guarding_against_overorganization

The main ideas from this information are: - Motion is not necessarily life; we need to be alive in Christ for our work to be worthwhile. - Men make the work of advancing the truth harder by trying to take God's work into their own hands. - We should not spend time trying to fix others' characters or create rules, but rather submit to Christ and let Him do His work. - The work of God will be done in a way that goes against human planning, and God will use surprising and simple means to bring about His work. Heading, guiding against over-organization. Subheading, motion, not necessarily life. It is not orthodox theories, not membership in the church, not the diligent performance of a certain round of duties that gives evidence of life. In an ancient tower in Switzerland, I saw the image of a man that moved as if it possessed life. It looked like a living man, and I whispered when I came near as if it could hear me. But though the image looked like life, it had no real life. It was moved by machinery. Motion is not necessarily life. We may go through all the forms and ceremonies of religion, but unless we are alive in Christ, our work is worthless. The Lord calls for living, working, believing Christians. Review and Herald, April 21, 1903. Subheading, work made difficult by useless inventions. Men make the work of advancing the truth tenfold harder than it really is by seeking to take God's work out of His hands into their own finite hands. They think they must be constantly inventing something to make men do things which they suppose these persons ought to do. The time thus spent is all the while making the work more complicated, for the great chief work is left out of the question in the care of his own heritage. Men undertake the job of tinkering up the defective characters and only succeed in making the defects much worse. They would better leave God to do His own work, for He does not regard them as capable of reshaping character. Instead of toiling to prepare set rules and regulations, you might better be praying and submitting your own will and your ways to Christ. He is not pleased when you make hard the thing He has made easy. He says, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. The Lord Jesus loves His heritage, and if men will not think of their special prerogative to prescribe rules for their fellow laborers, but will bring Christ's rules into their life and copy His lessons, then each will be an example and not a judge. Manuscript 44, 1894. Subheading Contrary to Human Planning Unless those who can help in blank are aroused to a sense of their duty, they will not recognize the work of God when the loud cry of the third angel shall be heard. When light goes forth to lighten the earth, instead of coming up to the help of the Lord, they will want to bind about His work to meet their narrow ideas. Let me tell you that the Lord will work and His last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. There will be those among us who will always want to control the work of God, to dictate even what movement shall be made when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel, who joins the third angel in the message to be given to the world. God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He has taken the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness. Testimonies to Ministers, page 300, 1885.