God is Love

 

Christian Education

True  education  does  not  ignore  the  value  of  scientific  knowledge  or literary acquirements;  but  above  information  it  values  power;  above power,  goodness;  above intellectual acquirements,  character.   The world does not so much need men of great intellect as it needs men of noble character.  It needs men in whom ability is controlled by steadfast principle.

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.” Proverbs 4: 7

“The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright.”           Proverbs 15:2  

True education imparts this wisdom.  It teaches the best use not only of one but of all our powers and acquirements.  Thus it covers the whole circle of obligation - to ourselves, to the world, and to God.  

In every generation and in every land the true foundation and pattern for character building have been the same. The divine law, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart: . . . and thy neighbor as thyself” Luke 10: 27, the great principle made manifest in the character of the life of our Savior, is the only secure foundation and the only sure guide.  

“The stability of thy times and the strength of thy happiness shall be wisdom and knowledge” Isaiah 33: 6 (Leeser’s translation) – that wisdom and knowledge which God’s word alone can impart.  

It is as true now as when the words were spoken to Israel of obedience to His commandments: “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations.” Deuteronomy 4: 6  

Here is the only safeguard for individual integrity, for the purity of the home, the well-being of society, or the stability of the nation. Amidst all life’s perplexities and dangers and conflicting claims the one safe and sure rule is to do what God says.

“The statutes of the Lord are right” Psalms 19:8

“he that doeth these things shall never be moved.” Psalms 15: 5

Character building is the most important work ever entrusted to human beings; and never before was its diligent study so important as now.  Never was any previous generation called to meet issues so momentous; never before were young men and young women confronted by perils so great as confront them today.

At such a time as this we need to restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized – this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life. God’s plan of life has a place for every human being.  Each is to improve his talents to the utmost; and faithfulness in doing this, be the gifts few or many, entitles one to honor.

Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children.  Godliness – godlikeness – is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good, and pure, and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge. But his efforts will be directed to objects as much higher than mere selfish and temporal interests as the heavens are higher than the earth.

He who co-operates with the divine purpose in imparting to the youth a knowledge of God, and molding the character into harmony with His, does a high and noble work.  As he awakens a desire to reach God’s ideal, he presents an education that is as high as heaven and as broad as the universe; an education that cannot be completed in this life, but that will be continued in the life to come;  an education that secures to the successful student his passport from the preparatory school of earth to the higher grade, the school above.

Education,  Ellen G. White