Date: November 22, 1935, afternoonPlace: Chuenchow
The dealings a worker has to experience are different from the dealings that ordinary brothers in the church have to experience. The main thing that ordinary brothers have to deal with is sin. The workers, however, have to deal meticulously with everything that hinders their work.
The first thing that a worker has to deal with is his own disposition. Different workers have a different character according to their natural disposition. Some are righteous by disposition. Others are strict or shy by disposition. Every person has his own special disposition. Some people are stubborn. They may be good in many aspects, but they have a very stubborn disposition. Even if the whole world would say yes, they would still say no. If a person has such a disposition, he surely will have problems from time to time in his coordination among the co-workers. It is difficult for such people to coordinate or work together with others. Hence, every worker should find his weakness before the Lord. If you do not know your weakness before the Lord, all you have to do is mark down your failures. After a few times, you will know what your weakness is. After you know your weakness, you should deal with it in a specific way.
We are not saying that a worker cannot have any weakness at all. We are saying that he should not have any habitual weakness. We have to get rid of the peculiarities in our character. Some people have "soft" ears — they believe everything they hear. Others have "hard" ears — they do not take any word easily. These are all flaws in our character, and they must all be removed. The circumcision in Colossians 2 refers to the cutting away of these things. A man who is truly dealt with by the cross may not be completely void of peculiarities, but his peculiarities surface only occasionally.
A worker must not only deal with his character, but must deal with his attitudes also. Not only are his ordinary and obvious conduct and attitude noticeable to others, but his body movements and the gestures of his hands and feet are under others' scrutiny. Others pay attention to the way he speaks, gestures, and walks, as well as to his voice, expression, and look. One co-worker always lambasts others in his sermons because he has the habit of lambasting others. Another co-worker likes to cast side-glances at others. Although his eyes are perfectly normal, he has developed a habit of casting side-glances at people, which he subconsciously exhibits in his public speakings and private talks. We the co-workers cannot give room to criticism in these areas. We should not become a conversation piece, and we should not draw attention away from our message to our peculiarities. Another co-worker always points his fingers at others. This is also an offensive characteristic. If a man has picked up some improprieties in his daily life, these improprieties will show up in his messages. These undesirable characteristics must first be dealt with in a clear way in our daily lives.
A handsome face may be something that one receives from God, but the expressions that are on the face are a direct product of the person's character which developed after birth. If a man is always happy, he will have a joyful expression on his face all the time. However, if a man always argues with others, he will always have an unhappy face. A man cannot make himself look beautiful or ugly, but the expressions on his face are very much related to his living and character. He can pick up certain expressions, and he can also get rid of these expressions. Of course, my purpose for saying these things is so that you will pay attention to spiritual things. It is not for the purpose of paying more attention to grooming yourself or adjusting your facial expressions.
A brother in Shanghai had a fierce look when he first came to Shanghai. I tried to get to know him and found out that he had a bad temper. However, his complexion changed after a few years. He became a soft person, and his character changed. A man's facial expression is a reflection of the person himself. One's inward character is often manifested through his facial expressions. Several times Miss Barber seemed to be speaking like a fortune-teller about certain brothers. Eventually, we found out that what she said was exactly what had happened. For example, a brother once took shelter in a Buddhist temple for a night. When Miss Barber saw this brother, she said that darkness was written all over his face. He must have been exposed to the power of darkness. Later someone asked him, and he confessed to Miss Barber's words. Sometimes I can tell a person's condition from his appearance. (I am not saying that I can predict.) A person's facial expressions are very much related to his inward condition.
First Thessalonians 5:14 mentions the consolation of those who are "weak," which in Greek literally means "little-souled." Those who are little-souled are the ones who are psychologically weak. Some people have a strong soul, while others have a weak soul. The rest have an "average" soul. Just as the human body varies in size from one person to another, man's soul also varies in size. It is not easy for a man to be balanced. He tends to be either strong-souled or little-souled. Those who are strong-souled think that they have the strength to do many works. They are full of self-confidence. Those who are weak-souled have no self-respect. They are afraid of everything and are withdrawn. Both kinds of people are wrong and are of little use in the hand of the Lord. God can only use those who have a will, feelings, and are sensitive, but who have no self-consciousness.
