Pastor General Gerald Flurry has often recommended we study the lives of great personalities. He frequently points to the life of Herbert W. Armstrong as a powerful educator for people of all ages.

Mr. Armstrong’s autobiography relates many educational experiences. Consider his summer job in Altoona, where the owner ignited the spark of ambition by encouraging the 16-year-old regarding his potential for success. From that time forward, Mr. Armstrong exhibited ambition and took initiative.

One story not featured in his autobiography is found in Against the Gates of Hell by Stanley Rader, who often accompanied Mr. Armstrong on his trips to deliver God’s gospel message to world leaders (Matthew 24:14).

“The summer after his sophomore year in high school, Armstrong thought he had found his calling—he would become a teacher. Discovering that he could obtain a teaching certificate simply by passing a county examination, he obtained copies of earlier tests and studied the questions. Then he began to cram furiously, reviewing by himself all the material he would be required to teach, and even covering some subjects he had never studied. The exam posed no problem—he passed with a grade high in the 90s.

“Then, duly certified, he began looking for someone—and somewhere—to teach. One day, while visiting a cousin who lived on a farm south of Des Moines, he heard of a school that lacked a teacher for the coming year. Quickly he learned the name of the school board head, presented himself as a candidate for the job, and was summoned for an interview before the full board, all of them farmers.

“Looking at him, they were more than a little dubious that a 17-year-old teacher would be able to handle rawboned 18- and 19-year-old boys, some of whom doubtless would be taller and huskier than he, should disciplinary problems arise.

“Armstrong, however, was untroubled by doubts. ‘I intend to introduce an athletic program,’ he told the board confidently. ‘I’ve had training in football, basketball, track, and tennis. Out on the playgrounds, I’ll be one of these boys. I know how to get along with fellows my own age. There won’t be any problems. Besides, I’ve been wrestling since I was 11, and if one of them does get smart, I’ll have a hammerlock on him before he knows what has happened.’

“His self-confidence convinced the board members, and he was hired for the fall term. Fearing opposition at home, he kept his plans secret. The day school was to start he slipped out of his room at dawn, suitcase in hand, and crept down the stairs. But the elder Armstrong, suspecting from his son’s secretive demeanor of the past few days that something was up, had arisen earlier and was standing like a menacing sentry at the foot of the stairs.

“‘Just where do you think you’re going, young man?’ his father demanded. Herbert tried to explain but his father, stern-faced, ordered: ‘You march right back upstairs and unpack the suitcase. And don’t let me hear any more of this tomfoolery about dropping out of high school to become a teacher at your age!’

“Chastened, Herbert plodded back to his room and unpacked, his academic career ended before it had begun” (Against the Gates of Hell).

How about you? Are you motivated to take initiative like Mr. Armstrong, or do you wait for opportunity to knock on your door? Jesus Christ told us, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).

What are your goals—for the short term or long term? Whether to become a teacher, a great artist, a powerful athlete or even to land a summer job, take the initiative to achieve those goals. Show some ambition!

Of course, whatever goals you have, be sure to share them with your parents to ensure you are not sent back to your room! This humorous life lesson from Mr. Armstrong’s youth provides an example for us all, highlighting the value of self-education, ambition and taking initiative.