficult to state the full answer to this question. Jesus believed in God, he knew God intimately; for him God was the central part of his religion. But even yet we have not completely expressed the real, personal meaning of God in the life of Jesus. Thomas Arnold, that famous head master of Rugby, com- plained of his boys that “God was not in all their thoughts.” With Jesus, God was in all his thoughts, for he had no thoughts at all that God did not dominate. His conscious- ness of God was the very rock upon which he laid the foundation principles of his fe. Many years ago, Horace Bushnell preached a sermon on “Every Man’s Life a Plan of God,” which has been often printed and widely circulated. (A copy of this pamphlet will be sent free upon request to the Department. of Recruiting, Board of Christian Education of the Presby- 42 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? terian Church in the U. 8. A., 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City.) It is a great sermon and deserves the careful reading of every boy and girl. The main point in this ser- mon is that God has a plan for every life and that it is of vital importance for a man to find that plan rather than to work out a plan for himself. But Horace Bushnell did not go quite far enough. The life of Jesus was not just a plan of God. It was a life built upon the life of God. ‘“The object of Jesus was to induce men to base all life on God,” says Glover in his book, “‘The Jesus of History.” In this Jesus himself led the way by basing his own life on that Supreme Being whom he knew as ‘‘my Father.” This is where he began. Even in his early years, when his parents returned to Jerusalem to find him in the Temple, he replied to their rebuke: ‘‘ How is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49. Jesus’ consciousness of God was the personal, intimate knowledge of his presence directing and inspiring every thought and every act. Novrespookx ASSIGNMENT ) Page heading: “God as Father.” Divide the page into two columns heading one, “In the Old Testament,” and the other, ‘‘In the New Testament.” In the first, quote four Old Testament passages where God is spoken of as Father; in the second, choose several similar quotations from Jesus and his followers. Explain the difference be- tween the two sets of quotations. For SpPEcIAL DIscussION Have I a realization of God as my Father? Is my life based upon God as Jesus’ life was? If I felt God with me in the schoolroom, what would I do that I am not doing now? What would I stop doing? in the gymnasium? at home? Is he with me whether I realize it or not? JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF MEN 43 For INVESTIGATION Jesus is the Son of God and he taught his disciples that they and we are sons of God. Is he ever spoken of in the New Testament as our Elder Brother? Where? CHAPTER VII JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF MEN HAT was the first great principle upon which Jesus built his life? How would you explain this in your own words. Does it mean merely belief in God? Is it sufficient in itself to furnish a complete foundation? What else does it include? Is it going far enough to try to establish right relations with God? What does that imply? Can a man have aright relationship with God without also establishing a right relationship with men? What Jesus thought of men. Jesus was consistent. He knew that his conception of God could not be isolated, but that he must of necessity include a consciousness of men. We have already briefly discussed his attitude to- ward men in the first lesson. Now we find that it is one of his fundamental principles and as such requires more care- ful thought. In the first lesson we saw that Jesus placed a high value. upon even the despised classes. Will that statement adequately describe his consciousness of men? Let us study additional incidents. What would you suggest as revealing Jesus’ attitude toward men, toward human life? His attitude toward the despised. Probably the first incident you will think of is that of Levi and his friends which is quoted in the first lesson. Turn to that incident again. What did the ordinary religious Jew think of Levi and his friends? What did he call them? What did he think of Jesus for eating at Levi’s house? What did Jesus think of the religious Jew? What did he think of Levi? 44 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? Jesus stated his mission in the world in several different ways. Sometime after his visit to the house of Levi, he met another despised taxgatherer named Zacchzeus and went home with him to spend the night. Again the Jews criticized Jesus and in explanation of his action, Jesus said to Zaccheeus, “Tor the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” —Luke 19:10. This expresses in one way the innermost thought of Jesus regarding men. If he could help it, no human being should be lost. He was not only willing to help those who came to him, but he also proposed to go out to look for them even in the face of the active opposition of the religious leaders of the time. “The lost man was too valuable and sacred to be lost.”’ On what other occasions did Jesus show his interest in “yublicans and sinners’? From these incidents, how would you describe his attitude toward men? His attitude toward the leper. Another class of people who found little consideration at the hands of the crowd were the lepers. Excluded from all companionship with their fellow men and regarded as dead men, Num. 12:12, they frequently wandered along the country roads as beggars, warning all of their approach with the mournful ery: ‘“Unclean! Unclean!’? You probably remember Lew Wallace’s vivid description of the leprous mother and sister of Ben Hur. Nothing was more pitiful and yet nothing more repulsive than the fingerless hands and decaying joints of these broken-bodied men and women. ‘“‘And when he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou made clean. And straightway his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF MEN 45 him, See thou tell no man; but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift’ that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”—Matt. 8:1-4. In this poor leper Jesus saw a man in need. With infinite tenderness he turned to the appeal of this loathsome creature and ‘‘stretched forth his hand, and touched him,” and with that touch healed him of his dread disease. Even this most wretched specimen of humanity was valuable in his sight. Does this illustration of Jesus’ attitude toward the leper add anything to the conclusions we reached in the preced- ing instance? Which is the better indication of Jesus’ valuation of men? His attitude toward the lost. In the two classes of incidents that we have just studied, Jesus has been dealing with men despised by their fellows because of moral and physical contamination. We have seen that he described them as “lost.” His attitude toward them he further illustrated by using two parables: “Now all the publicans and sinners were drawing near unto him to hear him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake unto them this par- able, saying, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and his neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance. Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it? And when she hath found it, 46 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? she calleth together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost. Even so, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.””— Luke 15:1-10. Why did Jesus use these two parables? What was the criticism that the Pharisees and scribes made? What was the real reason for their criticism? What is the difference between the teachings of the two parables? What is the similarity? . In every Jewish community in Jesus’ day, there was a group of people who could not keep up the strict observ- ance of the law and who had given up trying. These were the “publicans,’ whose work as taxgatherers for the Roman Government made them hated by the Jews, and the “sinners,” whose moral weaknesses placed them out- side the pale of the synagogue. The pious leaders of the Jews ignored and despised these people. Jesus incurred their criticism because he disregarded these distinctions. Through the parables he indicated his great interest in the lost, both because they belonged to him and he felt com- passion for them in their plight and because they were in themselves worth all the trouble that it took to find them. His attitude toward therich. But did Jesus see value only in the despised, broken, and lost people of his day? He seems to have spoken of them oftener and spent more time helping them, because they felt their need of him, but he also recognized the value of men who were well-to-do in the things that this world offers. ‘“‘And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF MEN 47 bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother. And he said unto him, Teacher, all these things have Lobserved from my youth. And Jesuslooking upon him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions.’””—Mark 10:17-22. Jesus saw something very much worth while in the young man who asked his help. He saw a real need in that life and he knew that the young man’s wealth was standing in the way. Mark says that Jesus “looking upon him loved him.” There seems to have been disappointment in his heart as the young man turned away. Note the sorrow in his words to his disciples: “And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!’—Mark 10: 23, 24. How would you express Jesus’ attitude toward the rich? Is it fundamentally different from his attitude toward other people? Did any rich men follow Jesus? His attitude toward his followers. We should not be able to form a fair judgment of Jesus’ consciousness of men if we limited our study to his attitude toward the despised, the leper, the lost, and the well-to-do. We must consider also his attitude toward his followers and his commands regarding their attitude toward others. Nowhere is this more clearly shown than in Jesus’ prayer for his disciples just before his arrest: “These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, 48 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? that the Son may glorify thee: even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life. And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.”-—John 17:1-3. “As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me. And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.’’