Education

Those who deal with the young should be very careful to call out the qualities of the mind, that they may better know how to direct its power so that they may be exercised to the very best account. (FE 19.1)

“Now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Faith-looking up, not down. Hope-looking forward, not back. Love-looking out, not in.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:1-8)

The great motive powers of the soul are faith, hope, and love; and it is to these that Bible study, rightly pursued, appeals. The outward beauty of the Bible, the beauty of imagery and expression, is but the setting, as it were, for its real treasure—the beauty of holiness. In its record of the men who walked with God, we may catch glimpses of His glory. In the One “altogether lovely” we behold Him, of whom all beauty of earth and heaven is but a dim reflection. “I, if I be lifted up,” He said, “will draw all men unto Me.” John 12:32. As the student of the Bible beholds the Redeemer, there is awakened in the soul the mysterious power of faith, adoration, and love. Upon the vision of Christ the gaze is fixed, and the beholder grows into the likeness of that which he adores. The words of the apostle Paul become the language of the soul: “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: . . . that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings." Philippians 3:8-10. {Ed 192.1}

He who seeks to transform humanity must himself understand humanity. Only through sympathy, faith, and love can men be reached and uplifted. Here Christ stands revealed as the master teacher; of all that ever dwelt on the earth, He alone has perfect understanding of the human soul. {Ed 78.3}

The object of our faith, hope, and love, should be Jesus,—Jesus always, Jesus only. A mere profession of faith will not save us; we must have real faith in Christ. Then the heart will be renewed; we shall be born again. Christ takes our sins upon himself, and imparts to us his righteousness. {GCDB, April 13, 1891 par. 31}

There can be no half-way work in the service of God. The Lord is a jealous God; and he requires the sincere affection and unreserved confidence of those who profess to worship him. He will not tolerate evil. Said the psalmist, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” But he listens to prayers that are offered in contrition and humility of soul. Sincere expressions of mutual faith, hope, and love will make the hour of social worship wholly profitable. But one sinner or deceiver in the meeting will do great harm. Better have a very few true-hearted worshipers than to have a much larger number composed of persons not in harmony with one another and with the truth. “Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” {RH, January 27, 1885 par. 6}

Jesus calls us to walk with him in the light, instead of wandering in the dark mazes of unbelief. If men would but stop to consider the worth of the soul, and their own need of a Savior, they would gladly, gratefully accept the hand which he has stretched out to them. Alas that so many, in their pride and stubbornness of heart, refuse to accept the guidance of infinite wisdom! Faith, hope, and love, man’s highest and noblest faculties, have been paralyzed by sin and Satan. But Jesus stands ready to awaken them to new life, that they may be enlisted in his service. The power of renewing grace will bring them again into vigorous exercise. {ST, February 16, 1882 par. 13}

There is not one family in a hundred who will be improved, physically, mentally, or spiritually, by residing in the city. Faith, hope, love, happiness, can far better be gained in retired places, where there are fields and hills and trees. Take your children away from the sights and sounds of the city, away from the rattle and din of streetcars and teams, and their minds will become more healthy. It will be found easier to bring home to their hearts the truth of the Word of God. {19MR 335.1}

We can see the importance, then, of having true faith, for it is the motive power of the Christian’s life and action; but feeling is not faith, emotion is not faith. We must bring our works and thoughts and emotions to the test of the word, and true faith will be profoundly impressed by the voice of God, and will act accordingly. If people would only search the Scriptures more diligently, false doctrines and heresies would be fewer. The test is written: “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” {BEcho, June 11, 1894 par. 5}

The faculty of reason, trained and cultivated as a precious entrusted gift, will be taken to heaven with all its improvements and sanctified abilities, to be perfected more and more in the heavenly school above. Paul reasoned out of the Scriptures. Jesus reasoned with his hearers out of the Scriptures. “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” “As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” This is the faith, that although we do not see, we believe his word, and sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of him. He speaks as one having authority,—“It is written.” He himself was the author. The motive power of the gospel is the science of patience, love, faith, prayer, obedience, hope, and the joy of Christ in the human soul. {SW, April 24, 1902 par. 4}

