Ministers Blogs
“Making the honorable choice”
Categories: Christian PrinciplesGeorge Washington Carver was a brilliant man. He is best known for his profound scientific research in the field of agriculture. It amazes me to think of all the products that he invented and that most of them were derived from peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other "garden-like" produce.
Carver was also multi-talented in art, music, and drama, but he gave them all up to pursue research in agriculture. While a student at Iowa State University, over 100 years ago, he explained to James Wilson, an administrator, why he was giving up his cherished work as an artist, "It would not do his people as much good as a thorough knowledge of the sciences of agriculture, which he might impart to them."
It wasn't long until Carver landed a teaching position at Tuskegee College in Alabama. He wrote these words to Booker T. Washington, president of the college at that time, "It has always been the one ideal of my life to be of the greatest good to the greatest number of my people possible and to this end and to this end I have been preparing myself for these many years; feeling as I do that this line of education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom to our people."
There is simply no way to measure all of the good that Carver accomplished for the esteem of black people. His life was exemplified by self-sacrifice, a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1) for the benefit of "his people."
This simple epitaph is found on his tombstone: He could have added some fame to fortune, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.
Let's now change a few words and pretend that this is our own epitaph. May each one of us fill in the blank and make a personal, spiritual application. "I, ______, could have added fame to fortune, but caring for neither, I found happiness and honor in being helpful to the Lord's Church." (Author Unknown)
