In all our service we need to learn to have no opinions. Those who like to talk a lot and have many opinions often do not work much. Those who truly work do not talk much and do not have opinions. The capable ones among the co-workers usually do not have opinions. They simply do whatever is fellowshipped. The quiet ones are usually the ones who work; the talkative people are usually the ones who do not. We may illustrate this with the printing of Life Lessons. The last word was completed recently on a Friday at 9:05 P.M. Then the serving sisters immediately started working. Those who typed did the typing, and those who proofread did the proofreading. They worked until 2:00 A.M. because the manuscript had to be ready by Saturday morning for imaging, typesetting, and printing so the book could be ready by the coming Monday. That was a good coordination. The serving sisters did not say anything. Every one of them worked silently and diligently without any opinions. They worked entirely according to the instructions. Especially in proofreading, the sisters paid much attention to the use and choice of diction in the manuscript that I gave them. They all worked according to instructions without any opinions.
In theory, “every road leads to Rome”; there is not only one way. However, if everyone has something to say, and if everyone has his opinions, it will never be possible to “get to Rome.” In American culture, the one who drives the car is properly respected. The one with the steering wheel in his hands is the one who drives, and everyone else in the car should not talk. This makes it very easy to get to the destination. If someone keeps giving opinions and argues, this will only waste time. Therefore, we should learn to work without opinions. Even if we know that the directions are not quite right, the “steering wheel” is not in our hands, so we should still remain silent. In this way, even though we may end up taking a few more turns, we quietly follow the “driver.” Then we experience that all things are under the Lord’s sovereign hands. He never fails us.
The capable ones do not talk much, while those who give opinions do not work much. This is an unchanging principle. Those who work know that there are different ways to do things, so it is not necessary to insist on a certain way, and there is no need to spend much time to study how to do things. For example, if we want to go to Yang-ming Shan, some may sit down to discuss which way is the shortest. As a result, they will discuss for over half an hour before they set out. Those who work faithfully will drive there right away and arrive in ten minutes, or twenty minutes at the most. What we need is only to “drive the car” and get there. From the beginning, the many young full-time serving ones among us need to learn the lesson of having no opinions and not giving any opinions. This is the proper attitude.
To perfect a home meeting, the first thing we need to learn is to sing the hymns. We ourselves must be familiar with the tune of a hymn and sing it well before we can lead others to sing. If there are children in the homes, we need to encourage them to sing with us because children are the fastest learners of hymns. Upon hearing the hymns, the children will start humming them, and they will pick them up very quickly. They are truly the ones whom we can count on to start singing and lead the singing at home. Once they have learned the hymns, they can lead others to sing together. It is not very easy for older people to learn to sing hymns. Therefore, when we lead a home meeting, we need to encourage the children to sing and ask them to lead the singing. This is very needful.
Although Life Lessons has its own sequence of lessons, we do not need to be rigid about the sequence when we use the book. We can choose any one of the topics from it. The principle is that the choice should be based on our knowledge of the particular home and their practical needs. However, there are some lessons, like “Knowing the Church,” which we must teach them. I believe that all of us who are leading a home meeting feel the need to teach this lesson. Basically, we need to learn every lesson well.
In order to use Life Lessons appropriately, we need to know the way the book is compiled. First, the Scripture reading in each lesson is very rich. The Scripture as the basis is the most outstanding feature and the richest part of the book. Second, the explanation of the Scripture is very simple. It is better to be simple. Because it is simple, it is easy for the new ones to understand, but it still has a crucial meaning and certain main points. Before we go to lead a home meeting, it is better for us to study one or two lessons. We not only need to study the verses thoroughly, but we also need to understand the main points in the explanation. In this way we can understand the book thoroughly. Moreover, no lesson exceeds six pages. Some lessons have only three pages. On average, each one is four to five pages. The portion is just right. At the end of each lesson there is a hymn. This is the summary of the whole compilation. It is best for us to follow this line when using the book.
The one who leads the meeting must be living. If he is not living, the meeting will definitely have no vitality. If we are a burning person, once we enter the meeting, everyone will be burning. If five or six people are together talking and laughing excitedly and someone comes in weeping, they will hardly be able to continue laughing. After a while others may begin to shed tears. This illustrates that one person’s situation can greatly affect the meeting. If we are a weeping person yet try to give a message to make people laugh, no one will laugh. On the other hand, if we are a laughing person, yet we try to give a message on repentance, confession, fasting, mourning, and lamenting, we can shout at the top of our voice, but no one will cry or feel sorrowful.
In this matter we cannot pretend. If we pretend, we will just be performing like actors. We are not actors, so we should not act. Even if we act well, it will still be false. We should not put on a mask, let alone give a performance. Whether or not the leading ones are living depends on their daily living. If we walk according to the truth and the Spirit in our daily life, as time goes by we will be a certain kind of person. Then when we are in the home meetings, we will be those who walk according to the truth and the Spirit. Whether or not we speak, we will be such persons. The kind of living a person has is the kind of person he will be.
A person who is filled with the Spirit will bring the Spirit wherever he goes. When he speaks, the Spirit will come out. When he cries, the Spirit comes out, and when he laughs, the Spirit also comes out. When he reads the Bible, the Spirit comes out, and when he sings, the Spirit also comes out. This is the most important matter.