There are dangers to be guarded against on the right hand and on the left. There will be inexperienced ones, newly come to the faith, who need to be strengthened, and to have a correct example set before them. Some will not make a right use of the doctrine of justification by faith. They will present it in a one-sided manner. Others will seize the ideas that have not been correctly presented, and will go clear over the mark, ignoring works altogether. Now, genuine faith always works by love. It supplies a motive power. Faith is not an opiate, but a stimulant. When you look to Calvary, it is not to quiet your soul in the non-performance of duty, not to compose yourself for sleep, but to create faith in Jesus, faith that will work, and purify the soul from all the slime of selfishness. When we lay hold of Christ by faith, our work has but just begun. Everyone has corrupt and sinful habits, that must be overcome through vigorous warfare. Every soul must fight the fight of faith. If he is a follower of Christ, he cannot be sharp in deal, he cannot be hard-hearted, devoid of sympathy; he cannot be coarse in speech; he cannot be a surmiser of evil, an accuser of the brethren; he cannot be full of pomposity and self-esteem; he cannot be overbearing, nor can he use harsh words, and censure and condemn. {SpTA01b 36.1}

Christ identified himself with the necessities of his people. Their needs and their sufferings were his. He says, “I was a hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” [Matthew 25:35, 36.] God’s servants should have hearts of tender affection and sincere love for the followers of Christ. They should manifest that deep interest that Christ brings to view in the care of the shepherd for the lost sheep; they should follow the example given by Christ, and exercise the same compassion and gentleness, and the same tender, pitying love that he has exercised toward us. {GW92 91.1}

The great moral powers of the soul are faith, hope, and love. If these are inactive, a minister may be ever so earnest and zealous, but his labor will not be accepted by God, and cannot be productive of good to the church. A minister of Christ who bears the solemn message from God to the people, should ever deal justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before God. The spirit of Christ in the heart will incline every power of the soul to nourish and protect the sheep of his pasture, like a faithful, true shepherd. Love is the golden chain which binds believing hearts to one another in willing bonds of friendship, tenderness, and faithful constancy; and which binds the soul to God. There is a decided lack of love, compassion, and pitying tenderness among brethren. The ministers of Christ are too cold and heartless. Their hearts are not all aglow with tender compassion and earnest love. The purest and most elevated devotion to God is that which is manifested in the most earnest desires and efforts to win souls to Christ. The reason ministers who preach present truth are not more successful is, they are deficient, greatly deficient, in faith, hope, and love. There are toils and conflicts, self-denials and secret heart-trials, for us all to meet and bear. There will be sorrow and tears for our sins; there will be constant struggles and watchings, mingled with remorse and shame because of our deficiencies. {GW92 91.2}

Let not the ministers of the cross of our dear Saviour forget their own experience in these things; but let them ever bear in mind that they are but men, liable to err, and possessing like passions with their brethren; and that if they help their brethren, they must be persevering in their efforts to do them good, having their hearts filled with pity and love. They must come to the hearts of their brethren, and help them where they are weak and need help the most. Those who labor in word and doctrine should break their own hard, proud, unbelieving hearts, if they would witness the same in their brethren. Christ has done all for us, because we were helpless; we were bound in chains of darkness, sin, and despair, and could therefore do nothing for ourselves. It is through the exercise of faith, hope, and love that we come nearer and nearer to the standard of perfect holiness. Our brethren feel the same need of pitying help that we have felt. We should not burden them with unnecessary censure, but should let the love of Christ constrain us to be very compassionate and tender, that we can weep over the erring and those who have backslidden from God. The soul is of infinite value. Its worth can be estimated only by the price paid to ransom it. Calvary! Calvary! Calvary! will explain the true value of the soul.— Vol. 3, p. 186. {GW92 92.1}

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Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul. “A merry [rejoicing] heart doeth good like a medicine.” Proverbs 17:22. {CH 344.3}

