Of course these exhortations do not signify that you should not take any time to play. A certain amount of play is necessary, but it should be in moderation. People strive for enjoyment in this life, and some people employ a dishonest method which they imagine will bring them enjoyment, but instead brings sorrow. For example: A young man who held a good position in a bank imagined that if he could come in possession of a large amount of money it would give him great enjoyment during his lifetime. He escaped with a large amount of money belonging to the banking house of which he was an employee. He went to a foreign country, and there used a small portion of his dishonest gain, which he did not enjoy, as he subsequently confessed. He was captured and brought back to face his acquaintances, and was sentenced to the penitentiary, which is a very common consequence in such cases. If this young man had obeyed the exhortations of the Scriptures, he could have had enjoyment, but by his one dishonest act he committed a great sin, which ruined his character and enjoyment. He could reform, but the faint marks of his dishonest act would remain.
The work of reformation is child’s play to that of making your friends believe that you have reformed. Boys and girls, resent every temptation to commit a disreputable act. If you want to enjoy life fully, take the Bible for your guide, then you can enjoy this life and the life to come. Be kind to the poor and unfortunate, especially those who are mentally not your equal. The most cowardly and mean act that any one can commit is to impose upon a person who is deficient mentally, who needs our kindness instead of imposition. A person guilty of such a crime should be punished.
Educate yourselves in a way that will make you capable of dealing honestly with your fellow men. “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Luke 10: 25–37.) Who is my neighbor? some person may ask. Our neighbor includes any one of the human race with whom we may come in contact, without regard to place of residence; whether he or she resides in the vicinity of our home or far from us. Generally speaking of those people who reside near our homes, we speak of them as neighbors because we meet them frequently, and generally treat each other like the Good Samaritan treated the man who fell among thieves, which makes us neighborly. How can I love my neighbor as myself? may be asked. The answer is, by having the love of God in your heart. When you have that you will be in a mood to treat your neighbors as you wish them to treat you, and will love to see them prosper as well as you desire to prosper yourself, and will cultivate your disposition in a way that will cause you to have a desire or inclination to assist those who are in distress, and jeopardize your own life for the sake of saving your neighbor’s, For example: You see a fellow man standing upon the railroad track near you, and a fast approaching train is about to strike him, you would at the risk of your life try to pull him off the track and save his life. A person doing the foregoing mentioned good deeds in the right spirit, is obeying the command, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” And you will also be in a mood to pay your debts; a duty that is sadly neglected by some people. Romans 13:8: “Owe no man anything.”