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Romans 12:11 speaks concerning the Body life. This verse says, “In diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (ASV). In this short verse four matters are mentioned—being diligent, not being slothful, being fervent in spirit, and serving the Lord. Apparently these matters are not involved with our character, but actually they are altogether related to our character.
A slothful person will surely have an improper character. I have never met a person who had a strict character and yet was lazy. If you are a lazy person with a slothful character, you cannot be diligent. It is impossible for a lazy person to be diligent, because being diligent requires too much effort. According to a lazy person, the best thing to do is to not do anything and to not care about anything.
A person who is diligent will spontaneously be fervent in spirit. In other words, a fervent spirit follows diligence. If you are a slothful person, you will not be fervent in spirit. Instead, you will be extremely cold in spirit. It is quite difficult to start a fire in a refrigerator, but it is very easy to start a fire where there are gas vapors or gasoline. Hence, starting a fire is not only a matter of the fire itself, but it is also a matter of what is used to start it. If you are fervent in spirit, you will be like gas vapors or gasoline and will be easily kindled by even a little contact.
D. L. Moody was a powerful gospel preacher. He once said that he had never seen a lazy person get saved. This is true. I have been preaching the word for many years, and I also have not seen a lazy person get saved. This shows that a lazy person is one who is loose in character, who does not care about anything, and who is indifferent toward everything. He is lazy to such an extent that he does not even want to get saved. I have seen two kinds of young people. One kind is diligent, and the other kind is slothful. The diligent ones are concerned about everything wherever they are. Even when they are staying in other people’s homes, they are concerned about whether or not the doors and windows are locked and the lights are turned off. The slothful ones, however, are so lazy that they would not care even if the house were burning down. In a gospel meeting, if there are many gospel friends who are diligent, this is an indication that many will get saved. Regrettably, if there are many in the meeting who are lazy, you should not expect them to give you a quick response, because they will be too lazy to respond.
Today the most important matter regarding our service to the Lord is that we must be fervent and burning in spirit. Whether or not our spirit can be burning depends very much on our character. We should not expect a loose person to be burning within. It is difficult even to start a fire in such a one. According to my observation, those who are genuinely spiritual tend to have quick dispositions. It is difficult for a slow person to become spiritual. Brother Watchman Nee was greatly helped by Miss M. E. Barber, who was much older than he. I never met her, but many who had met her told me that she was a very quick person. Of course, a person who has a quick disposition and does things in a rush also tends to make many mistakes. A wooden chair or a statue of Mary will never make any mistakes because it never moves. Therefore, it is also worthless to be slow. It is difficult for the Holy Spirit to touch a slow person because such a person is indifferent. Everything you say is about the same to him, making it difficult to touch him.
If you have ever lived in the brothers’ and sisters’ houses, you have probably discovered that those with a quick temperament are usually the first ones to be touched when listening to a message in the meeting, but those who are slow are seldom touched. Sometimes when you weep for the slow ones, instead of being touched, they ask why you are weeping. Perhaps you have been moved to such an extent that you are in the third heavens, and your whole being has been set on fire by the inner fire, yet they remain puzzled. The reason they are like this is that they are loose and poor in their character. According to what I know, those who do well in school are those who are strong in character. The first ones to believe in the Lord and the most fervent ones in the pursuit of spirituality are those who are strong in character. It is very easy for the Holy Spirit to work on those who are strong in character. When we preach the gospel to students, what we fear the most is meeting people who are like jellyfish, because people like this are poor in character. They drag their feet and are indecisive about everything.
The subject of Romans 12 is the living and service in the Body of Christ. In the service in the Body, those who are the most difficult to coordinate with are those who are weak in character. Hence, Paul’s speaking in verse 11 is focused on character. If a person is poor in character, there is no way for him to coordinate with others, because his spirit cannot be set on fire. If you observe those who pursue the Lord together and then check your own experience, you will find that it is not easy for those who are loose in character to be touched in their spirit. They are not touched when they read the Bible, nor are they touched when they listen to a message. When listening to a testimony, they think that there is nothing remarkable about it. To those who have a poor character, everything is about the same. Even when there is a great sense of urgency, they remain unmoved.
In the early years of my experience of preaching the gospel, what I feared the most was meeting people who were lazy. Moreover, whenever I went out to labor, I was very afraid of having co-workers who were loose in their character. In mainland China we were always in a hurry to catch the train. Because of this, whenever I went out to labor with a co-worker who was loose in character, I always needed an extra supply of the Lord’s grace and patience. I had to do everything for these ones, because regardless of how much I tried to hurry them, they would still be very slow and unhurried. Thus, many matters were delayed.