God is the great caretaker of the human machinery. In the care of our bodies we must cooperate with Him. Love for God is essential for life and health. . . . In order to have perfect health our hearts must be filled with love and hope and joy. . . . {BLJ 320.5}

After the temple was cleansed, the demeanor of Jesus changed; the terrible majesty of his countenance gave place to an expression of tenderest sympathy. He looked after the flying crowd with eyes full of sorrow and compassion. There were some who remained, held by the irresistible attraction of his presence. They were unterrified by his awful dignity, their hearts were drawn toward him with love and hope. These people were not the great and powerful, who expected to impress him with a sense of their grandeur; they were the poor, the sick, and the afflicted. {2SP 119.2}

The solemn impressions made upon my mind as the truth was laid out in clear lines before me, I tried to bring before others, that each might feel the necessity of having a religious experience for himself, of having a knowledge of the Saviour for himself, of seeking repentance, faith, love, hope, and holiness for himself. {3SM 113.6}

If you cultivate faithfully the vineyard of your soul, God is making you a laborer together with Himself. And you will have a work to do not only for yourself, but for others. In representing the church as the vineyard, Christ does not teach that we are to restrict our sympathies and labors to our own numbers. The Lord’s vineyard is to be enlarged. In all parts of the earth He desires it to be extended. As we receive the instruction and grace of God, we should impart to others a knowledge of how to care for the precious plants. Thus we may extend the vineyard of the Lord. God is watching for evidence of our faith, love, and patience. He looks to see if we are using every spiritual advantage to become skillful workers in His vineyard on earth, that we may enter the Paradise of God, that Eden home from which Adam and Eve were excluded by transgression. {COL 282.2}

It is our work to direct souls to the living oracles. We must present to them sound doctrine, even the faith once delivered to the saints. We must show them the truth in its beauty, that they may be led to renounce error. We must instruct them in faith, love, obedience, and hope, that through much prayer they may grow up “a holy temple in the Lord.” The day of Judgment will test every man’s work. Let us so build that our work may endure the fiery trial. {ST, May 26, 1887 par. 7}

We are, as I have been shown, constantly liable to error in laying too much stress even on sound ideas and proper forms. Those peculiarities which are not required, if allowed to become so distinct, lessen the force of the positions we are compelled to hold upon sound, essential truths that will distinguish us as God’s peculiar people. It is this phase in the religious world that has divided up God’s professed people. Faith, love, and holiness are the essentials that give true power to the truth for this time. The manifest absence of these, the little many have known of Christ, and the little we preach Christ’s lessons, have been a telling witness against Seventh-day Adventists. {1888 842.1}

Christ seldom attempted to prove that truth is truth. He illustrated truth in all its bearings, and then left His hearers free to accept or reject it, as they might choose. He did not force anyone to believe. In the sermon on the mount He instructed the people in practical godliness, distinctly outlining their duty. He spoke in such a manner as to commend truth to the conscience. The power manifested by the disciples was revealed in the clearness and earnestness with which they expressed the truth. {Ev 171.1}

In Christ’s teaching there is no long, far-fetched, complicated reasoning. He comes right to the point. In His ministry He read every heart as an open book, and from the inexhaustible store of His treasure house He drew things both new and old to illustrate and enforce His teachings. He touched the heart, and awakened the sympathies. (Ev 171)

God could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as one can cast a pebble to the earth; but He did not do this. Rebellion was not to be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only under Satan’s government. The Lord’s principles are not of this order. His authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presentation of these principles is the means to be used. God’s government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power. {DA 759.1}

Christ affirmed that His word was in itself a key which would unlock the mystery to those who were prepared to receive it. It had a self-commending power, and this was the secret of the spread of His kingdom of truth. He desired Pilate to understand that only by receiving and appropriating truth could his ruined nature be reconstructed. {DA 727.3}