—John 17 :18-23. What is the one great request that Jesus makes for all his disciples? Is it not that they may have the same inti- mate consciousness of God that he had? What does he say ‘— about their attitude toward others? What does he mean when he says, “As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them into the world’’? How would you express Jesus’ attitude toward his followers? Jesus’ consciousness of men. Look back over the incidents we have been studying as revealing Jesus’ attitude toward men. The fundamental fact of his con- sciousness underlies them all. In discussing Jesus’ con- sciousness of God, we decided that it was the personal, intimate realization of God’s presence in all of his life. This is matched by his consciousness of man’s deepest need. Through disease and sin, under the veneer of wealth, Jesus saw that man’s greatest need was for God, for the JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF MEN 49 same consciousness of God that he himself had; and he gave himself to meeting that need. “And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast an- swered right: this,do and thou shalt live.’”’—Luke10: 25-28. Here is a simple exposition of his consciousness of man’s need: God is at the center of the whole of life. This consciousness of the presence of God must always lead, as it did in Jesus’ case, to the second principle, the conscious- ness of the need of man. ‘‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with ail thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” State, in your own words, this second fundamental principle of Jesus’ life—his consciousness of men. NotTresook ASSIGNMENT Page heading: ‘‘The Need of Men.” In Matt.11: 2-6 Jesus’ work is described. Write a brief introductory paragraph describing the occasion as outlined in vs. 2-4. Verse 5 gives a list of things that Jesus did. Follow the list in the order given, writing each statement of Jesus and citing an actual example of it from Jesus’ work. Then write a brief concluding paragraph explaining why Jesus answered John in this way. For SprEcrtAL Discussion Do you follow Jesus’ example in your consciousness of men? Are you just as ready to help those not in your 50 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? “bunch” as those who are your special friends? Are there some boys or girls whom you dislike greatly? How about your attitude toward people of other races? If you follow Jesus consistently, what changes must you make in your daily life? CHAPTBRR-VILe JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF—THE SON OF GoD HAT are the two fundamental principles of Jesus’ life that we have just discussed? How would you state each? Are these two sufficient to explain why Jesus made the choices that he did at the time of his temptation and at other times during his life? Turn back to the last main paragraph of the preceding lessons and read the quotation from Luke 10:25-28. What do you find in addition to love of God and love of neighbor? What Jesus thought about himself. We cannot stop with Jesus’ consciousness of God and of men if we would understand his choice of a life purpose. There is a third element that is linked inseparably with the other two—his consciousness of self. He felt in his own life the power of God’s presence, he saw in men the need for that presence, and then he thought of himself as coming in between the two and bridging the gap that through him God might enter the lives of men. This consciousness of mission, however, was but a part of his consciousness of self. Other elements entered that must be considered if we would reach a true conclusion. To discover all of the elements in Jesus’ consciousness of himself, and to put these together into a completed picture, is a baffling task. Jesus is so much more than we can even imagine, so far beyond the limits of our understanding, that we must expect to meet with un- fathomable depths of character. And yet Jesus is so straightforward and direct in his teaching and in his life JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF—SON OF GOD 51 that even a child can love and follow him. Therefore, as we try to learn something of Jesus’ self-consciousness, let us remember this seeming paradox. Our special aim is to find elements and attitudes that will help us in determining our own life purpose and this must be the guide in our study. Let us first consider Jesus’ consciousness of self in its relationships. What did Jesus feel was the relationship between himself and God? The question here is quite different from that discussed in Chapter VI, “‘ Jesus’ Consciousness of God.” Turn back and review the conclusions you reached in that chapter. There we discussed the place that Jesus gave to God in his life. Here the problem is to discover how closely Jesus felt himself related to God. When Jesus spoke of God as “Father,” did he really mean that, or was he using a figure of speech to describe God’s love and care? Was Jesus the “Son of God,” as Peter declared at Ceesarea Philippi? What was Jesus’ consciousness regarding this? How can we discover what Jesus thought about himself? What he said. What did Jesus say about himself that is evidence in deciding the questions just asked? Did anyone ever address Jesus as the Son of God? On what occasions? Did Jesus ever deny his right to the title? When? Turn again to the account of Jesus’ temptation as we discussed it in Chapter V, and note that the Devil ap- proached Jesus on the basis of his being the Son of God, a fact which Jesus made no attempt to deny. Would the temptations have been real in that form if Jesus had not thought himself God’s Son? On several occasions, when Jesus came into conflict with men possessed of unclean spirits, he was addressed by the demons as the Son of God. ‘“‘And when he was come forth upon the land, there met him a certain man out of the city, who had demons; and for a long time he had worn no clothes, and abode not in 52 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? any house, but in the tombs. And when he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I beseech thee, torment me not.”— Luke 8:27, 28. See also Matt. 8:28, 29 and Mark 5: 2-8. There can be no question here regarding the testimony of the demons. They recognized Jesus as the Son of God and, as such, having power over them. Can you give any other incidents when demoniacs recognized Jesus as God’s Son? In none of these cases did Jesus say that they were mistaken, but he always admitted, though often tacitly, that they used the correct form of address. This is the important fact for us in their testimony. But the demons were not the only beings to call him “Son of God.” Certain of his followers and others so addressed him. Among the first of these was Nathanael. “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art King of Israel.”—John 1:47-49. What did Peter reply at Cesarea Philippi to Jesus’ question, “‘Who say ye that I am?”’ What did Martha say of him, even before he had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead? What declaration did Thomas make after Jesus’ resurrection? Did Jesus ever deny the truth of these statements? On the other hand, did he ever commend anyone for saying that he was the Son of God? So far we have been discussing the negative side of Jesus’ statements. We have seen that he did not say, on any occasion, that he was not the Son of God. On the other hand, there were times when he very plainly declared his sonship. During his trial, when the chief priests and JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF—SON OF GOD _ 53 scribes were trying to discover some charge against him, he did not hesitate to say very plainly that he was the Son of God. “Tf thou art the Christ, tell us. But he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: and if I ask you, ye will not answer. But from henceforth shall the Son of man be seated at the right hand of the power of God. And they all said, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that Iam. And they said, What further need have we of witness? for we ourselves have heard from his own mouth.’’—Luke 22: 67-71. How did the Jews understand his answer, ‘‘ Ye say that Tam’? Do you think there was any doubt in their minds that he claimed to be God? Karlier in his ministry the Jews came to Jesus one day and asked him to tell them plainly whether or not he was the Christ. Although he said that they would not believe him, he gave them the answer they asked. “T and the Father are one. The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken), say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God.’’—John 10: 30-36. Can you give other incidents where Jesus said that he was the Son of God? Is what he said a good indication of what he thought? Do you think that he thought of him- self as God’s Son? What did it mean to be “the Son of God’’? 54 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? What he did. Not only did Jesus say that he was the Son of God, but he also acted as if he were. He did a great many things that clearly indicate his consciousness of sonship. In your notebook, make as complete a list as you can of these things. Pick out those incidents which seem to you the strongest proofs of this consciousness and give the reasons for your selection. Let us consider one such incident here: “And behold, men bring on a bed a man that was palsied: and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But Jesus perceiving their reasonings, answered and said unto them, Why reason ye in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said unto — him that was palsied), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his house, glorifying God. And amaze- ment took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.’’—Luke 5:18-26. Were the Pharisees right when they said that only God could forgive sins? Did Jesus believe that they were right? What is the answer to Jesus’ question: “‘ Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk?”’ An impostor could make the first statement and it would be impossible to prove the fallacy of his claim to forgive sins. It is not so, however, with the second. JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF—SON OF GOD 55 “There is a slight irony in the way in which Jesus gives expression to this thought: You think these are empty words that I utter when I say, Thy sins are forgiven thee. See, then, whether the command which I am about to give is an empty word. The miracle thus announced acquires the value of an imposing demonstration”’ (Godet on Luke). What does the demonstration prove? Does it indicate anything regarding Jesus’ thought of himself? Let us remember that in this chapter we are not trying to discover all the proofs that Jesus is the very Son of God. We are merely making a brief study of Jesus’ own consciousness of that fact. In addition to what Jesus said, and what he did, we might also consider the impression which he left upon those who followed him. However, their belief that he was the Son of God is not a distinct indication of his own consciousness but rather a confirmation of his words and works. They believed in him because of what he said and what he did, both of which were expressions of what he was and is—the Son of God. Jesus’ consciousness of himself as the Son of God. There can be but one conclusion from the discussion we have been following. Jesus did more than recognize the presence of God in his life. He felt a close relationship to God as his Father, a consciousness that continually ex- pressed itself in what he said and in what he did. He knew that he was the Son of God in the fullest sense of that term. He himself was and is God! NoTeBooK ASSIGNMENT Page heading: ‘‘ Jesus, the Son of God.”’ The purpose of this assignment is to outline the reasons for believing that Jesus is the Son of God. Begin with the two we have dis- cussed: 1. He said that he was the Son of God. 2. His deeds proved that he was. Under this head put the list asked for on page 54. Now add at least four other reasons. 56 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? ~ For SpEcIAL DISCUSSION What difference does it make to us whether or not Jesus is the Son of God? For INVESTIGATION In this chapter the term ‘‘demoniac”’ and the expression ‘possessed of demons”’ are used. Look them up in a Bible dictionary and explain their meaning. What was the matter with the man possessed of the devils? CHAPTER LX JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF—THE Son oF MAN HAT was the first element in Jesus’ consciousness of self? If that were the whole of his consciousness of self, could you follow: him as your Ideal? What difference would it make if we knew that he thought of himself only as the Son of God? What other element was always present with this? Hand in hand with Jesus’ consciousness of God, which was the first fundamental principle we discussed, went his consciousness of himself as God’s Son. In like manner, with his consciousness of man goes his consciousness of himself as the Son of man. He identifies himself with both God and man. Although he was the Son of God, he was also the Son of man, and this fact was always in his consciousness. What evidence have you that he identified himself with man? At the beginning of his ministry. At the very start of his work, Jesus took care to identify himself clearly with men. Naturally this was unnecessary from the point of view of John the Baptist and the others who knew him, for they could plainly see him as a man. Jesus, however, was particularly anxious that this fact should not be lost sight of during his ministry. JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF—SON OF MAN _ 57 John was preaching by the banks of the Jordan River, urging the crowds that came out to hear him to repent of their sins, for, he said, ‘‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Those who repented, John baptized in the Jordan. “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him.’’-—Matt. 3:13-15. Why did not John want to baptize Jesus? Why did Jesus insist? What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘For thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness’’? Immediately following Jesus’ baptism came his tempta- tion, which we have already discussed. It is interesting, in this connection, to recall his answer to the Devil’s first proposition. ‘And the devil said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it become bread. And Jesus answered unto him, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.’’—Luke 4:38, 4. What is there significant about Jesus’ answer? The Devil said, “‘If thou art the Son of God,” to which Jesus replied, ‘Man shall not.” Why did he use the term na AYE A eR EE Throughout his ministry. Not only at the beginning but also throughout the entire period of his ministry, Jesus kept this identification of himself with man ever in his consciousness. We see this in the frequent occurrence of the expression “Son of man” which he used in speaking of himself: “The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.’’—Matt. 11:19a. 58 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? “For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.’’—Matt. 12:8. “For the Son of man indeed goeth, as it hath been determined: but woe unto that man through whom he is betrayed!”’—Luke 22:22. Cite other instances where he used this title of himself What did he mean by it? What did this consciousness of manhood mean to Jesus? We have discussed in Chapter I the attitude of Jesus toward men and the value he placed upon them. What value did he place upon himself as a man? He said that the second great commandment is, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” implying a high regard both for one’s neighbor and for oneself. Did Jesus have this high regard for his own manhood? What kind of evidence can we discover that will help us in answering this question? How does a man show his regard for himself? How did Jesus do this? As we study the life of Jesus, there can be little doubt that he placed upon himself no less value than he placed upon others. We must remember, however, in discussing this particular question, that Jesus was conscious of being much more than man. This fact makes it impossible to reach a satisfactory conclusion, because we cannot separate the elements in his consciousness into human and divine. He was a single individual. In spite of this difficulty, however, we may be able to find some indications of the value he placed upon his own manhood. Complete manhood. It is usually true that we take the best care of the things which we value most. Is it fair to judge the value a man places upon himself by the way in which he takes care of himself? Can you pick out the young men and young women who realize their worth by the care they give to their preparation for life? How much time did Jesus spend in preparing himself for his life work? JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF—SON OF MAN 59 What kind of preparation was it? How many subjects did it cover? Do we know what progress he made in his prepa- ration? “And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.’”’—Luke 2:52. This verse describes Jesus’ growth from the time he was twelve years old until he began his work. What indication does it give you of Jesus’ evaluation of himself? Great ambitions. Can you judge a man’s self-evalua- tion by the kind of ambitions that he holds? What were Jesus’ ambitions? “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life.”,—John 3:14, 15. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself.”—John 12:32. The ambition of Jesus was to draw the whole world to himself. Why? For selfish power? For the wealth the world would bring him? For the pleasure-of popularity? What makes you think that Jesus was not interested in these things? Why, then, did he want to bring the world to himself? Can you think of any ambition that is higher? High ideals. Probably the greatest test of the value a man places upon himself comes in the ideals he accepts and the strength of his loyalty to them. What were the ideals of Jesus? Where in the Gospels would you look for the fullest expression of these ideals? Can we say that a man’s life purpose is the same as his life ideals? “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”’—Matt. 20: 28. This is but one of several statements that Jesus made in revealing this one great purpose of his life—complete service to others. 60 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? In addition to setting high ideals, loyalty to them is an essential. What do you know about the loyalty of Jesus to his ideals? Give, as illustration, incidents where Jesus stood unswervingly for his ideals in the face of opposition. There is one short phrase in Luke’s Gospel that describes this loyalty of Jesus to his purposes better than many incidents: ‘“‘And it came to pass, when the days were well-nigh come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.”—Luke 9:51. Jesus knew very well what awaited him in Jerusalem and yet “he stedfastly set his face.’”? Can you not see the lines of determination in that face, the stern set of his jaw as he turned his steps toward the city of his death? A greater test of loyalty to ideals, however, came when the crowd hailed him as “the prophet that cometh unto the world.” Jesus had just astonished the multitude of five thousand by feeding them with five loaves and two fishes. He became the popular hero and the people decided that he must be the Messiah for whom they were iooking, so they determined to make him king. “Jesus therefore perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain himself alone.”’—John 6:15. Was this a greater test of loyalty to ideals than the opposition of hatred? What did it mean to Jesus to be the “Son of man?”’ Jesus’ consciousness of himself as the Son of man. It is sometimes difficult for us to realize that Jesus was really a man—that he walked along dusty roads, that he felt tired out at the end of the day, that he needed food and sleep, just as we do. But Jesus was a real man and never for a moment did he fail to identify himself with men. There was no conflict in his mind between this and the consciousness of himself as the Son of God. JESUS’ CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF—SON OF MAN 61 “The Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins.”’—Matt. 9:6. “The Son of man shall send forth his angels.’’-—Matt. 13:41. ‘‘For whoscever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in his own glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.”—Luke 9:26. What must be our conclusion regarding Jesus’ conscious- ness of himself? Did he think of himself as both God and man? Norespook ASSIGNMENT Page heading: “Jesus, the Son of Man.”’ Purpose: To list the facts about Jesus that show him to have been truly aman. The first is the fact of his own consciousness, which has been discussed in this lesson. Add to this at least six other facts, giving the Bible reference for each. For SpEcIAL Discussion What difference would it make to me if Jesus were only aman? What kind of value do my ideals and ambitions show that I place upon myself? If I followed Jesus, what difference would it make in this respect? For INVESTIGATION The Jews expected a Messiah. What kind of man did they think he would be? How did Jesus’ idea differ from theirs? What does the word ‘‘Christ’’ mean? 62 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? CHAPTER X JESUS’ REALIZATION OF A MISSION HAT elements were there in Jesus’ consciousness of men? Was it possible for him to disregard the needs of men? What part did his consciousness of God have in making him feel so strongly the needs of men? Did he feel that his life was of any special value to man and to God? Was there some definite piece of work which belonged particularly to him? Did he regard it as important? Did he think of it as a duty? Resulting from the three elements in Jesus’ conscious- ness which we have been discussing, there came to him a strong realization of mission. Other men who did the will of God have had a similar conviction. John, the beloved disciple, described John the Baptist, who was the “forerunner” of Jesus by saying, “There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John,” John 1:6. This was also John’s own conception of his mission, for in telling of the way in which he knew that Jesus was the Son of God, he said: “And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit.”