Brethren, we must not speak as an ass...1
Brothers, we cannot be just a donkey.2
This word is true for all the children of God.
It is true for coworkers. When you brothers stand up to deliver a message (sometimes prepared for you by someone else), and for 90 minutes you just follow closely your outline (how many times I have heard this), what are you doing if not speaking like a donkey? How many times I have being waiting, listening to “your” (actually it was not your) message to catch you out of guard, so to speak, to get a glimpse from your spirit, and when sometimes that finally happened, even if it was for only a minute, how much help I received you are not aware of, but God knows. If only you had followed your heart and your spirit more often, how memorable could have been “your” message, and how much more help could have the church have received from your being. But how many times you chose to speak like a donkey.
It is true for all the saints who in the meeting share from the HWMR. They open it and read it to the other saints, and this is “their” main sharing. How wonderful if after you had read, enjoyed, prayed over whatever was in the HWMR you came to the meeting and spoke few words from “your” spirit, “your” experience and not from someone else messages. But how many times you chose to speak like a donkey.
It is true for every child of God, in whatever denomination, free group, etc. he might be. In whatever situation, we have to share the word of God. Every time we can choose to speak like a donkey, repeating words that have never made roots in us, words that have never worked deeply in our beings or we can draw a little, however small it is, from our personal experience with the word and share that with an unbeliever, a child of God, or the church. But how many times we chose to speak like a donkey.
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NOTES:
1. WATCHMAN NEE ,The Ministry of God’s Word,Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc. New York, 1971, page 39 (PDF)
2. (Watchman Nee, The Ministry of God's Word, (LSM) Chapter 3, Section 2)
There are numerous obstacles for God to speak His word through man. For God to speak directly by Himself poses no difficulty. Neither is there much problem for God to speak through angels. Even using a donkey poses less of a problem than speaking through man because a donkey is not as complicated as a man. A donkey does not form obstacles in its mind, understanding, memory, motive, and spirit. A donkey does not have these problems. If God's word were placed in its mouth, it could repeat the word accurately. But using a donkey is something exceptional for God. God used a donkey to release His word only when the prophet failed. He has no intention for the donkey to replace the prophet; He still wants man to be His prophet. God wants to use man. Man was created especially for God's use. When God created the world, His intention was not to have a submissive machine. In the same way, God is not after a machine that can preach. He is not after something without a will. He is after men who possess a free will. It seems as if He took a big risk when He chose man to be a minister of His word. But God would rather do this than not. God entrusts His word to man, a complicated man, one full of sin, defilement, and weakness. There are also the problems of the outward man, the natural man, and the carnal man. All these are factors against God. Yet God still entrusts His word to man. He wants to gain the greatest glory through overcoming the greatest difficulties. If God can break through these great obstacles, He will secure the greatest glory. (LSM.org, The Ministry of God's Word, Chapter 4, Section 1)
With many servants of the Lord, God's word can be found in them only when a word is put into their mouth, and when it is not placed in their mouth, they do not have any word. Yet Paul had reached the stage where he had God's word whether or not it was put into his mouth. Here was a man so trained that he could earn the Lord's trust. Here was a man so trained and trusted by God that his speaking became God's speaking. We cannot do anything about this except to plead for mercy. Brothers, we cannot be just a donkey. We cannot be satisfied with God's word just being placed in our mouth. If this is our condition, it means that we ourselves have nothing to do with God's word. Paul was a man who had much to do with God's word. Even his own opinions became God's opinions. The little thoughts that he had became the thoughts of the Holy Spirit. He was so one with the Spirit of God! His very speaking represented God's speaking. He indeed reached the highest peak. (LSM.org,The Ministry of God's Word, Chapter 3, Section 2)