He who has paid the infinite price to redeem men reads with unerring accuracy all the hidden workings of the human mind, and knows just how to deal with every soul. And in dealing with men, He manifests the same principles that are manifest in the natural world. The beneficent operations of nature are not accomplished by abrupt and startling interpositions; men are not permitted to take her work into their own hands. God works through the calm, regular operation of His appointed laws. So it is in spiritual things. Satan is constantly seeking to produce effects by rude and violent thrusts; but Jesus found access to minds by the pathway of their most familiar associations. He disturbed as little as possible their accustomed train of thought by abrupt actions or prescribed rules. He honored man with His confidence, and thus placed him on his honor. He introduced old truths in a new and precious light. Thus when only twelve years old, He astonished the doctors of the law by His questions in the temple. {TM 189.3}

Jesus assumed humanity that He might meet humanity. He brings men under the transforming power of truth by meeting them where they are. He gains access to the heart by securing sympathy and confidence, making all feel that His identification with their nature and interest is complete. The truth came from His lips beautiful in its simplicity, yet clothed with dignity and power. What a teacher was our Lord Jesus Christ! How tenderly did He treat every honest inquirer after truth, that He might gain admission to his sympathies and find a home in his heart. {TM 190.1}

“Many are longing to grow in grace; they pray over the matter, and are surprised that their prayers are not answered. The Master has given them a work to do whereby they shall grow. Of what value is it to pray when there is need of work? The question is, Are they seeking to save souls for whom Christ died? Spiritual growth depends upon giving to others the light that God has given to you. You are to put forth your best thoughts in active labor to do good, and only good, in your family, in your church, and in your neighborhood. In place of growing anxious with the thought that you are not growing in grace, just do every duty that presents itself, carry the burden of souls on your heart, and by every conceivable means seek to save the lost. Be kind, be courteous, be pitiful; speak in humility of the blessed hope; talk of the love of Jesus; tell of his goodness, his mercy, and his righteousness; and cease to worry as to whether or not you are growing. Plants do not grow through any conscious effort. Jesus said, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.” The plant is not in continual worriment about its growth; it just grows under the supervision of God. The children of God are to cease worrying, cease looking at themselves; they are to take an earnest interest in others, and seek to lead the feet of the straying in the narrow path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in. In this kind of work they will gain breadth of thought, tact, and skill. They will realize that they are to become agencies through which God will convey the truth to other minds, and that they are never to be left alone in their efforts; for heavenly angels will work with them, and impress the hearts of those who hear.” (YI, 2/3/1898)

Parents and teachers should aim so to cultivate the tendencies of the youth that at each stage of life they may represent the beauty appropriate to that period, unfolding naturally, as do the plants in the garden. {Ed 107.1}

The little ones should be educated in childlike simplicity. They should be trained to be content with the small, helpful duties and the pleasures and experiences natural to their years. Childhood answers to the blade in the parable, and the blade has a beauty peculiarly its own. Children should not be forced into a precocious maturity, but as long as possible should retain the freshness and grace of their early years. The more quiet and simple the life of the child—the more free from artificial excitement and the more in harmony with nature—the more favorable it is to physical and mental vigor and to spiritual strength. {Ed 107.2}

There are among us many young men and women who, if inducements are held out, would naturally be inclined to take several years’ course of study at Battle Creek. But will it pay? The talents of God’s people are to be employed in giving the last message of mercy to the world. The Lord calls upon those connected with our sanitariums, publishing houses, and other institutions to teach the youth to do evangelistic work. Our time and money must not be so largely employed in establishing sanitariums, food factories, food stores, and restaurants, that other lines of work shall be neglected. Young men and young women who should be engaged in the ministry, in Bible work, and in the canvassing work, should not be bound down to mechanical employment. (RH, October 15, 1903 par. 5)

The youth are to be encouraged to attend our schools, which should become more and more like the schools of the prophets. Our schools have been established by the Lord; and if they are conducted in harmony with his purpose, the youth sent to them will quickly be prepared to engage in various branches of missionary work. Some will be trained to enter the field as missionary nurses, some as canvassers, some as evangelists, some as teachers, and some as gospel ministers. (RH, October 15, 1903 par. 6)