—John 1:33. What other men whose life stories are given in the Bible had this same sense of mission? Have others had it since those early days? Jesus realized that he had a special mission. Did Jesus feel that he had been ‘‘sent from God’? What instances can you cite in support of your answer? “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.’’—Matt. 10:40. JESUS’ REALIZATION OF A MISSION 63 “Jesus therefore cried in the temple, teaching and saying, Ye both know me, and know whence I am; and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. I know him; because I am from him, and he sent me.”—John 7:28, 29. These are but two of the occasions when Jesus clearly expressed his belief that he was sent into the world. This same conception is expressed in one of his parables: “And he began to speak unto them in parables. A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a pit for the winepress, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vineyard. And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; and him they wounded in the head, and handled shamefully. And he sent another; and him they killed: and many others; beating some, and killing some. He had yet one, a beloved son: he sent him last unto them, saying, They will rever- ence my son. But those husbandmen said among them- selves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. And they took him, and killed him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard. What there- fore will the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. Have ye not read even this scripture: The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvellous in our eyes? And they sought to lay hold on him; and they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spake the parable against them: and they left him, and went away.’”— Mark 12:1-12. 64 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? Why did Jesus use this parable? What is its main teaching? What does it indicate regarding Jesus’ realiza- tion of his special mission? This was a mission of great importance. Did Jesus believe that the task he had was of any importance? Did he think it made any great difference to God or to the world whether or not he carried out his mission? “T am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’”’—John 6:48-51. Jesus knew that the life of the world depended upon him, that his mission was literally a matter of life and death, not for himself, but for the whole world. He knew that his mission was also important for his Father. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only be- gotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not ° perish, but have eternal life.” —John 3:16. These are the words of Jesus. Do they indicate in any way how he thought the Father felt about his mission? So important did Jesus regard his mission that he gave his life that it might be accomplished. He knew that this was necessary and after he had counted the cost, he was willing to pay the price. “T am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep.”’—John 10:11. “For the Son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.’—Mark 10:45. How important did Jesus believe his mission to be? JESUS’ REALIZATION OF A MISSION 65 Would it have been a worth-while mission if he had not considered it worth the price of his life? This important mission carried definite obliga- tions. Did Jesus feel any sense of duty toward this mission? Was it a matter of following his own inclinations? Was it just something that he could do or not do as he desired, or was there real obligation connected with it? ‘‘And when it was day, he came out and went into a desert place: and the multitudes sought after him, and came unto him, and would have stayed him, that he should not go from them. But he said unto them, I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also: for therefore was I sent.’’—Luke 4:42, 48. Here, evidently, along with Jesus’ realization of being definitely ‘“sent,’’ went his feeling of obligation: “I must preach.” This feeling of obligation was evident very early in Jesus’ life. When he was twelve years old, he went to Jerusalem to attend the feast of the passover. At the close of the feast, in the crowds that left the city, he became separated from his parents. When they found him, he was in the Temple “in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions.” “And when they saw him, they were astonished; and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?”—Luke 2:48, 49. Why did Jesus feel that he ‘‘must”’ be in his Father’s house? Throughout his life this feeling of obligation was present as he fulfilled his missicn. “T must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.’’— John 9:4. (A.V.) 66 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? Find other passages where Jesus shows by what he says that he feels an obligation resting upon him to carry out his mission. How strong was Jesus’ sense of duty? He was not compelled to accept this mission. When Jesus said, “I must,” did he mean that he could not do otherwise? Was he compelled to follow a course marked out for him by the Father? Was he free to make his own decisions? Could Jesus have said, ‘‘ Yes,” to the Devil when he was tempted? Did he have freedom of choice? As we feel the strength of the ““must”’ in Jesus’ life, we are apt to conclude that he had no choice left but to follow the directions of his Father. Some have maintained that it was absolutely impossible for Jesus to follow any other than the right purpose; that when the time came for him to accept the right life purpose, to fulfill his mission, to undertake the task for which he was sent, he simply could not do otherwise. If this were true, what difference would it make in our appreciation of Jesus? Would there be any “fight” left in his life? Jesus, however, was conscious of perfect freedom in every choice that he made. His whole life expressed this freedom. He said, “‘I do always the things that are pleasing to him.” John 8:29b. Does that mean that he did them freely or that he was compelled to do them? Of all the things that men have regarded as inevitable, death stands in the first place. All men are mortal and as such are subject to death. But even here Jesus felt perfect freedom. “Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This com- mandment received I from my Father.’’-—John 10:17, 18. What did Jesus feel about death’s power over him? JESUS’ REALIZATION OF A MISSION 67 What other instances can you cite as showing Jesus’ freedom? Jesus’ realization of his mission. Irom our discussion we conclude that Jesus had a very definite sense of a special task to perform. He knew that he had been sent on an important mission which it was his duty to fulfill. His life purpose pointed to that task, and although his sense of duty was very strong, he had the power to accept or reject this purpose and with it the mission. NotTresook ASSIGNMENT Page heading: ‘‘Sent Into the World.” Make a list of the men and women of Bible history who were sent of God with a special mission. To this add the names of those whom Jesus himself sent out into the world. For SprctaL Discussion Does God have a special job for each one of us? If I had to give my life for some cause, what would I choose? Does it make any difference to me whether or not Jesus had freedom of choice? Am I responsible for the choices I make? Am I sent into the world with a special mission? For INVESTIGATION What is the meaning of the word “mission” as used in this lesson? What is the original meaning of “apostle’’? Write a definition of the noun ‘‘missionary.”’ 68 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? CHAP THRY AI THe Lire Purpose Jesus ACCEPTED HAT was the relation of the mission of Jesus to his life purpose? What was the life purpose of Jesus? What life purposes did he reject? Why did he reject them? What did his cousciousness of God have to do with helping him to determine the right life purpose? What part did his consciousness of man play? his consciousness of self? When we set out to discover the life purpose of Jesus, we found, first of all, that he rejected certain purposes— material things, power, and popularity—as not in accord with God’s will for his life. We then tried to find upon what principles Jesus built his life and decided his purpose; what there was at the foundation of his life that caused him to reject the purposes proposed. We decided that his consciousness of the presence of God, his consciousness of the needs of men, and his consciousness of his own value were all important factors in his life and led him to a definite realization of a mission of special importance | which he was in duty bound to follow. This brings us to the question of the character of that mission. Refore this can be answered, we must face a question, already suggested, to which we have given no complete cr satisfactory answer. What was Jesus’ life purpose? Lid Jesus have a clear conception of his life purpose? Did he ever state that purpose for his disciples or for others? What did Jesus make the dominant purpose of his life? When we begin to study the statements that Jesus made about the purpose of his life, we find that no one of them can be taken alone, as expressing his whole conviction in that regard. They must be considered together. “For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.... For this is the will THE LIFE PURPOSE JESUS ACCEPTED 69 of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.’”’—John 6:38, 40. How would you state this purpose of Jesus? What is the relation of his purpose to the purpose ‘‘of him that sent me’’? What was the purpose of the Father for the Son? This statement of Jesus’, based upon his consciousness of God and of himself as the Son of God, may be para- phrased: “My purpose is to forget my own will and to do the will of my Father.”’ Parallel with this is a state- ment based upon his consciousness of the needs of men and of himself as the Son of man. ‘““Eiven as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.’’—Matt. 20:28. How would you state this purpose of Jesus? What is its relation to his consciousness of man? How does it corre- spond with the first statement which we discussed? Just as Jesus said in the first statement quoted, ‘“‘My purpose is to forget myself that I may do the will of my Father,” so now he says, “‘ My purpose is to forget myself that I may meet the need of my fellow men.” Is there any inconsistency between these two statements? In what way are they similar? But Jesus made other statements which may be con- sidered as statements of his life purpose. “For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”—Luke 19:10. “JT came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.”