Editorial August 18, 1973 Issue

How to Do Things You Don't Want to Do

Naomi Price

If a human being never did anything he didn't want to do, he might never do anything worthwhile. Getting out of bed in the morning and dressing to go out is something that many people dislike doing. They dislike it almost as much as going through the preliminary nuisances of going to bed. Yet at an early age most people come to terms with these and other elementary bore-some requirements of daily human experience. They learn to subjugate the human will that operates through laziness, apathy, frivolity, and self-indulgence to frustrate right action, and prove that they can do whatever needs to be done even though they personally feel they would rather not do it.

Man created by God, divine Principle, is His likeness. We are all endowed by Him with power to act rightly. People who most successfully demonstrate this dominion over personal feelings are likely to accomplish most and make the best progress in their business and private lives. However, promotion by no means exempts one from irksome duties. It rather intensifies the problems as it becomes necessary to rise to the demands of the higher position. There are fewer people at the top upon whom one can shift responsibilities. How vital, then, to learn at the earliest possible age to express God's qualities under all circumstances, and do without rebellion whatever we know we ought to do; then later on the greater demands will be more easily handled.

In this as well as in other areas of human existence Christ Jesus provided mankind with inspiration. He gave the highest example the world has known of the overcoming of mortal reluctance to the fulfillment of a duty. "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me," he prayed at Gethsemane. "Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Matt. 26:39; The Master's unique, exalted experience at Gethsemane and Calvary can serve as an inspiration to all who are confronted with a feeling of resistance in their human thought to carrying out a necessary duty, however great or small—whether it is connected with a project of world importance or the completion of one's personal income tax return.

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