God can make pictures upon the mind’s eye more beautiful and correct than can be made by the greatest artist who has ever presented to the world a representation of heavenly things.—Letter 137, 1899. (3MR 352.2)

As co-laborers with Christ, with so favorable opportunities to impart the knowledge of God, our teachers should labor as if inspired from above. The hearts of the youth are not hardened; nor their ideas and opinions stereotyped, as are those of older persons. They may be won to Christ by your holy demeanor, your devotion, your Christ-like walk. It would be much better to crowd them less in the study of the sciences, and give them more time for religious privileges. Here a grave mistake has been made. (CE 43.1)

Intermediate schools are highly essential. In these schools thorough work is to be done; for many students will go forth from them directly into the great harvest field. They will go forth to use what they have learned, as canvassers and as helpers in various lines of evangelistic work. Many workers, after laboring for a time in the field, will feel the need of further study, and with the experience gained in the field will be prepared to value school privileges and to make rapid advancement. Some will desire an education in the higher branches of study. For these our colleges have been established. (CT 203.1)

There are those who are learners who are fully capable of taking some part in the work of instruction. If the teachers will employ the help thus provided, much care and labor will be spared them. There are students who can be asked to spend part of their time in teaching. Students are not to be like those represented in the Word of God as ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. They are to receive to impart. (SpM 197.4)

The student should not think that because he is asked to conduct a class in reading or spelling or some other study, he is being deprived of any of the time he desires for instruction. He should not feel that he is losing time, because he is not. In imparting to others what he has received, he is preparing his mind to receive more. He may remember, as he strived to do his best, that the angels sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, understand the situation, and will lead his mind, quickening his understanding and bringing to him thoughts that shed light on the subject under consideration, making it plain and clear. (SpM 197.5)

“The Waldensians entered the schools of the world as students. They made no pretensions. Apparently they paid no attention to any one; but, they lived out what they believed. They never sacrificed principle, and their principles put into practice soon became known to other students. This was different from anything the other students had ever seen, and they began to ask among themselves, what does this all mean? While they were considering this, they heard them praying in their rooms, not to the Virgin Mary but to the Saviour, whom they addressed as the only mediator between God and man. The worldly students were encouraged to make inquiries, and as the simple story of the truth as it is in Jesus was told, their minds grasped it. (SpM 23.1)

“These things I tried to present at Harbor Heights. These who have the Spirit of God, who have the truth wrought into their very being, prudent men, wise in their methods of reaching others, should be encouraged to enter colleges, as students live the truth, as did Joseph in Egypt, and Daniel, and Paul. Each one should study the situation and see what is the best way to represent the truth in the school, that the light may shine forth. Let them show that they respect all the rules and regulations of the schools. The leaven will begin to work; for we can depend much more upon the power of God manifested in the lives of His children than upon any words that can be spoken. But they should also tell inquirers, in as simple language as they can, of the Bible doctrines. (SpM 23.2)

“There are those who, after becoming established, rooted, and grounded in the truth, should enter these institutions of learning as students. They can keep the living principles of the truth, and observe the Sabbath, and yet they will have opportunity to work for the Master by dropping seeds of truth in minds and hearts. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, those seeds will spring up to bear fruit for the glory of God, and will result in the saving of souls. The students need not go to these institutions of learning in order to become enlightened upon theological subjects; for, the teachers of the school need themselves to become Bible students. No open controversies should be entered into, but opportunity given for questions upon Bible doctrines, and light will be flashed into many minds, and a spirit of investigation will be aroused. (SpM 23.3)

“But I scarcely dare present this method of labor; for there is danger that those who have no decided connection with God will place themselves in these schools, and instead of correcting error and diffusing light, will themselves be led astray. But this work must be done; and it will be done by those who are led and taught of God. (SpM 23.4)