—John 10:10b. ‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.’”’— John 14:6. “Thou sayest that 1am aking. To this end have I been 70 WHAT. SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.’’—John 18:37b. What do these add to the two statements already given? Can you cite other statements that Jesus made regarding his life purpose? From the complete list, choose the one statement which seems to you to describe best the purpose of Jesus. What are your reasons for making your choice? Now look over the list again. Is there anything in the other statements that is not contained in the one you have chosen? It is a difficult task to summarize the life purpose of Jesus and condense it into a single word or phrase. Some have said that his life purpose was service. Does that completely express his purpose? Is there anything in his purpose that it does not include? Others have said that his purpose was to reveal God. Is that comprehensive enough to include all his thought? What is lacking? Again, he has been called ‘‘Man’s Great Ideal.” Is that a satis- factory description of his life purpose? How would you describe the life purpose of Jesus? How did Jesus work out this purpose in his life? What connection is there between life purpose and life work? What was the life work of Jesus? Was his life work that of a carpenter? Where would he be classified among the occupations of to-day? How did he describe his work? The film which is used in motion picture projectors is made up of a number of small pictures, each complete in itself and yet related to the others in such a way that, when they are rapidly passed before the light in succession, a vivid “action picture” is thrown upon the screen. In a somewhat similar manner, by taking the various pictures of Jesus painted in the Gospels and looking at them in their relation to one another, we get a vivid ‘‘action picture” of Jesus at work in the world. THE LIFE PURPOSE JESUS ACCEPTED Gh “But when he heard it, he said, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice: for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” —Maitt. 9:12, 18. What did Jesus here suggest as his work in the world? On what occasions did he work as a physician? Do you think that he had something more in mind than merely the healing of bodies? Why do you think so? “For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son; that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father... . I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”—John 5:22, 23a, 30. How did Jesus picture himself here? How did he act as judge? What else did he say about himself in this capacity? (See also John 5:26, 27; 8:15, 16, 26; 12:47.) Having drawn these two pictures of himself as a physi- clan and as a judge, Jesus did not, however, limit himself to what we now call “the professions.”” He also portrayed himself as a farmer and a herdsman: “And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man.’”’—Matt. 13:37. What is the parable which Jesus here interpreted? How could Jesus call himself ‘‘a sower’’?? What was there in his work that made him so think of himself? “T am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them: he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, 72 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.’’—John 10:11-16. What is the meaning of this picture of Jesus at work? How is it different from the others which we have dis- cussed? In an earlier lesson we investigated and explained a paradox of Jesus’ teaching. Let us put side by side two pictures of him that are paradoxical: ‘For which is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am in the midst of you as he that serveth.’”’—Luke 22:27. “Ye call me, Teacher, and, Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.’’—John 13:18. What is the paradox in these two statements? Can a man be a servant and still be Lord? What are the pictures that Jesus here painted of himself? These pictures are but a few from the eighteen or twenty different portraits that Jesus drew of himself. What are some of the others? From this collection, how would you describe the life work of Jesus? What was his mission to the world? The mission of Jesus. In all the pictures that Jesus painted of himself at work and in all the statements he made about that work, he never lost sight of the purpose behind it. He came to meet the need of the world. How- ever that need might express itself in man, his purpose was to fill that vacancy in man’s life that man “‘may have life, and may have it more abundantly.” NoTreBooK ASSIGNMENT Page heading: ‘Jesus’ Purpose and Mission.” Write out your definition of Jesus’ life purpose. Make a list of THE ONE GREAT NEED OF MAN 73 the “TI am” statements of Jesus, as ‘I am the bread of life,’ giving the chapter and verse reference of each, and indicating briefly how it is an outgrowth of Jesus’ purpose. For SpectaL Discussion If Jesus were in my place, how would his life purpose show itself in his home? in his school? in what he did during his leisure time? What difference is there between my answers to these questions and what I myself do? For INVESTIGATION What is the meaning of the name ‘‘ Jesus’’? Does it have any connection with life purpose? What connection is there between the name ‘‘Christ’’ and his life purpose? GHAPTEHR X11 THe ONE GREAT NEED oF MAn OW did Jesus describe the work that he had to do in the world? What was the relationship of that work to his life purpose? What was the life purpose of Jesus? Upon what factors in Jesus’ consciousness was this life purpose based? What was the need of man that Jesus came to meet? In discussing the various descriptions which Jesus gave of his work, we saw that they all centered in the one great need of man, which expressed itself in a variety of ways. Jesus’ chief concern was this fundamental need and to this he gave his very self. What was and is the one great need of man? Was Jesus primarily interested in the living conditions of men? in the amount of wages they received? in the conditions under which they had to work? Can you pick out one of these as man’s greatest need? What do you think men of to-day need most? 74 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? What is the great need of man? In looking for an answer to this question, we can best begin by going back several thousands of years to the early events in the history of man. Perhaps as we study how man was made, what his place in the world was, and how he measured up to his responsibility, we shall find some clue that will lead us to the answer we seek. ‘And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”— Gen. 1:26-28. “And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.””—Gen. 2:16, 17. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.’”—Gen. 3:6. “Therefore Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”’— Gen. 3:23. How did God make man? What pattern did he follow? For what purpose did he create man? Is it right to say that man was to be God’s representative in ruling the THE ONE GREAT NEED OF MAN 75 world? (See also Ps. 8:4-6.) What condition did God attach to this position? Why do you think he commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’? Did God punish them because they ate of the fruit or because they disobeyed his commandment? Did God punish them as he said he would? What is the answer that this story gives to the question of man’s greatest need? What is sin? Sin is one of the words that does not mean very much to many of us. We think of men and women who have committed some great crime as being “sinners,” and sin itself seems to be some awful thing far off from us. What is sin? Is it really an “awful thing’’? What do I have to do to commit sin? There are three different definitions of sin given in the Bible. One is found in The First Epistle of John: “Eivery one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.’’—I John 3:4. How would you state this definition in your own words? What is the law of God? It is not enough, however, to keep the law of God. Paul gave another definition that goes a little further than the one which John gave: ‘But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”’—Rom. 14:23. How would you word this definition? Does it contradict or supplement the first definition discussed? There is a third definition of sin which is closely related to John’s. He described sin as the act of doing something contrary to the law of God. James declared that sin is even more than that: “To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” —James 4:17. 76 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? What is the definition that James gave? How would you combine the three into a single, complete definition? What does the definition in ‘‘The Westminster Shorter Catechism” mean: ‘‘Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God’’? What are the results of sin? Is sin, then, a terrible thing or is it something that does not make very much difference in life? What effect does sin have upon the man or woman who sins? The sins of Jerusalem had been many and Ezekiel, at the direction of Jehovah, brought this message to the city: “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A city that sheddeth blood in the midst of her, that her time may come, and that maketh idols against herself to defile her! Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and art defiled in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years.’’—Eizek. 22:3, 4a. What effect did the sin have upon the people? What do “ouilty”? and “defiled”? mean? James, in his Epistle, called attention to the same result of sin: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.’”’-—James 2:10. This is the first result of sin—a soul stained with guilt. What illustrations can you give from Biblical and secular history of men and women who have realized the guilt of sin? There is a second result of sin that is more to be dreaded than the first: “Each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is full-grown, bringeth forth death.’’-—James 1:14, 15. THE ONE GREAT NEED OF MAN 77 How did James describe sin? Is it more than the mere stain of guilt? Is it an active force in life? *“‘T find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?”—Rom. 7:21-24. What is the second result of sin? The third result sin reveals all of its awfulness. What is the final consequence of sin? What did God tell Adam would be the penalty if he disobeyed? “But when the righteous turneth away from his right- eousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.’”’— Ezek. 18:24. “For the wages of sin is death.””