SERVING THE LORD BY CARING FOR PEOPLE (4)
In order for us to minister life to others, we must do at least four things. First, we need an adequate contact with the Lord… Second, we must learn in the presence of the Lord to be dealt with by Him. We may say, “Lord, here I am. I know that I am not fitting and useful. I am natural, wild, and raw; I have never been ‘cooked,’ processed, by You. I am even sinful, worldly, and fleshly. Lord, in order to use me as Your bondslave, You must deal with me. I need Your dealing. I need Your ‘cooking.’ Lord, I open myself to You, but I do not depend on my opening; I depend on Your exposing. Bring me into Your light. Shine over me, shine within me, and shine through me thoroughly in order that I may be fully exposed.” We all need such a prayer. It is better to pray in this way by ourselves. In doing other things we should not be individualistic, but in this kind of prayer it is better to do it individually. We should spend an hour or more in the presence of the Lord for this purpose, checking with Him again and again until we get through and until nothing further needs to be exposed.
After we reconsecrate ourselves and deal thoroughly with the Lord, we can pick up a burden before Him. There is no need to pray particularly for a burden. Whatever burden we pick up will be the Lord’s burden… our burden is to take care of people by ushering. Picking up a burden in this way will make a great difference. If we usher after having thoroughly dealt with the Lord, whenever we usher, we will minister life. There will be an outflow of life from us to others’ spirits. The Holy Spirit always honors this kind of serving.
All the brothers and sisters need to pick up such a burden. The older sisters, for example, can pick up the burden to care for the older saints. No one can appoint us to this service. We must all go to the Lord, the Head of the Body, have a thorough dealing with Him, and pick up a burden. There are many categories of burdens. According to my observation, many needs are lying waste, and many useful persons are also lying waste. The useful persons must be matched to the needs. Neither I nor any leading brother can say, “Sister, you do this.” That never works. Instead, we must all go to the Lord, have a thorough dealing with Him, and open our spiritual eyes to see the need. Then, without any ambition but even at the sacrifice of our whole life, whatever burden we pick up will be the Lord’s will. It is worthwhile to pay the price even of our life. I was nineteen years old when I was saved. On that day I told the Lord, “Lord, even if You gave me the whole world, I would refuse it. I simply want to be poor for You.” If the young sisters do this, they will see the Lord’s blessing. We must all pick up a burden to care for people. There is no other way to carry out the Lord’s desire. (The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1973-1974, vol. 2, “The Normal Way of Fruit-bearing and Shepherding for the Building Up of the Church”, ch. 1, pp. 528-530)
The church in Zamboanga 