“Jesus was a teacher when He was but twelve years old. He went in before the rabbis and doctors of the law as a learner, asking questions that surprised the learned doctors, and showing eagerness to obtain information. By every question he poured light into their darkened minds. Had He allowed them to suspect that He was trying to teach them, they would have spurned Him. So it was all through His life. By His purity, His humility, His meekness, He rebuked sin. Those around Him could not find a single thing for which to blame Him, yet He was at work all the time. He worked in His own home until He had no home. His lot was no more pleasant than that of the young people who today are trying to walk in His footsteps. (SpM 24.1)

“If all our people would work in Christ’s way, what a blessing it would be. There are many ways in which to diffuse light, and a great work can be done in many lines that is not now done. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” This spirit will inspire others to do the will of the Lord also, in earnest, self-sacrificing effort. (SpM 24.2)

“This world is God’s property. Wicked men are only permitted to live in it till they have filled up the cup of their iniquity. It was deeded to Abraham and His children, and ere long God’s people shall take possession of it. In our work for the saving of souls, we must not think that we can receive help from those around us; by a close connection with Jesus, we must be in that place where we can help them. Advance truth! Give those with whom you may come in contact an opportunity to learn what is truth, and to become converted. But do not think that your light gives you license to make a raid on those who are in error. (SpM 24.3)

“When we begin to work with parliaments, and with men holding high positions in governments, the enemy is aroused to exert all his strength against us, and he will make the work hard. Do not let your work be known any more than is necessary: the best course to follow is that which will avoid opposition. The least said about the foolish errors of others, the better. Do not speak disrespectfully of ministers. Satan and all his hosts are working to make of none effect the law of God and when we begin to work on controversial lines, he will lead men to believe that we do not regard their laws or obey their decrees. Believing this, they will make it as hard as possible for all who will not worship their idol Sunday. (SpM 24.4)

“We are not to reveal all our purposes and plans to men. Satan will take advantage of any indiscretion shown on this point. He does not work openly and above-board. He works in an underhanded manner, and will continue to do so. Before the people are prepared for it, he leads men to set a powerful movement on foot by working on their minds. (SpM 24.5)

We must go no faster than we can take those with us whose consciences and intellects are convinced of the truths we advocate. We must meet the people where they are. Some of us have been many years in arriving at our present position in health reform. Reform in diet is slow to obtain. We have powerful appetite to meet; for the world is given to gluttony. If we should allow the people as much time as we have required to come up to the present advanced state in reform, we should be very patient with them, and allow them to advance step by step, as we have done, until their feet are firmly established upon the health-reform platform. But we should be very cautious to not take one step too fast, that we shall be obliged to retrace. In reforms, we had better come one step short of the mark than to go one step beyond it. And if there is error at all, let it be on the side next to the people. (PH159 44.1)

And, above all, we should not with our pens advocate positions that we do not put to a practical test in our own families, upon our own tables. This is dissimulation, and a species of hypocrisy. In Michigan we can do better in leaving salt, sugar, and milk, than many who are situated in the far West, or in the far East, where there is a scarcity of fruit. There are but very few families in Battle Creek who do not use these articles upon their tables. We know that a free use of these articles is positively injurious to health, and, in many cases, we think if they were not used at all, a much better state of health would be enjoyed. At present, our burden is not upon these things. The people are so far behind that we see it is all they can bear to have us draw the line upon their injurious indulgences and stimulating narcotics. We bear positive testimony against tobacco, spirituous liquors, snuff, tea, coffee, flesh-meats, butter, spices, rich cakes, mince pies, a large amount of salt, and all exciting substances used as articles of food. (PH159 44.2)

If we come to persons who have not been enlightened in regard to health reform, and present our strongest positions at first, there is danger of their becoming discouraged as they see how much they have to give up, so that they will make no effort to reform. We must lead the people along patiently and gradually, remembering the hole of the pit whence we were digged. (PH159 45.1)

Self-sacrifice is the keynote of the teachings of Christ. Often it is presented and enjoined in language that seems authoritative, because God sees that there is no other way to save man than to cut away from his life the selfishness which, if retained, would degrade the whole being. (9T 49)

If you can light the spark of curiosity in a child, they will learn without any further assistance.

If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.

It’s education that’s meant to take us into this future that we can’t grasp.

