PROBABLY Jesus' parable of the talents has been used more widely than any other to urge boys and girls as well as men and women to make the most of themselves. Its promise of reward has inspired countless thousands, and its condemnation of indolence has doubtless spurred many others who might not have done so well had they felt that there was no penalty for neglect. The boy who is still at school may not yet have awakened to the importance of determining in which direction his talents lie and what line of work he shall take up. He may still think that his father will decide all this for him, but young people should always be helped to see that humanity needs their best service and that the particular line of work to be chosen is of small importance compared with the preparation of character for this service.
It is quite true that in the case of a great many boys who have perhaps no clear-cut ability or preference for a certain line of work, this reliance upon a more mature thought is wise, at least for the time being; but in countless cases where the boy has special aptitude for a certain line of work, it has resulted disastrously so far as the boy's happiness is concerned. Indeed, so common are cases of this kind that a popular term, misfits, has been applied to them. The application of Christian Science will not only prevent such misfits, but when wisely used it will rectify others that have made more or less progress in a wrong direction.
It is natural that every parent should desire his son to be successful. He counts it no hardship to make personal sacrifices of all sorts in order that the boy may have a better start, a better equipment, and a better chance than he himself had. He will leave no stone unturned to point out to the boy what appears to him to be the best course, what are the pitfalls, what are the drawbacks, and what are the advantages of each and every line of work that comes within his own experience or the range of his observation. In short, he will endeavor to paint a picture of human activity as he sees it, that the boy may get as clear an idea as possible of what must be faced and mastered before success in any special direction can be attained. If, however, the lad has learned the value of "diligence, promptness, and perseverance" (Science and Health, p. 514), as divine impartations to man, he will become conscious of divine guidance at each step of the way, and thus be saved from the needless experiences often due to mistakes in judgment, experiences which are always avoidable.