I truly appreciate you young brothers and sisters who are giving up your future and consecrating all that you have to the Lord in your youth. However, what concerns me the most is the matter of your character. The Chinese environment in particular is a major hindrance to the building up of a proper character. For over fifty years I have been fighting the battle in the Lord’s recovery, and part of the battle has been related to our character. I admit that I have not gotten through in this matter. A Chinese proverb says that changing one’s nature is harder than changing mountains and rivers. This is not an exaggeration. It is truly difficult to change one’s character. You are here to be trained so that you may be formed into an army to go to the villages for the spread of the gospel. Whether you succeed or fail in this matter will depend on your character training today.
First Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise your youth.” Not only are young people often despised because of their youth, but even older people are despised when they act like children. In today’s society those who have successful careers or are given authority over others have a strict character. A person with a loose character cannot be a manager or director. Even if he is very knowledgeable and capable, no one will dare to hire him as a manager or a director. If he were given a job, he would be unable to accomplish anything and would end up causing disaster. Do not think that it is easy to be a manager. If you were asked to be a manager, you probably would not be able to do it for even one day. Your subordinates, as well as your superiors, would push you and put pressure on you. If you have a loose character and are unable to bear pressure, eventually you will become seriously ill or at least have stomach ailments.
The difficulty in the Lord’s work is that there are no examinations or grading systems for the co-workers. Today every government organization has general and special examinations for their employees, and private companies also have grading systems to assess a person’s individual performance. However, there is nothing of this sort in the Lord’s work. The co-workers do not have to take examinations, nor will they ever be dismissed. When Brother Nee was taking the lead among the co-workers in mainland China, he suffered much because of the co-workers. Sometimes he was pressed to the limit and wanted to speak some rebuking words to them, but some of the co-workers could not stand being rebuked. They had no fear, so when they were rebuked, they would get angry. They were like hot potatoes that you want to get rid of but cannot and that hurt you when you keep them in your hands. If those brothers had been working in various professions in the world, they would have been asked to leave and to look for another job. However, we cannot do this in the Lord’s work. Thus, we are in a difficult situation.
I hope that this would not cause you to consider yourself fortunate to be in the Lord’s work and to say within yourself, “I am going to join this profession, because once I am in, no one will have control over me.” It is true that no one will control you, but if you have this kind of intention, you will be finished and will be useless in the Lord’s hand. There is a saying in northern China that says, “Once a person becomes a soldier, he is like iron beaten into a nail; once a person becomes a preacher, for his whole life he is spoiled.” Once iron is beaten into a nail, it has no other use except as a nail. In the eyes of the world a person who becomes a preacher will eventually be good for nothing. His whole life will be finished. Thus, our character needs to be under strict control and to be molded all the time. If we are careless and become set in a certain mold, we will be finished. However, who will control us while we are doing the Lord’s work? Even though Timothy was a spiritual son to Paul, the most Paul could do was to write to him in the way of an exhortation. If Timothy received the exhortation, Paul would be comforted, but if he rejected the exhortation, Paul would not be able to do anything. History proves that Paul was able to get through with Timothy and was unable to get through with other co-workers (2 Tim. 4:10). Even his letters to them were of no effect.
Our hope is to produce two hundred young, full-time serving ones in Taiwan each year. If the Lord fulfills this matter, we will have one thousand full-time serving ones in five years. Although this sounds encouraging, I am concerned that when you young people enter into the Lord’s work, you will become one thousand “hot potatoes” if your character is not trained properly. If this happens, we will not be able to do the Lord’s work. Hence, I emphasize again and again that besides pursuing the truth and growing in life, you must also cultivate a strict character. If you do not pursue the truth or grow in life that much, it is not too great a problem. You may not have a great measure of usefulness, but at least you will still be able to exercise your portion. However, if you learn the truth and grow very well in life but are not built up in character, then this will become a great problem.
The senior co-workers among us are getting old, and in a sense, they cannot do that much anymore. There are some other co-workers, but I would not like to talk about them right now. Thus, I have a heavy burden concerning you young people. I hope that you would pay full attention to the matter of your character. Formerly, in China there was a group of people who were known as Bohemians. They did not button their shirts, tie their shoes, or comb their hair. The only thing that they ever did was to stretch out their hand when tea was brought and open their mouth when food was served. Those people were lazy. You should not imitate them. Rather, you should learn to be diligent. A young brother once testified that when he was in the military, he was very disciplined and orderly. He arranged all his personal belongings in a tidy manner, and even his superior praised him. Later, however, after he retired from the military and got married, he needed his wife to help him find his watch, socks, and clothes. This shows that a good character had not been built up in him. Recently, after hearing about the importance of character, he was awakened. He realized that this is a great matter, so he made up his mind to be trained in character and asked his wife not to help him find his daily necessities. If you sisters are serving the Lord and marry this kind of husband, do not help him to do anything. Rather, help him to be trained in his character.