In Shanghai there is a brother with a little soul and a big heart. In the prayer meetings, he prays long prayers and loves to say, "Holy, holy, holy," in his prayer. This kind of person will never change unless he experiences the outpouring of the Spirit. Those with a strong soul tend to despise those with a weak soul because weak-souled ones appear to be unresponsive and fragile. The strong-souled ones are the opposite. We should not criticize others. We should only deal with our own weaknesses. Those who are little-souled lack power in their soul and cannot accomplish much. However, those with a strong soul work by the power of their soul rather than by the power of the spirit. For these reasons, neither kind can work for the Lord. If we do not deal with this matter properly, we will not be able to experience the resurrection life. There are several famous evangelists in China who are strong-souled men.
Those with a strong soul need the cross to break down their strongholds. Those with a weak soul need the outpouring of the Spirit to make up what they lack. Little-souled ones need to read 1 Corinthians 12 to 14. They should seek for the outpouring of the Spirit so that their lack can be filled up. In order to become a suitable vessel of the Lord, we have to deal with our soul. A preacher can be tall or short in physical stature and speak just the same. However, if his soul is too big or too small, he will have a problem. A worker must first deal with himself in this matter. He must also consider the factors mentioned above when he assigns responsibilities to local brothers. We tend to appoint people with a strong soul because they exhibit their talent more readily. Yet such people must be dealt with by the cross before they can engage themselves in spiritual works. Those with a small soul must receive strengthening from the Spirit. Otherwise, they will not work. The best kind of people are those who are balanced, but such people are hard to find. This is a great matter, and we have to handle it carefully.
There are two co-workers in Chekiang. Most people agree that they are little-souled ones. Someone asked me once how I felt about them. I agreed that they were little-souled. Others would be stirred up, but they would still be cold. Others would come up with some ideas, but they would find it hard to follow. Yet both of them have an excellent spiritual life. Once they came to me and said that they wanted to quit. I asked, "Who do you think are the ones who can have great achievements and accomplish great works in China?" They answered, "Those who are strong-souled." I then asked them to read 1 Corinthians 12 through 14 and charged them to seek after the outpouring of the Spirit. Little-souled ones should not be discouraged; they should pray earnestly to the Lord for the filling of the Spirit. On the one hand, we should not entrust matters to the little-souled ones too quickly. Rather, we should wait until they have received the outpouring of the Spirit. On the other hand, we should realize that strong-souled ones must go through the dealing of the cross.
You will know if you have a strong soul or a weak soul if you humble yourselves and ask others about it. You will know your lack. If we do not deal with this matter properly, God's work will suffer much loss. This is truly a serious problem. I hope that the workers will have a thorough dealing with the Lord concerning this matter.
The cross deals with the negative things. It deals with what a man already has. The Spirit deals with the positive things. It deals with what a man does not have. Few people like the little-souled ones; everyone tends to love the strong-souled ones. Yet the latter soon tire people out. Little-souled ones are exactly the opposite. Others do not like them at the beginning, but they become likable after a while. Many people boast about the strong-souled ones and feel sorry for the little-souled ones, but if a little-souled one is perfected, he may become more useful than a strong-souled one.
In order to be a co-worker of God, there are at least eight qualifications. One must (1) be saved, (2) be victorious, (3) have power, (4) be called, (5) have gifts, (6) have a ministry, (7) have dealt with all the negative things mentioned above, and (8) know the Body life and not be divisive. In order to work for the Lord, a man must be dealt with by the cross and be filled with the Spirit.
Our testimony today is an extension and continuation of the apostles' testimony; it is not a new testimony. Hence, strictly speaking, we should not call anyone our brothers.
In the Body of Christ, the affair of one member is the affair of the whole Body. This is like eating, seeing, and hearing. When the mouth eats, the whole body eats; when the eyes see, the whole body sees; and when the ears hear, the whole body hears. During this conference, we have only covered the experience of Galatians 2:20 and 2 Corinthians 12:9. There are many more riches in His Word than what we have covered. For this reason, we should all have the proper ambition to keep on pursuing. We should not have any ambition for the things and people of the world, but we should have a healthy ambition for God. Unless a person is dealt with by the Lord daily and seeks after the Lord personally, he cannot deal with others or help others.
Lord, forgive me for pointing out the attitudes, shortcomings, lack, and weaknesses of others. May I not be reproached that day at Your judgment seat by my reproach of others today. May my judgment today not become a judgment on me on that day. Lord, cover me with Your precious blood.