—Rom. 6:23a. What is meant by ‘death’? Is “ruin” a synonym? How could you summarize the effect of sin upon the life of the sinner? How many men are sinners? We have just discussed the awfulness of sin that comes like a blight and spreads until it has completely destroyed the life into which it enters. How extensive is this blight? How widespread is this need? Does it attach a few or a great many men? “For there is no distinction; for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.”—Rom. 3:22b, 28. Does Paul allow for any exceptions to his statement, ‘fall have sinned’’? 78 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? There were men and women who did not realize that they committed sin. Can aman sin and not know that he sins? If a person breaks a law of nature ignorantly, is he punished for it? Suppose that he does not know about the law of gravity and in his ignorance steps off a high building, does his ignorance save him? Moses discussed the differ- ence between conscious and unconscious lawbreakers in Num. 15:27-31, but both are held guilty. David realized that he might sin without knowing that he did, so he prayed: “Who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults.”’—Ps. 19:12. In the face of all these facts there were (and are) some people who maintained that they did not sin. Regarding such John made a very strong statement: “Tf we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not inus. . . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.’”’— I John 1:8, 10. But why should sin be universal? Cannot a man live without sinning if he really desires to do so? The standards are high: to live without sin a man must not break any one of God’s laws; must never do anything that he thinks may be wrong; must always do everything that is right. Why cannot a man keep all of those standards? “Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned.’”—Rom. 5:12. How did sin enter the world through one man? What effect has Adam’s sin upon my life? How many men are sinners? The one great need. We have been looking at the dead-black cloud of sin as it hangs loweringly over all —— — as 7 = THE ONE GREAT NEED OF MAN 79 mankind. We have seen how the blight of sin works in life, beginning as a small thing and growing in power until it destroys completely the whole of life. We have discussed the character of sin as the transgression of God’s law, the doing of doubtful things, and the leaving undone of things that are right, in all of which “ignorance of the law excuses no man.” Finally, we discovered that man has inherited a tendency to sin which makes it impossible for him to keep the standards set. Such is the blackness of the cloud that has come between man and God. Man’s one great need is a way through that cloud in order that he may find God. Notresookx ASssiIGNMENT Page heading: ‘‘What Is Sin?” Cite in your own words an example from the Bible under each of the three kinds of sin discussed on page 75. Which kind is most difficult to avoid? For SpEcIAL DISCUSSION Do I ever break the law of God? What things do I do that I am not sure are right? Do I always do everything that I know I ought to do? Which is easier for me to do, right or wrong? What is the great need of my life? For INVESTIGATION Paul discussed the question of eating meat offered to idols. Rom., ch. 14. What was the question and what was his conclusion? 80 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? CHAPTER XIII JESUS THE ANSWER TO MAN’s NEED HAT are some of man’s principal needs? What is his one great need? How does this need show itself in man’s relation to God? In God’s relation to man? What is God’s will in regard to man’s need? What was Jesus’ life purpose? How was it related to God’s will for his life? How did Jesus work out his purpose in meeting man’s need? If you should ask the average man what he needs most in life, what would be his reply? Jesus looked through all the superficial needs of mankind and saw in his heart the great need for God. Men of all ages have felt this need, this longing for the true God, this desire to get away from the kind of life they have been living to a life more nearly complete. Athens, the home of ancient learning, followed philosophers and priests in the search for God. Here, in this most intellectual city in the world, Paul proclaimed . the gospel to an informal gathering of the leading intellec- tuals of Athens. “And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, To AN UNKNowNn Gop. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.’’— — Jil he Mee aA, “1? ~ bay Pa cen Swialliatege cs Ne x Ate iF Bhs ee uptier Las ier hed hes Mein i? a ‘ od WL EAE EP TIE CGY es Ae meh, ee te WeGdye Aa i nf | . AY bes 7 ee ae F. Hides Fa ‘a fy ae. tess an eth rs) ; aa “Ae be, ‘ bad) ae £57 Ps a2 ti eat pe te tT 3 7 ok DORE em ad ne a ie. sig vant * i Oi aaa ‘ eee: a | ‘ * e a “f 3 + ’ oe ! i j a ie Lad - "aes y wear , ’ wa | 20 ee eet | 7. , ' 4 ¢ o.5h . 4 H 5 ae Pp 4 j ¥ oe hs ; SH ‘s ia, i ‘ 4 Fh . A . Lj tebe Ne = ~s bf P Me | 7 ¢ “ bl : Pen ; a7 ast See at ‘y ts fet | ae a» ae Oe ee PART II What Shall Be My Life Work? “ CHAPTER I CHOOSING A Lire Work HAT was the life purpose of Jesus? How was this related to his life work? What is the relationship between life purpose and life work? Is it important to find the right life work? To whom is it of importance? What is the process followed in discovering the right life work? Life purpose and life work. In a preceding chapter (Part I, Chapter XI) we discussed the life purpose of Jesus as it affected his life work. We decided that his life work was just the expression of his life purpose. Fundamental to everything that he did was the great dominating purpose of his life. Why is it important for me to decide my life purpose? What must I do after that choice is made? There are some who seem to think that the choice of a high purpose is sufficient in itself to insure the right use of life. Nothing could be more erroneous. A purpose for life that never finds its expression in life is practically valueless. The choice of a purpose is but the first step. We must then discover in what way we can best work out this purpose. How, then, shall I go about the discovery of my right life work? Are there some occupations that are ‘“‘best’’? in themselves? Can I be in one of the “higher occupations” and yet be far from the best? What is the best occupation for me? The best occupation. At various times in the history of society, and always in some sections of it, there has been a feeling that certain occupations are in themselves “best.”’ For example, the professions, as a class, have often been thought of as the best occupations. Why has this been so? Can a man be a physician and not be in the 95 96 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? best occupation? Can a man be a mechanic and yet be in the best occupation? The trouble comes largely from a mistaken idea of respectability. Even in this democratic country of ours, there is a feeling that certain “ white-collar’’ jobs are more respectable than others that require jumpers and overalls. Is it any more respectable to sell goods over a counter than it is to repair automobiles? Which requires the greater technical training? Can you choose the best occu- pation by entering that which is considered the most respectable? What is the best occupation? Finding the best occupation. The question of the best occupation, then, is not to be settled by looking within the occupation itself. The best occupation for me is that in which I can best carry out my life purpose. In other words the occupation that gives me the best opportunity to meet the need of men is for me the best occupation. How am I going to discover what occupation that is? Can I expect God to ‘‘call’? me? How does God call men? There is a word, frequently used in connection with the choice of a life work, that has been used infrequently in this book because of its present-day meaning. What is the true significance of the word ‘‘vocation”’? How is it used in our modern speech regarding occupations? Is it correct to say that, “we choose a vocation”? What other noun is the exact equivalent of “ vocation’’? Vocation is a picture word. In three short syllables it throws upon the screen of our imagination the picture of the boy and girl—yourself and myself—standing on the threshold of life and listening eagerly to the voices that would call them into their place in the world. Recall the picture of Jesus listening to the two voices (Part I, Chapter V). Which one did he answer? In our choice of a life purpose, we, too, have turned from the voice of self CHOOSING A LIFE WORK 97 and are listening for the voice of God. How can we hear it? How can we follow it into the right life work? The first step. In our choice of the right life purpose, we have turned our faces in the right direction and have set for ourselves the right objective. We are now ready for the first step. What did Jesus do as the first step in his important choices? ‘‘And it came to pass in these days, that he went out into the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called his disciples; and he chose from them twelve, whom also he named apostles.’’—Luke 6:12, 13. How much time did he spend in prayer? Why? Is it true that “‘the more important the choice, the more time he spent in prayer’’? What, then, should be our first step in the choice of the right life work? How much time should we spend in prayer? How often should we pray about this choice? In his closing words to the people of Thessalonica, Paul urged them to “‘pray without ceasing.” I Thess. 5:17. What did he mean by this? As we seek to find the right occupation for ourselves, we too should ‘‘ pray without ceasing.’” We should always be in such an attitude that we can hear God’s voice when he calls. 7 The second step. But we cannot expect to discover the right life work if we sit down idly and wait for God to answer our prayers. We must put ourselves in the way of his answer. His voice comes to us through some great need, some great occupation, as we try to discover the answer to our prayers. He may open the door into our right life work but it may be behind us, and if we sit still we shall never see it. ‘‘Help me to find the life work that thou hast for me,” is the prayer that looks for an answer. 