In the churches most problems, whether big or small, can be easily solved. The most difficult matter is finding a proper elder to manage the affairs of the church. The reason it is difficult to find such an elder lies in the matter of character. Therefore, do not despise the training that you are receiving. After you graduate from the training and go out to labor for the Lord, you must in a sense be like a “suicide squad.” Those who have not built up their character cannot be like those in a suicide squad. On January 28, 1932, Japan invaded Shanghai. At that time a pilot in the Chinese air force piloted his plane into a Japanese aircraft carrier. This action shook the whole world. The various world powers were fearful of the bravery of the Chinese people and warned Japan not to act rashly and blindly anymore. This temporarily stopped the Japanese invasion. My point in saying this is that your ability to take a certain action altogether hinges on your character. That young pilot was brave and could sacrifice himself to save the country because he was a person of good character. If he had not had a good character, he would not have been able to do such a thing. Today in the Lord’s service, those who have a good character and a goal are very much needed.
Whether or not we will fulfill the Lord’s purpose has much to do with our character in spiritual matters and in the matters of our daily living. All parents know that if they want their children to be useful, they must cultivate in them a good character. If their character is not built up, they will be easily spoiled. Although you have received a certain amount of perfecting and training regarding your character, in order for you to be useful in the Lord’s hand and to serve the Lord, you need further training regarding your character.
A person who is loose in his character cannot be three-dimensional and is like a flat, two-dimensional surface. A two-dimensional person cannot be a vessel and cannot contain anything. If you are not built up in your character, you will be a person who is flat and cannot be useful. Hence, in learning to serve the Lord, the foremost matter is to pay attention to your character. You cannot be loose in this matter. For instance, consider your reading of the Bible. You must decide how much to read and then read according to a schedule. You must read even when you are sick or when you are exceedingly busy. You must carefully evaluate and schedule every aspect of your life and try your best to save your time and energy for your service and spiritual pursuit. Whether or not you will have good fellowship with the Lord, have adequate prayer before the Lord, read the Lord’s Word properly, or advance in your usefulness in the Lord’s hand will depend on your character. If your character is loose, none of these things can be built up.
In 2 Timothy 2 Paul uses six kinds of people to depict a person who serves the Lord. He also refers to some matters related to character in order to train his young co-worker. Verses 3 and 4 say that we who serve the Lord as good soldiers of Christ Jesus should not entangle ourselves with the affairs of this life. This requirement is absolutely related to our character. We cannot fulfill this requirement if our character is lacking. Verse 5 speaks about a person who contends in the games. It likens a person who serves the Lord to an athlete who competes in the Olympic games. In order to win a game, an athlete must receive strict training. Some coaches not only teach their athletes skills but also train their character by controlling their diet, sleep, and dress. If an athlete is loose in his character and does not eat, sleep, live, and walk according to a schedule, he will not be able to win the game.
Verse 6 mentions the laboring farmer. A lazy farmer is destined to fail, because a farmer must labor in order to succeed. The word labor implies diligence and toil. Thus, this is a matter of character. Verse 15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman, cutting straight the word of the truth.” Here the word workman refers to a carpenter, and the cutting straight of the word is likened to the work of carpentry. Paul was telling Timothy to unfold the Word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without distortion, just as a carpenter cuts a piece of wood. When a piece of wood is cut crookedly, it becomes completely useless. If you are not strict enough in your character, your reading of the Word will be loose, and your interpretation of the Word will be inaccurate. If you take the attitude that everything is “about the same,” then your interpretation of the Word will also be “about the same.” Only those who are strict in character can cut straight the word of the truth.
Verse 21 says, “If therefore anyone cleanses himself from these, he will be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, useful to the master, prepared unto every good work.” A vessel unto honor has to meet a certain standard so that it may contain a specific object of honor. Here the word honor is related to our nature, the word sanctified indicates our position, the word useful implies the matter of function, and the word prepared reveals the matter of training. Paul exhorts Timothy to cleanse himself from the vessels of dishonor so that he could be trained in these four matters. These four items together would make Timothy a vessel unto honor according to a certain standard. This also involves our character.
