I recently went to the Evangelical Library in London, and while there, I found a very old book entitled 'The Young Man's guide through Life to Immortality', by John. A. James (published by Hamilton Adams and Co. Birmingham, 1880). The chapter I have just read to my sons is entitled: Success or failure in business (this version is changed a little from the original). It was primarily written for those about to enter the trading business back in the late 1800's, but we found the points are pertinent to starting work in general and still valuable for today’s young men. It is not an easy read and so I thought I would summarise the excellent points he makes to make it more accessible for all, as the lessons he teaches are invaluable and time-less. For most of us, no-one taught us these things - we have either operated by natural tendencies, or managed to pick up the odd bit of help along the way. How lovely, to have this advice just as one is setting out in life. How many wasted hours and failure could be spared. It is no surprise that modern day books just do not give us this level of practical advice!
I will paraphrase the text, with actual quotations in italics. I pray that it may be a blessing to all young men who read it. He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Proverbs 10:4 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider Eccliesiastes 7:14 Imagine two young men setting out in life with equal advantages, money, connections and prospects. They have studied and trained and are about to start work. One of them succeeds, a propitious gale seems to fill his sails and a favourable tide to flow in, to help him onward in his course from the very time of sailing. He makes a prosperous voyage and enters safely into harbour with a rich cargo. He does well, enjoys promotion and is paid well. He has good standing in society. But there is a reverse side to this - early failure. In this case, the vessel has no sooner left port than it encounters unfavourable winds, is tossed upon the billows by tempests and dashed upon the rock, or stranded upon the shore, becomes a wreck. The young man started out with big ambitions, but they terminate in disappointment and he is soon left without an income. This is a very common situation in the UK. May it young men never be yours. We must ask what made the difference between success and failure. At this point we must quite squarely put aside chance or luck as some may call it. For the Christian, there is no such thing as luck. God is over all and rules all in and through his Providence. Providence no doubt gives advantages to some which it does not bestow upon others. Scripture is full of instances of this kind: how conspicuous was Providence in the history of Joseph. How manifest in the life of Moses and so on. Let us then examine the causes of the two different results of success and failure. 1) The possession or want of ability, cleverness, good judgement and tact in business will often account for success or failure. Success in any department of life, without a competent knowledge of the means of obtaining it, cannot be expected, and ordinarily is not obtained. Some do seemingly 'land on their feet', but they are the exception to the rule and the hoping to follow suit is not a method to be relied upon. A man must at all times, especially in this age of competition, (1800's and no less true today, if not more so!) know how to buy and sell. He must be a judge of articles and prices, thoroughly know not only his own trade but the principles of trade in general. Business is an art and a science too, and he must be acquainted with both. He must know the markets and the times. How do you learn these things: You must be thoughtful, observant, diligent, both in training and once trained. You must be neither lovers of pleasure, nor companions of those who are such. Next to being right with God, it should be your aim to gain a complete mastery of your trade. Who are the men who succeed? Not the dolts, the ill-informed or the half-informed, but the well informed. Who are the men who fail? Usually you will find them not the well informed, but the half informed, or the ill-informed. Your faith in God cannot, however eminent, cannot supply the want of the knowledge and the habits of a good workman. Godliness it is true, is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that is now and of that which is to come. But then it is not godliness without other things but with them. A good and holy young man is not to expect to succeed by the favour of God, without either hard work or ability. We must not expect God's blessing as a substitute for these things. God does not bless pious dolts who are ignorant due to their own neglect. God will not set aside the general laws by which he governs the social world in favour of religion, any more than he will those of the natural world. Beware of over-stocking and trading beyond your capital; a very frequent source of ruin to young tradesman is allowing commercial travellers to force upon them too large purchases. A good point to remember - don't spend what you haven't got or get in stock too much of what you may not sell. Make it a rule never to buy using credit that you can't pay off immediately the bill arrives.. Lesson: Learn your business well - study hard at school, and later in your job. True learning begins once school work is left behind. Read, read, and read. 2) Success or failure depends a great deal upon a good start. Bad beginnings can be repaired, but they are not usually. A first wrong step is often, if not always, the beginning of a series of steps all wrong. Great care, caution, circumspection, and forethought therefore are necessary. Many begin too soon: they are impatient to be masters before they are prepared for it. They are unwilling to bide their time, and often mis-calculate their ability. The most successful business men have been both careful as well as able. Creep before you try to walk. Walk before you run and run before you flee! Let there then be much reflection, counsel, much prayer in such an important step as setting out in working life. As this, like marriage is a step for life, let it be taken with care, and think no time lost, or too long, which is necessary, to enable you to tread firmly and steadily at the outset. For every person that has repented of starting too late, ten have repented of starting too early! Next to seeking counsel from God, by earnest and believing prayer, seek the advice of disinterested wise and