Ellen Chat Conversation

Ellen White’s primary counsel for anyone pursuing a career in education is that "the work of education and the work of redemption are one" (Ed 7). She believed that the ultimate goal of all learning is to understand our Creator-Redeemer and to reflect that understanding in our personal lives (Ed 7). In preparing for your career, she emphasized that the most important qualification is your own spiritual experience. She wrote that "no one can truly educate God's purchased possession unless he himself has learned in the school of Christ how to teach" (ChristianEducator August 1, 1897, par. 1). She cautioned against focusing solely on worldly academic standards, noting that education as conducted in many schools is "one-sided, and therefore a mistake" (SpM 56). She urged educators to move beyond "human philosophy" and the "fogs" of traditional education that may be mingled with error (20MR 194). As you transition from college to the classroom, your focus should shift from personal achievement to the spiritual development of your students. Ellen White stated that "Teachers have to deal with human minds, and they are responsible to God to impress upon those minds the necessity of knowing Christ as a personal Saviour" (SpM 56.1). She encouraged teachers to prioritize "practical education" over "useless knowledge" that does not help students form characters fit for heaven (SpM 56). For practical application, she suggests examining your motives for becoming a teacher. She asked, What is your object in obtaining an education? Is it to glorify yourself?" (Advocate February 1, 1902, par. 10). If your goal is to help weak and trembling souls plant their feet upon the platform of eternal truth,then you are following the A B C of true education" (Advocate February 1, 1902, par. 10). She promised that when you know the real principles of the truthand stay shut in, as it were, with Jesus,your words and example will have a powerful influence for good (Ev 477.1). In conclusion, the best counsel for a future teacher is to ensure that all instruction is "based on the principles revealed in the life and teachings of Christ" (8MR 61.4). By following the heavenly plan that Christ carried out, you become a true educator whose work has value for both this life and the "future eternal life" (8MR 61.4). --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What are the specific A B C's of true educationthat Ellen White referred to? • How can a teacher avoid teaching "useless knowledge" or "chaff" in a modern curriculum? • What did Ellen White mean when she said the teacher must first learn in the "school of Christ"?

Ellen White’s writings suggest that while we should never seek education for self-glorification, we must also avoid the extreme of presenting ourselves as less qualified than we truly are. She explained that many have considered it a mark of humility to be ignorant and uncultivated,but she clarified that such individuals "are deceived as to what constitutes true humility and Christian meekness" (CE 243.2). In her counsel, she emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced view of one's own abilities and qualifications. She warned that if you "form too low an opinion of yourself, you will feel inferior and will leave an impression of inferiority which will greatly limit the influence that you might have for good" (3T 506.1). Instead of hiding your education, she encouraged forming a "correct estimate" of yourself, which serves as a safeguard against both arrogance and an artificial sense of inferiority (3T 506.1). This balance allows a person to be dignified without vain self-confidenceand to have a "great influence with those in the higher as well as the lower walks of life" (T25 66.1). Furthermore, there is a moral dimension to how we represent ourselves professionally. Ellen White spoke strongly about the need for total honesty, stating that "there is danger in the first and slightest departure from the strictest veracity" (PH167 23.2). In your professional work, she urged, be true to yourselfand "preserve your God-given dignity in the fear of God" (PH167 23.2). Choosing to withhold the truth about your educational background could be seen as a departure from this strict rectitude. The purpose of obtaining a degree, according to her principles, is not for personal status but for service. She wrote that we should desire knowledge "not for the glorification of self, but to meet the expectation of Jesus" (CE 90.1). By being "intellectually strong," you can better represent the truth to others who might otherwise look down on believers as being "deficient in education, without position or influence" (T30 40.3). For practical application, this means that your mathematics degree is a "talent" lent to you by God to be improved and used for His glory (CT 476.1). Rather than feeling that your degree separates you from your students, you can use the "store of knowledge" you have gathered to generously [impart] the light that God gives you" (YI December 11, 1902, par. 2). Your influence as a teacher is strengthened when you are "thorough" and "improve every talent," ultimately seeking the "indorsement of God" as your highest diploma (CT 476.1, YI December 11, 1902, par. 2). --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White say about the true definition of humility? • How does she describe the responsibility of using our "entrusted talents" for God? • What counsel did she give regarding the importance of strict honesty and "veracity" in our work?