Article January 26, 1935 Issue

To Estimate Aright

BEATRICE CLAYTON

In every line of human endeavor, thought explores the way for action. Ill-considered projects have no guaranty of success. He who builds a bridge first estimates every detail of its structure, that it may safely sustain a specified weight. If wise, he who establishes a business estimates in advance the capital required, the cost of operation, and the margin of profit. He who contemplates a career carefully estimates his ability to fulfill the requirements of the activity in which he may engage. If such procedure is the dictate of human wisdom, how much more important is it for each individual rightly to estimate the purpose of life, its real values, the true nature of success and happiness.

It is probable that Jesus' wonderful demonstrations of divine power awakened in his disciples the ambition to perform similar works, even though they were still too immature, spiritually, to apprehend clearly the preparation required. Impressing upon them the complete sacrifice of self and materiality which must precede the gaining of spiritual authority over evil, Jesus warned them in the words: "Which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, ... all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish."

At an early age Jesus rightly estimated the purpose of life. As a boy of twelve he asked his mother, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" At the close of his ministry he could say, in prayer to his Father, "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." The ordinary ambitions of men took no hold on him. His clear sense of the divine realities sustained him so that he never swerved from his upward course.

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