Education doesn’t need to be reformed—it needs to be transformed.

What you do for yourself dies with you when you leave this world, what you do for others lives on forever.

The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas; it’s to create a culture where everyone can have ideas and feel that they’re valued.

Creativity is the greatest gift of human intelligence.

Human resources are like natural resources; they’re often buried deep. You have to go looking for them, they’re not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves.

The gardener does not make a plant grow. The job of a gardener is to create optimal conditions for growth.

Life is not linear, it is organic. We create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents in relation to the circumstances they help create for us.

Everyday, everywhere our children spread their dreams beneath our feet and we should tread softly.

Teaching for creativity aims to encourage self-confidence, independence of mind, and the capacity to think for oneself.

There is no system in the world or any school in the country that is better than its teachers. Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools.

The arts, sciences, humanities, physical education, languages and maths all have equal and central contributions to make to a student’s education.

Imagination is the source of all human achievement.

There isn’t an education system on the planet that teaches dance everyday to children the way we teach them mathematics. Why?

Everyone has huge creative capacities. The challenge is to develop them. A culture of creativity has to involve everybody, not just a select few.

Innovation is applied creativity. By definition, innovation is always about introducing something new, or improved, or both and it is usually assumed to be a positive thing.

Learning happens in the minds and souls, not in the databases of multiple-choice tests.

The first task in teaching for creativity in any field is to encourage people to believe in their creative potential and to nurture the confidence to try.

Sometimes getting away from school is the best thing that can happen to a great mind.

You cannot predict the outcome of human development. All you can do is like a farmer create the conditions under which it will begin to flourish.

All kids have tremendous talents – and we squander them pretty ruthlessly.

Our task is to educate our children’s whole being so they can face the future and make something of it. To achieve this we need to balance education for careers with education for twenty-first century life.

Human communities depend upon a diversity of talent not a singular conception of ability, and at the heart of the challenge is to reconstitute our sense of ability and intelligence.

I believe this passionately: that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it.

Humans are born curious, creative, and intuitive.

You can’t just give someone a creativity injection. You have to create an environment for curiosity and a way to encourage people and get the best out of them.

To be creative you actually have to do something.

We have sold ourselves into a fast food model of education, and it’s impoverishing our spirit and our energies as much as fast food is depleting our physical bodies.

Every education system on Earth has the same hierarchy of subjects: at the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and the bottom are the arts.

Creativity is as important as literacy and numeracy, and I actually think people understand that creativity is important – they just don’t understand what it is.

Creativity involves putting your imagination to work. In a sense, creativity is applied imagination.

You don’t think of Shakespeare being a child, do you? Shakespeare being seven? He was seven at some point. He was in somebody’s English class, wasn’t he? How annoying would that be?

Teaching for creativity involves teaching creatively. There are three related tasks in teaching for creativity: encouraging, identifying and fostering.

Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value.

You can’t be a creative thinker if you’re not stimulating your mind, just as you can’t be an Olympic athlete if you don’t train regularly.

Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it’s produced the most extraordinary results in human culture.

Transforming education is not easy but the price of failure is more than we can afford, while the benefits of success are more than we can imagine.

Human intelligence is richer and more dynamic than we have been led to believe by formal academic education.

The dropout crisis is just the tip of an iceberg. What it doesn’t count are all the kids who are in school but being disengaged from it, who don’t enjoy it, who don’t get any real benefit from it.

Passion is the driver of achievement in all fields. Some people love doing things they don’t feel they’re good at. That may be because they underestimate their talents or haven’t yet put the work in to develop them.

In a world where lifelong employment in the same job is a thing of the past, creativity is not a luxury. It is essential for personal security and fulfillment.

Very many people go through their whole lives having no real sense of what their talents may be, or if they have any to speak of.

You can think of creativity as applied imagination.

When children aren’t given the space to struggle through things on their own, they don’t learn to problem-solve very well. They don’t learn to be confident in their own abilities, and it can affect their self-esteem.

