Things for Which We Don't Personally Pay
July 20, 1958
One of the sobering considerations of life would be an appraisal of the things we have for which we didn’t personally pay a price. We may sometimes seem fearful that we are imposed upon, that we may do too much, and that, so far as work is concerned, we shouldn’t exceed ourselves — and sometimes shortsightedly we may forget how abundantly we have been benefited by the work of others. That moment when we breathe our first breath we become heirs to a fabulous fortune — both of mind and of matter — for which we have not personally paid a price. We become heirs to all the tools, all the techniques, all the inventions and devices that other men have made; to all the research, to all the processes that others have improved; to the medicines others have made; to the thoughts the thinkers have thought, to the poetry poets have penned, to the literature writers have written, to the pictures artists have painted; to the beauty of the earth, to the beauty of the skies; to all the knowledge that others have found, and to all the wisdom and counsel and all else that the Lord God has given. By the very fact of our being on earth, we have become heirs to all the trial and error and effort of others. So much — and much more — we owe to the thinkers, to the workers, to the doers, to the patriots and pioneers of the past — and to the Lord God who gave us life. And receiving so much, what sincerely could we do but work willingly and give gratefully. Leisure has its place and its purpose. But surely it should never be our ideal or ultimate objective. We would have lost much more than we could afford to lose is persistently we should pursue the false ideal of doing always little or less — if we should fix foremost in our hearts the false ideal of leisure. Working, serving, isn’t a matter of physical necessity only. But it is an absolute essential to development, to happiness, to peace, to a sense of accomplishment, to the inner contentment and satisfaction of soul that men so much seek. Having receiving so much from the past, what could we do but work willingly, think earnestly, live thoughtfully, and give gratitude for the great blessing of willing work.
One of the sobering considerations of life would be an appraisal of the things we have for which we didn’t personally pay a price. We may sometimes seem fearful that we are imposed upon, that we may do too much, and that, so far as work is concerned, we shouldn’t exceed ourselves — and sometimes shortsightedly we may forget how abundantly we have been benefited by the work of others. That moment when we breathe our first breath we become heirs to a fabulous fortune — both of mind and of matter — for which we have not personally paid a price. We become heirs to all the tools, all the techniques, all the inventions and devices that other men have made; to all the research, to all the processes that others have improved; to the medicines others have made; to the thoughts the thinkers have thought, to the poetry poets have penned, to the literature writers have written, to the pictures artists have painted; to the beauty of the earth, to the beauty of the skies; to all the knowledge that others have found, and to all the wisdom and counsel and all else that the Lord God has given. By the very fact of our being on earth, we have become heirs to all the trial and error and effort of others. So much — and much more — we owe to the thinkers, to the workers, to the doers, to the patriots and pioneers of the past — and to the Lord God who gave us life. And receiving so much, what sincerely could we do but work willingly and give gratefully. Leisure has its place and its purpose. But surely it should never be our ideal or ultimate objective. We would have lost much more than we could afford to lose is persistently we should pursue the false ideal of doing always little or less — if we should fix foremost in our hearts the false ideal of leisure. Working, serving, isn’t a matter of physical necessity only. But it is an absolute essential to development, to happiness, to peace, to a sense of accomplishment, to the inner contentment and satisfaction of soul that men so much seek. Having receiving so much from the past, what could we do but work willingly, think earnestly, live thoughtfully, and give gratitude for the great blessing of willing work.