"God condescended to accept them when they were there, are very foolish; and yet there are hundreds and thousands who are doing this very thing. God has given them the living machinery, and this needs to be used daily in order for the mind to reach higher and still higher attainments. It is a shame that many link ignorance with humility, and that with all the qualities God has given us for education, so great a number are willing to remain in the same low position that they were in when the truth first reached them. They do not grow mentally; they are no better fitted and prepared to do great and good works than when they first heard the truth. CE 52.2"
"For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath."
The EGW passage discusses the importance of using one's God-given abilities to grow and improve, and the negative consequences of neglecting these abilities. This aligns with the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:29, where those who use their talents are rewarded, and those who do not have what they have taken away.