experienced people. Do not be like some who have made up their mind as to the outcome, then seek advice, and when it is contrary to that which they wish to hear, reject the advice given and follow their first proposed course of action. This is the sure way to ruin. Lesson: Count the cost: don't rush in to things. Pray. 3) Success of failure are dependent upon diligence on the one hand, or neglect or indolence on the other. We read in Proverbs: The blessing of the Lord maketh rich. And then: The hand of the diligent maketh rich. Both are true and they stand related to each other. Our hard work cannot be fruitful without God's blessing and God's blessing is not bestowed without man's industry. The Lord's providential visits are never granted to loiterers. Moses, David, and the shepherds at Bethlehem, were all keeping their flocks, and Gideon was at his threshing floor, when God's revelations were made to them. How laziness is exposed, condemned, branded, in God's book! Let a man have ever so good a knowledge of his business; let him begin with all the advantages of capital, connections and situation; yet if he be of an indolent and self-indulgent habit, a late-riser, a lover of pleasure; a gossiping neighbour, he will soon furnish another evidence of the truth of Solomon's words, "He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand." Be diligent! Be like Henry Martyn the affirmed and holy missionary of whom it was said, “That he was known as the man who never lost an hour." Lesson: count every minute as precious. Think how many we waste on idle pleasures. Be careful who you spend time with as your companions can influence you more than you can imagine. If you profess to be a Christian, then flee from the world and everything that belongs to it - love of self (selfies included), ungodly entertainment, be it worldly music (including addictive 'Christian rock' which is no better for its Christian words), films/theatre. Give every minute to serving the Lord. 4) Method and system have much to do with failure or success. In this I include promptness as opposed to procrastination. No habit can be more fatal to success then the wretched disposition of postponing until another time that which ought to be done, and can be done, at once. Procrastination has ruined millions for both this world and the next. There is a class of adverbs which some young men seem not to have studied, but which are of immense importance in all the affairs both of time and eternity. I mean the words, “instantly," immediately," "at once," "now," for which they unhappily substitute "presently," "by and by," "tomorrow," "at some future time,". Young men, catch the inspiration of that weighty monosyllable "now". Yield to the potency of that word "instantly" and to use a still more business like term, acquire a habit of "dispatch". To do this, do not only do the thing that should be done, but the thing that ought to be done next! Be punctual. Punctuality is of immense consequence. It has been humorously said, "Some people seem to have been born half an hour after their time, and they never fetch it up all their lives!" Lateness is not only a vice on the one being late, but also on those waiting for him. "You have caused us to lose an hour," said a gentleman to another, for whose appearance twelve men had been waiting. "Oh, that is impossible," replied the guilty man, "for it is only five minutes after the time." "Very true," was the rejoinder, "but there are twelve of us, each of whom has lost five minutes." Lesson to learn: Do not keep anyone waiting - be it for an appointment or for payment if you wish to prosper. Do not put off those things that need doing now. This needs practice and it will sometimes be hard to fight against natural inclinations towards ease, especially in a day and age that so promotes care of 'self'. The Scriptures exhort us to "redeem the time." Order is no less essential to system and success than promptness and punctuality. A disorderly man wastes not only his own time, but that of others who are dependent upon, and waiting for him; nor does the waste stop here, for what a useless expenditure of energy and a painful sacrifice of comfort are ever going on with him! Lesson: Look at the different areas of your life. Which are disorderly? Start working now to address these areas and bring about changes which will stand you in good stead in years to come. Others call disorder a peace stealer - as we cannot enjoy peace if we are forever in a tiz over what we have lost, or for being late. 5. Economy has a most powerful influence in determining the failure or success of a young business man. This applies equally to personal, domestic and business trade and the man who would succeed in life must reduce them all to the lowest prudent level. In order to keep down the expenses of the trade, he must do with as little purchased help as he can; and to accomplish this, he must be hard working and ready to learn. As to personal expenses, let him avoid all unnecessary consumption of money in dress and ornaments. Let it be no part of your ambition young men, to be noticed and admired for that with which the clothing retailer, and the jeweller may bedizen (to dress or adorn in a showy, gaudy, or tasteless manner) the veriest fool in existence. How mean and petty is foppery (affected and excessive concern with one's clothes and appearance), compared with an enlightened mind, a dignified character, and the beauties of holiness! I am not an advocate for either meanness or slovenliness. Cleanliness and neatness border upon virtue, as excessive foppery and expensiveness do upon vice. It is unworthy of a female to be inordinately fond of dress: but for a man to love finery is despicable indeed. Avoid also the love of pleasure. The man who is bent upon enjoying himself who will have his amusements and companions and frequent sessions of recreation; who is fond of parties and entertainments, the gaming table, the dance hall, the concert and the theatre is on the high road to poverty in this world and to hell in the next. Let the lover of pleasure read of Samson in the Old Testament and of the Prodigal in the New. If you would have economical habits as a master, cultivate them as a servant. Begin then now and persevere. You must carry out the principle of economy in your home also. Frugality in the home is a virtue and extravagance a vice. If you wish to have comfort at the end of life, be content with necessities at the start. Let your furniture, your style of