Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students - Ellen G. White

the beginning of wisdom. Everything that will
strengthen the mind should be cultivated to the
utmost of their power, while at the same time they
should seek God for wisdom; for unless they are
guided by the wisdom from above they will
become an easy prey to the deceptive power of
Satan. They will become large in their own eyes,
pompous, and self-sufficient.
God-fearing physicians speak modestly of their
work, but novices with limited experience in
dealing with the bodies and souls of men will often
speak boastingly of their knowledge and
attainments. These need a better understanding of
themselves; then they would become more
intelligent in regard to their duties and would
realize that in every department where they have to
labor they must possess a willing mind, an earnest
spirit, and a hearty, unselfish zeal in trying to do
others good. They will not study how best to
preserve their dignity, but by thoughtfulness and
caretaking will earn a reputation for thoroughness
and exactitude, and by sympathetic ministry will
gain the hearts of those whom they serve.
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