Verses 24 and 25 say, “A slave of the Lord ought not to contend but be gentle toward all, apt to teach, bearing with wrong; in meekness correcting those who oppose.” It is wonderful that when Paul speaks about being a slave of the Lord, he does not say that such a one should read the Bible, pray, grow in life, or pursue the truth. Neither does he say that such a one should develop his eloquence, utterance, and gifts. Rather, he says that a slave of the Lord ought not to contend but to be gentle in his attitude. Those who contend are loose in their character. Those who are strict in their character do not contend and have no time to contend. A policeman always carries a gun with him. If he has not been strictly trained, the gun can be very dangerous to him because he might pull it out and shoot carelessly. A tendency to contend is proof that a person does not have the power to restrain or control himself. His power of self-restriction is poor. Because his character is poor, it is easy for him to contend with others. When you go out to labor for the Lord, you may encounter people who will argue. Old people will argue with you, Buddhists will argue with you, and those who have scientific minds will also argue with you. If you can avoid arguing with them and simply give them the truth, you will be a very skillful worker. This requires much self-control and self-restraint. This kind of character is hard to build up.
This is the training that Paul gave Timothy. By reading these few points, we can see that a person who serves the Lord must be a soldier, an athlete who runs on the racecourse, a farmer who labors in the field, a carpenter who cuts wood, a vessel unto honor, and a slave of the Lord. If you study these six kinds of people carefully, you will realize that they are altogether related to the matter of character. Once the problem of character is solved and your character is built up, you will be a good soldier, a good athlete, a good farmer, a good workman, a good vessel, and a good slave. I hope that you would concentrate all of your effort on this matter of building up your character in your living, your walk, your conduct, your speaking, and your attitude, whether at home, abroad, at work, or in the church, so that you may be very useful in the Lord’s hand.
Question: In the past you spoke about the thirty character traits that require training. Like you, we feel that this matter is very important. However, we do not know the secret of how to be trained. Moreover, although those who have a poor character are like “hot potatoes,” we cannot allow them to remain the same. Are there any secrets to helping such people?
Answer: The answer lies in your determination. You must be determined to consecrate yourself to the Lord to become a useful vessel in His hands. You need to labor with such a determination. The secret of your labor is to exercise not to be loose but strict in all things, whether big or small. The foundation depends on your exercise in your practical daily life. For example, you should be exercised in returning something to the place from which you took it, in paying attention to tidiness and neatness, and in doing things according to a plan. Once you begin to exercise in this way, you will realize how loose you were in the past. If you appreciate and are touched by this kind of fellowship but do not exercise or labor in your daily living, this fellowship will be completely useless to you.
You also have to help one another and be willing to be reminded of this matter at any time. Do not merely try to keep the peace with one another by being polite. Instead, you must go before the Lord, have adequate prayer, and ask the Lord for enlightenment and guidance. I know that these are not easy matters. It is helpful to remind a child who is three or five years old. However, such reminders may not be of much use to those of you who are already set in your ways. This altogether depends on you. If you are not determined and do not exercise, then there will be no way for you to be trained. If you are willing to take this matter seriously and spare no effort to carry it out, then it will be easy for you to be trained. From this perspective it is better for you to be strict than to be loose. Even to be overly strict is all right, because it may be necessary to be overly strict in order to effectively correct our defects.
I am full of joy to see that you have made a great improvement in your dress. This proves that you are determined and willing to be reminded. I spoke a strong word to the elders that if they want to manage the affairs of the church, the first thing that they need to do is to clean the meeting hall and put it in order. Some elders and co-workers keep their homes clean and tidy but have no feeling concerning the dirtiness and untidiness of the meeting hall. They say that they love the Lord, but actually they love themselves. If you truly loved the Lord, you would arrange and decorate the meeting hall, which is being used for the Lord’s work, so that it would look nicer than your own home. By the Lord’s mercy, I can tell you that when I was laboring for the Lord in Taiwan, I used the best toilets and bathtubs for the meeting halls and workers’ homes, but for my own home I used very simple furnishings.
If you want to serve the Lord full time, first you must be trained in your character. Second, you must view the Lord’s work as far more important than anything else. You must consider everything that is related to the Lord’s work as the most important. This also involves our character. Therefore, I hope that you all would seriously be trained in your character from the very beginning of your training. In this way all the meeting halls in Taiwan will be changed in appearance, not to be extravagant or to make a vain show but to be elegant, presentable, neat, and tidy and to meet every need. Whether or not the Lord’s work can be successful today depends on the training of your character. I hope that you all would receive this word.
Prayer: Lord, Your words were found, and we ate them. Lord, cause us not to reject this word, and enable us to fully receive and Amen Your word. We do not want to say, “This word is hard; who can hear it?” Lord, cause us to exercise our spirit to receive it. Your speaking such a word to us proves that You are merciful and gracious to us. We want to say Amen to Your word. May Your word transform us. Lord, make us good soldiers, good athletes, good farmers, good workmen, vessels unto honor, and good slaves to You. We pray that You would remember our desire and grant us grace upon grace so that we may seriously practice this in our daily living. Amen!