living, your whole domestic establishment, be all arranged upon the principle of a rigid, though not mean, economy. The basis of living in credit is to live simply, not in substantial splendour; just as the foundation of a house consists of unadorned bricks and uncultured stone, and not of carved and gilded wood. It is the diligent and frugal man who is considered the trustworthy one. (And this is still true today. Diligence and frugality are rare traits these days. We are all encouraged to expect everything we want to make life pleasurable. Rare is the man who works hard with his eye on a better goal - His Masters' approval.) However, while I recommend economy I equally condemn meanness. There have been men of high standing and otherwise excellent character who have well-nigh ruined themselves by a spirit of meanness. It is the meanest of all vices, the most despicable of all passions and it stems from the most insatiable (not able to satisfy) of appetites, an excessive love of money. It is very striking to observe how seemingly opposite dispositions are balanced in the Word of God. Industry is commended and slothfulness condemned; and yet in the same book it says "Labour not to be rich;" "Labour not for the bread that perisheth;" "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth;" "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction; for the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some have coveted after, that have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." This might look like contradiction, but it is not so in reality. These passages teach us that we are neither to despise money, not to be fond of it. I know it is difficult to draw a line between idolatry and contempt of wealth; and to state that exact regard to money which industry requires to stimulate and rewards its energies, and which both reason and revelation justify. When however wealth is considered the chief end of life, and is sought exclusively to the entire neglect of religion; when it is pursued at the expense of principle and honour; when it is the first thing coveted, and the last thing relinquished; when it is loved for its own sake of mere accumulation, instead of being diffused for God’s glory and man’s benefit; when it is regarded as the standard of individual importance both for ourselves and others; it has become the tyrant of the soul, which it has enslaved, may be with fetters of silver and gold - good things - but such being no less a miserable master because of their splendour. Lesson:
6) Perseverance is also necessary to success. Without this nothing good or great can be achieved in our world. Success is not something achieved quickly, but rather as a gradual formation, a slow deposit. In business it usually proceeds on the principles of arithmetic progression. The ascent in life is usually the opposite of a mountain. In the latter case the steepest part is near the summit; in life, it is at the start. Both however require perseverance. The one who would be successful must not expect to reach his goal by a light, easy and elastic bound, but rather by many successive and weary steps, and occasionally perhaps, by a backward step. Such a one must go on sometimes amidst discouragement, and always with labour. There are some however who cannot succeed because they will not wait to do so. If success does not come at first, they will not follow after it. They are as impatient as the foolish child that sowed his seed in the morning, and went to bed hopeless and crying because he did not see it springing up before sunset. Lesson: be ever hopeful, prayerful and persevering.
"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withold not thy hand, for thou knowest not whether shall proper either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." (Ecclesiastes 11:6)
7) The possession of or want of religion will have considerable influence in providing success of failure.
This does not mean that all religious people will be prosperous and all irreligious ones will fail. It means that piety contains most of those qualities which tend towards success, while sin, where it leads on (as it frequently does) tends to ruin. God does not promise wealth and honour to His people on earth, but much more, glory everlasting. But, godliness as I have said, has the promise of the life that now is and that which is to come. Wisdom as we read in Proverbs has riches and honour in her right hand for many who submit to her ways. It is quite certain that those who have come to poverty have been dragged down by iniquity and that those who have succeeded owe their success to piety. Scripture is full of examples: Joseph in the house of Potiphar, David, Daniel, and Nehemiah to name but a few. Although we should not be pious just for the gain it can bring us, godliness is the parent of virtue, the protector of health, the nurse of economy, the patron of industry, the guardian of integrity, the prompter of knowledge and the helper of prosperity. Lesson: 'Choose you this day whom ye will serve' (Joshua 24:15)
Conclusion:
I do not put these matters before you to excite you to fear, but rather to encourage you to take stock of your life. Prevention is better than cure. It is easier to avert ruin by industry and economy than to bring back prosperity when it has once departed. Make this easier task your first care and endeavour. You are young and your life is before you. Ruin may seem only something in your imagination. Though it is not good to fill your mind with dark thoughts, lest such thoughts lead to reality, yet it is well to take a long enough glance to be sure that you never want to be in that state. This will have the effect of bringing your mind to this determination:
"By God's grace, upon my own intelligence, industry, economy, and perseverance, this shall never be my lot; but if in the mysteries of Providence it should befall me, it shall not be made more dreadful by the venom of self-reproach; it shall come from the ordination of God and not from my own misconduct."
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Welcome!After studying for an Early Years Specialism degree (B.Ed. Hons), and teaching in mainstream education, I home-educated my own children, after my husband and I were persuaded of the need to take responsibility for bringing up our children 'in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.' (Ephesians 6:4) We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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