๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐: ๐๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐กโ๐ โ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐บ๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก; ๐คโ๐๐ก ๐ โ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐?
๐ ๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ.
Our real and eternal service will be in the new heaven and new earth in the future. As an illustration, your education today is your learning; it is only after you have worked a few years that you will have truly entered your profession. Likewise, today is the time for us to learn to serve God.
However, this does not mean that a person can serve only after he has finished learning. Time is for our learning; we learn to serve by learning and serving at the same time. No one should say that he will wait to finish learning before he begins to serve.
๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐, ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ, ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ฑ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐.
Of course, as we serve the Lord today, we still need to eat and survive, and we should therefore take a job. However, as long as we can earn enough for our living, that is sufficient. We are different from the people in the world. They want to maintain their daily living, but they also want something more. They want fame and fortune, and they want to be great. We Christians are different; we have left Egypt and have come out of the world.
We know that Paul was a very talented leader who could have done something great in the world, yet he worked with his own hands to make tents (Acts 18:3). According to our way of thinking, tentmaking was a suffering to Paul because his gift was spiritual. When the Lord made provision for him, he did not need to make tents, but when there was no provision, he humbly made tents as his livelihood.
I must speak a frank word: no one who desires to follow the Lord can be a great success in his career. In order to follow the Lord, you must give up everything. But thank and praise the Lord that this way is restful and the burden is light. Thus, in our living we need to earn only enough for our needs. Our primary concern must be to serve God.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐, ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ, ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ.
Have we not sensed the Lordโs call at least once? Apparently, the Lordโs calling of us might not have been in the same way as His calling of Saul or Peter, but we have sensed the Lordโs call. I deeply believe that among us there are quite a few brothers and sisters who have sensed the Lordโs call within. For now, it does not matter whether it was great or small and whether this call was strong or weak; what matters is only that it was clear.
The Bible says that as long as we have faith, it is sufficient, even if it is as small as a mustard seed (Matt. 17:20). God does not require our faith to be great. It is the same with our callingโsimply to have it is enough. Can you honestly say that you have never had a feeling of being called by the Lord? Since you have had such a feeling, you must answer it. The more you answer this feeling, the clearer it will become. If you do not answer it, you will remain wavering.
๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ซ๐ฒ. ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐; ๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ.
I often ask myself, if the Lord wanted me to die, how could I not die? If I wanted to graduate from college, but He did not allow me, what could I do? Many things are not in our hands. The Lord can raise up all kinds of circumstances around us to reach His goal.
Regardless of whether we answer Him quickly and generously or whether we refuse to answer Him, answer Him stingily, or give Him some trouble, the result will still be that He will effortlessly do what He desires to do. We are the ones who suffer, who are dealt with a little more, beaten a little more, and put under pressure a little more. Hence, nothing that relates to man is within manโs own control; no one can choose his own way.
Every step we take is determined by God. Can we really be the kind of person we want to be? Because our destiny is in Godโs hands, we might as well count the cost and answer the Lordโs call generously. I have been taking this way for twenty-five years, and I have never regretted it.
Do not think that I am taking this way blindly. No, I have certainly counted the cost, but I have never regretted it. Every instance of looking back and considering causes me to bow my head and say, โO God, the way on which You lead me is the way You have destined for me. When all things are manifested in the future, I will know that choosing Your way was not only better but also the best.โ In that day we will all say that the cost that we paid was only dung.
It is clear that in the two thousand years of church history, those who have followed the Lord have all bowed their heads, especially in their old age, and said, โLord, it was You who led me to take this way.โ All those who did not take this way regretted it in the end. Some regretted that they were touched once but did not answer the Lordโs call, and others regretted that because they were greedy in the matter of their livelihood, they did not take the Lordโs way.
In the past two thousand years there have been many people with this kind of regret. Conversely, everyone who was pure in heart in following the Lord bowed his head at the end of his course and thanked and praised the Lord. I hope that the young people here will count the cost. Thousands have gone before us, and their footsteps are truly a testimony.
๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐. ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ โ๐๐๐๐โ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐? ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐; ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ต๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐. ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ป๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Witness Lee, The Bridge and Channel of God, portions from chapter 3. The picture is via, Outflow of the Good Land on Facebook.