98 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? The second step, then, in the choice of the right life work requires some activity on our part. What can we do toward finding the best occupation for ourselves? What ought we to know before we can choose intelligently? This means, of course, that the choice of the right life work involves real study. We must know something of the various occupations, their characteristics, and the qualities they require in those who follow them. Then we must know something of our own abilities in order that we may discover just where we fit into the scheme of things. Finally, we must discover where the need is the greatest if we would carry out the purpose of our lives. As J. Lovell Murray says: ‘‘The decision is twofold. We must find both the right vocation and the right location.” Here the question under discussion has provided the procedure to be followed in the right choice of a life work. We have decided that two things are necessary: Prayer, and a study of ourselves, of the various occupations, and of the need in the world. We will discuss these more fully in the next chapter. But is there anything else that we must do in the choice of the right life work? The last step. It is possible for a man to follow all the steps we have indicated and yet not find his right life work. What is the final step that is necessary? A boy spent a great deal of time during his high-school and college days in trying to find an occupation that would give him the opportunity he wanted. After college he tried several in a half-hearted way, but none satisfied him. To-day he is washing dishes in a cheap restaurant. He could not make a decision! It is not wise to hurry in the matter of choosing a life work, but it is necessary to act when all the necessary information is at hand. Very often we cannot be perfectly certain of our choice, but if we have made it prayerfully, trying to discover God’s will for our lives, we may be PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING RIGHT CHOICE 99 assured of the outcome. It may be necessary for us to summon all power of thought, emotion, and will in the act of decision, but the decision must be made—made with all of life, for all of life. For us, life is a glorious venture of faith as we follow Him to whom we have pledged our allegiance in the purpose of our lives. NoTrespook ASSIGNMENT Make a list of the occupations in which you are especially interested, giving, after each, the reason for your interest. For SpPEcIAL DISCUSSION What occupations are considered the most respectable among the people we know? Why? Does the occupation of the parents make any difference to their children in social life in high school? What can we do to make our school more democratic? CHAPTER -II PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE RiGcHT CHOICE HAT were the three steps in the choice of a life work suggested in the last chapter? Explain in your own words the significance of each step. In our study of occupations, what principles should guide us? What were the principles underlying Jesus’ choice of a life purpose? (Part I, Chapters VI to X.) Is there any connection be- tween these and the principles underlying the choice of the right life work? “The will of God and a man’s life work.’’ Some years ago, Dr. H. B. Wright, of Yale, wrote a book under this title, urging that men seek to follow God’s will rather than their own selfish desire in the important matter of choosing a life work. Unfortunately, the book is now out of print but the title can never lose its significance. What ~ 100 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? place should God’s will have in my choice of a life work? Does he have any particular interest in what we do with our lives? Will he reveal his will to us? Let us again think of Jesus’ own life. What place did he give to the will of the Father? Turn back to the chapter where we discussed together the first great principle of his life, his consciousness of God. (Part I, Chapter VI.) From what was said at that time, how would you answer the question? Nowhere is Jesus’ attitude more vividly por- trayed than during that supreme moment of his life when he stood face to face with the cross. ‘“‘And he was parted from them about a stone’s cast; and he kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”’—Luke 22:41, 42. What relationship did Jesus establish between his will and that of the Father? What, then should be the place I give to God’s will in my consideration of a life work? Probably no man since Jesus himself has had so great an influence on the world’s history as the brave and brilliant Apostle Paul. What place did he give to the will of God? What did he mean when he spoke of himself as an apostle “through the will of God’? II Cor. 1:1. Do you know men and women to-day who are giving the same place to God’s will? What place shall I give him? A plan for the individual life. The discussion which we have followed so far raises two important questions. In the first place, does God have a plan for each life? If a person places his will parallel with God’s will, how can he be assured that his life will be a success? After all, does God really have something definite for each of us to do? We have discussed this question somewhat in Part I, Chapter X, in which we investigated Jesus’ realization of a special mission. Name some of the outstanding men PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING RIGHT CHOICE 101 whom you believe God sent into the world for a spiritual purpose.!. Why do you think they had a particular piece of work to do? What reason have you to suppose that God does not have a plan for your life? The second important question arises naturally from the first. If God does have a plan for each life, how is the individual to find out about it? How do you expect God to reveal his plan? How has he revealed it to other men and women? We talked over this question a little in the preceding chapter and as we discuss the other principles of right choice, we shall find a more nearly complete answer. Now we need to remember that God reveals his will here in the same way that he does in other matters. Although the choice of a life work is of fundamental importance, we cannot expect any supernatural revelation or “call’’ to service—not because such a call is impossible, but rather because the vast majority of men and women who find the right life work do so through ordinary processes under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The first answer, then, to the question as to how each person can find God’s plan for any life is a negative answer. We must not rely upon an extraordinary supernatural revelation. Where then shall we look for God’s will regarding our lives? The need of mankind and a man’s life work. This brings us quite naturally to the second great principle of guidance in the choice of the right life work. What does God want most to accomplish in the world? Why did he send his Son into the world? Jesus made the purpose of the Father his own purpose. What was the great life purpose of Jesus? (Part 1, Chapter XI.) } Can we say, then, that God’s great desire for the world is the return of mankind to himself? that man shall place him at the center, on the throne, of his life? that man’s ‘Reference has been made to Bushnell’s “Every Man’s Life a Plan of God” (pages 41, 42). His material will be found helpful in answering these questions. 102 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? great need for him, which is fundamental to all other needs, shall be met? It is therefore logical to assume that God wants all of his children to work with him in the task of winning the world to himself. His plan for each life will therefore put each individual where he can best meet the need of man. Does this mean that everyone must become a minister or a missionary? What are the “service” callings? Can we be sure of following God’s will merely by entering these callings? These questions all group themselves around two prob- lems. In the first place, where can we find the greatest need? In answering this question, we have to push out our horizon until it includes the whole world. We no longer think in terms of our own community, but rather in terms of the nation and the world. Cleland B. McAfee quotes a friend as saying: ‘“My grandfather lived in a community. My father lived in a community and a state. I have lived in a community, a state, and a nation; but my son will live in a community, a state, a nation, and a world.”” How does Jesus indicate this world point of view? “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.’”’—Mark 16:15. Can we be sure that we are following God’s will for our lives unless we consider our lives in relation to the need of the whole world? The second problem is closely related to the first: What calling offers the greatest service possibilities? This is a question which is quite similar to that concerning the best occupations in the preceding chapter. How would you answer it? There are two factors that make it impossible for any one calling to be named as the best. In the first place, the need of the community will affect the situation, one section being greatly in need of doctors, another of PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING RIGHT CHOICE 103 teachers, and a third of scientific farmers. Again, our own personal qualifications demand consideration. The need for doctors is very urgent in certain parts of China, so I determine that it is God’s will for me to go to China as a doctor. What is there dangerous about such a decision? How should my own personal qualifications affect my answer? Two guiding principles. We have been discussing two guiding principles in the selection of the right life work. The first of these corresponds to the first great fundamental in the life of Jesus, his consciousness of God (Part I, Chap- ter VI). How would you state this briefly? The second principle parallels the second fundamental in the life of Jesus, his consciousness of the need of man (Part I, Chapter VII). State this so that it will correspond in form to your statement of the first principle. NoTrEeBook ASSIGNMENT Go over the list of occupations which you have already made and as far as possible indicate which offer the greatest service opportunities and where these opportunities are greatest. For SpEcIAL Discussion What difference would it make in my life at home and at school if I put God’s will above my own? What differ- ence would it make if I gave my life to meeting the needs of my fellows? Where can I best begin with such a program? 104 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? CHAPTER III PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE RiguT Cuoice (Continued) HAT was the first principle discussed as fundamental to the right choice of life work? What assurance have I that God has a plan for my life? What is the second principle? How is it related to the first? What geographical boundaries should I put upon my considera- tion of the place where I shall work? Is the decision regarding an occupation dependent solely upon the place of need? Must I consider my preference in any way? If so, what consideration do I owe myself in deciding upon a life work? A man’s self and his life work. Let us again think of the three fundamentals underlying the life of Jesus. The first was his consciousness of the Father’s intimate presence, and the second, his consciousness of man’s great need. In the last two lessons, we have been talking about the relationship of these fundamentals to the principles underlying the right choice of a life work. The third fundamental, Jesus’ consciousness of self, has a corre- sponding principle of choice. In deciding upon a life work, we must consider ourselves. Why is this true? What weight will this consideration have in the final decision? What method shall we follow in the consideration of self? Our responsibility. In choosing our life work, we must, first of all, put ourselves in a place of responsibility regarding that choice. A young man finished his college course with the object of a business career before him. His father, however, wanted him to study law. Because of his respect for his father and his feeling of obligation to him, the young man decided to become a lawyer. Did he do right in making this the basis of his decision? “The choice, let us repeat, is acutely individual. No PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING RIGHT CHOICE 105 one, whether phrenologist, professor, vocational-guidance expert, fiancée, or parent, can in conscience be permitted to settle the choice for you. Your life is yours and the responsibility for determining its career is narrowed down to you. One day you will be asked how you used your life and not how your parents or anyone else disposed of it. It is a solemn accountability, but it cannot be alienated.’ In choosing my life work, I must remember that I alone am responsible for that choice. Our value. In choosing an occupation we cannot forget ourselves, for we are responsible for that choice. More- over, we must consider the value of ourselves in making the choice. In the first chapter of this book we began the consideration of the question, “What Shall I Do with My Life?” by discussing the value of life. What decision did we reach regarding our own value? What was the basis for this decision? In the light of that decision why is it important for us to consider ourselves in the choice of an occupation? In your set of tools you have a chisel. One day you need a screw driver very much, but for some reason cannot find one so you use the chisel instead. What happens? Not only do you find that the chisel makes a poor screw driver, but you also discover that you have nicked it so that it is no longer worth much as a chisel. If you reverse the pro- cedure and try to sharpen the screw driver into a chisel, you meet with no better success. How can you apply this illustration in answering the question under discussion? Our qualifications. Not only do we consider the value of ourselves in making our choice but, as the illustration just used suggests, we need also to study our own qualifica- tions. Why must we do this? Can we realize the full value of our lives without using them to their full capacity? In thinking of ourselves in relation to our life work, we 1J, Lovell Murray, ‘‘The Choice of a Life Work,” page 10. (Association Press.) 106 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? must avoid two mistakes. In the first place, we may very easily undertake an occupation for which we have little qualification. The boy whose father is a doctor enters that profession in order that he may practice medicine with his father. A girl, because of her fondness for music, decides to follow music as a life work. Neither of these has con- sidered personal qualifications. Thus the second mis- take comes in not considering all of our qualifications. It has been said that ‘‘a man’s right life work will engage all his powers.’”’ Do you know whether or not that is true? Does it seem logical? Turn again to the discussion in regard to the parable of The Talents. (Part I, Chapter II.) What does Jesus teach in this parable which helps to answer the question? How are you going to discover your quali- fications? Our development. Since life is valuable, it follows not only that we must use if efficiently but also that we shall develop it in order to increase its efficiency. There are some occupations which do not permit self-development, that give little opportunity for increasing the number of talents. Name some that may be so classified. Do you know any men or women who have entered ‘‘blind alley”’ occupations? What is the result? There are two questions that may well be asked about any proposed occupation. Does it offer sufficient financial return to allow for self-development? With the life purpose we have chosen as our own, we are not looking for wealth and luxury, but our occupation should bring us more than merely enough for self-support. More important than this, however, is the second question. Does this occupation offer an opportunity to grow? Does it call out the very best in us and then continually demand a little more? As we think of any occupation, we must satisfy ourselves that it offers ample opportunity for the complete use of our best powers and that it will allow us to throw all of our PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING RIGHT CHOICE 107 abilities and all of our energy into its prosecution, not only at the beginning of our work, but also through all the years after the first enthusiasm and novelty have worn away. Only thus can we hope to avoid the deadening monotony of the position that has become too small for us. The principles underlying the choice of the right life work. In the last two chapters we have been discuss- ing the various principles wihch should govern a person in choosing a life work. These may be summarized as follows: 1. The choice of a life work should follow the purpose of God. 2. The choice of a life work should meet the need of mankind. 3. The choice of a life work should conserve the value of self. What is the relationship of the second to the first? of the third to the second? Can we say that the first principle is inclusive of the other two? Under which of the three principles would you place the following? a. Each individual is responsible for the choice of his life work. b. The choice of a life work should disregard community, state, and national boundaries. ce. The choice of a life work should allow for the develop- ment of personality. d. The choice of a life work should be made on the basis of all the available evidence. NoTresBpook ASSIGNMENT Honestly study the question of your own qualifications. Make a list of the qualifications you possess, dividing them under the four heads: physical; mental; social; and spiritual. Ask your parents and some good friend to check over the list, adding any you may have omitted and sug- 108 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? gesting possible changes. If you think that they are correct, make the changes suggested. For SprectaAL Discussion Where can I do the most good in the world? In what occupations do I know that I could not be of most service? Even though I have not decided upon my life work, how can I begin practicing the principles in my school life? at home? in my church? CHAPTER IV THE INVESTIGATION OF OCCUPATIONS HAT are the three principles underlying the right choice of a life work? What is the practical value of these principles? How may they be applied to the actual choice of a life work? How much should we know before making our choice? How can we secure this knowledge? Securing all the evidence. In the last lesson we decided that the choice of a life work should rest upon the total evidence in the case. Often the mistake in our con- clusions regarding the right life work is the result of in- complete information. Each one of us needs to know the answer to the important question: For what occupations do my qualifications and training fit me? This involves a knowledge of my qualifications, as suggested in the last chapter. What else is involved? Can I answer the question without knowing what qualifications each occupation demands? It follows that in securing the necessary information we must investigate the various occupations. Why should we study all the occupations rather than just those in which we are particularly interested? Can we be sure that we are right without knowing something about all the more important occupations? Of what value is our knowing in THE INVESTIGATION OF OCCUPATIONS 109 general the characteristics of occupations other than our own? How shall we go about securing the necessary information? A plan of study. We have spent our time up to this point in deciding upon a life purpose and in discovering the principles underlying the right choice of a life work. We have been investigating ourselves in an effort to list our characteristics and special qualifications. We.must now study the occupations to see where we can best use our own particular abilities. This shall be our purpose in the following lessons. What do we need to know about each occupation? Let us compare our answers with the questions given below, adding supplementary questions if we think necessary. Our completed answer to the above question will give us a plan of study in the investigation of each occupation. 1. What is the occupation? What are its characteristics? 2. What qualifications does it demand? How do these compare with my abilities, my training, and my interests? 3. Of what importance is the occupation? Does it meet a real need of man? Can I, through it, help to meet the great need of mankind? What opportunities does the occupation offer? Does it give opportunity for self-develop- ment? 4. Where is the place of greatest need for the occupation? If I make this my choice, where can I be of the most service? Look back over this list of questions. Would you leave any out of consideration? What would you add? Classifying the occupations. In approaching our investigation of the occupations, we are confronted at once with their great number and variety. A hundred years or so ago every boy knew something of all the occupations. In the village where he lived he could watch the black- smith, the cobbler, the weaver, and the baker. He knew 110 WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY LIFE? the doctor, the minister, the lawyer, and the school- teacher. Therefore it was not such a difficult problem for him to find his vocation. To-day, however, the simple industrial system had become minutely complex. Instead of doing several things, men do one or only part of one thing. Specialization has occurred and new occupations are continually arising. In the census of 1910 the United States Government lists nine classes of occupations, but these contain many kinds of work so that the total number is difficult to discover. Women in the occupations. Women are coming to the front in every field of endeavor. During the year 1922 there were 8,549,511 women earning money in the United States and the total of their income tax was $1,264,955,727. For the benefit of the girls who are looking forward to their life work the following table is given, indicating the variety of work that is being done by women: TOTAL IN OCCUPATION Agriculture, Forestry, and Animal Husbandry. 1,084,128 Win so Sie ee ste eae oe ee 2,864 TRACER e ee et ec he eee Oe ee 667,792 GlericaPOceupations 072i ee eee 1,426,116 Transportation s if ves ae 6 ote ee 213,054 Manufacturing and Mechanical Industries.... 1,930,341 Rublic Services