One way of opening ourselves up to new opportunities is to make conscious efforts to look differently at our ordinary situations. Doing so allows a person to see the world as one rife with possibility and to take advantage of some of those possibilities if they seem worth pursuing.

If you’re running an engineering or finance company, all companies depend on ideas and ingenuity. I think the principles of creative leadership apply everywhere, whether it’s an advertising company or whether you’re running a hospital.

These powers of imagination and creativity are among the few things that set us apart from the rest of life on Earth. But they make all the difference.

Creativity, as I see it, is the process of putting your imagination to work. It’s been defined rather simply as applied imagination. That’s not a bad way to think about it.

Research indicates that, as long as we keep using our brains in an active way, we continue to build neural pathways as we get older. This gives us not only the ongoing potential for creative thought, but also an additional incentive for continuing to stretch ourselves.

Far more than any other power, imagination is what sets human beings apart from every other species on earth.

When you’re in your Element, your sense of time changes. If you’re doing something that you love, an hour can feel like five minutes; if you are doing something that you do not, five minutes can feel like an hour.

The quest for your Element is really a two-way journey. It is an inward journey to explore what lies within you; it is an outward journey to explore opportunities in the world around you.

The Element is about discovering yourself, and you can’t do this if you’re trapped in a compulsion to conform. You can’t be yourself in a swarm.

Finding your Element is essential to your wellbeing and ultimate success and, by implication to the health of our organizations and the effectiveness of our educational systems.

If you are considering earning your living from your Element, it’s important to bear in mind that you not only have to love what you do; you should also enjoy the culture and the tribes that go with it.

Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.

One of the enemies of creativity and innovation, especially in relation to our own development, is common sense.

You can be creative in anything – in math, science, engineering, philosophy – as much as you can in music or in painting or in dance.

Many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they’re not – because the thing they were good at at school wasn’t valued, or was actually stigmatized.

Being wrong doesn’t mean being creative – but if you aren’t afraid of being wrong, you can’t be creative.

It is difficult to feel accomplished when you’re not accomplishing something that matters to you. Doing something ‘for your own good’ is rarely for your own good if it causes you to be less than who you really are.

The task of education is not to teach subjects: it is to teach students.

The word amateur derives from the Latin word amator, which means lover, devoted friend, or someone who is in avid pursuit of an objective. In the original sense, an amateur is someone who does something for the love of it.

What you’re doing now, or have done in the past, need not determine what you can do next and in the future.

I believe our only hope for the future is to adopt a new conception of human ecology, one in which we start to reconstitute our concept of the richness in human capacity.

The most powerful method of improving education is to invest in the improvement of teaching and the status of great teachers.

Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value – more often than not, comes about through the interaction of different disciplinary ways of seeing things.

Too many people never connect with their true talents and therefore don’t know what they are capable of achieving.

Never underestimate the vital importance of finding early in life the work that for you is play.

Every single one of the 100 billion lives who have walked the face of this earth is unique and unrepeatable. To be born at all is a miracle, so what are you going to do with your life?

We stigmatize mistakes. And we’re now running national educational systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make – and the result is that we are educating people out of their creative capacities.

There’s a wealth of talent that lies in all of us. All of us, including those who work in schools, must nurture creativity systematically and not kill it unwittingly.

Some of the most brilliant, creative people I know did not do well at school. Many of them didn’t really discover what they could do – and who they really were – until they’d left school and recovered from their education.

Education and training are the keys to the future. A key can be turned in two directions. Turn it one way and you lock resources away; turn it other way and you realize resources and give people back to themselves.

Curiosity is the engine of achievement.

A three-year-old is not half a six-year-old.

School system should base their curriculum not on the idea of separate subjects, but on the much more fertile idea of disciplines…which makes possible a fluid and dynamic curriculum that is interdisciplinary.

All children start their school careers with sparkling imaginations, fertile minds, and a willingness to take risks with what they think.

You create your life, and you can recreate it, too. In times of economic downturn and uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to look deep inside yourself to fathom the sort of life you really want to lead and the talents and passions that can make that possible.