A worker of the Lord has to pay attention to yet another thing—being flexible in his daily living. God's servants cannot have a set standard for themselves, insisting on their own ways and views. If we want to serve the Lord properly, we have to maintain one principle: We do everything according to the Scripture and in a way that will not stumble anyone. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 Paul said, "For though I am free from all, I have enslaved myself to all that I might gain the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew in order that I might gain Jews; to those under law, as under law (though I myself am not under law), that I might gain those under law. To those without law, as without law (though I am not without law to God but within law to Christ), that I might gain those without law. To the weak I became weak that I might gain the weak. To all men I have become all things that I might by all means save some." For the sake of the gospel, Paul was all things to all men. This is a necessary character trait of one who serves the Lord.
Philippians 4:12 says, "I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack." Man is prone to swing from one extreme to the other; he is prone to go to extremes. Some Christians think that the only right thing to do is to abound and to be filled. Others are just the opposite; they think that a man must suffer abasement, lack, and hunger. But Paul said that he had learned to be abased, and he had learned to abound. He had learned to be filled and to be in hunger. He had learned to abound and to lack. He had learned the secret in all these things. He said, "I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me" (v. 13). Paul was flexible in the outward things of his daily life. Whether it was this or that, he could accept everything.
Unfortunately, many brothers and sisters are very stubborn. Their daily habits are untouchable and unchangeable. Some people have to take a hot bath every day. Some people have to shave every day. If they are put in a situation where they cannot live according to their habitual ways, they will not be able to function. These may be very minor things, but they can become obstacles to the Lord's work. Those who are set in their habitual ways cannot be God's servants. A worker of the Lord cannot be lopsided. He can go on with or without a hot bath, with or without shaving for a few days, with or without the opportunity to change his shirt for many days. He can sleep on a hard bed or a soft bed. He should be at ease in any environment he is put into.
Not only should daily habits not be an issue to a worker, but other things such as personality and age should not be a hindrance to him either. Suppose in one place the people are very warm, while in another place the people are very cold. God's servant should function equally well in both places. If he is a cold person and he can only work among cold ones rather than among warm ones, he is disqualified from the work. Some people can only work with warm ones; they cannot work among cold people. Some people can only work among serious people; they cannot work among carefree ones. All such restrictions represent limitations to God's work. Some brothers can only minister to older ones; they have nothing to say when they are among children or younger ones. Such a lopsided personality hinders God's work. Our Lord received the old and blessed the young. God wants us to be like our Lord, receiving the old and blessing the young. Madam Guyon once said that a man in total union with God is able to be a counsel to the old man and a friend to a child. This is one lesson we have to learn.
Brothers and sisters, this again is related to the dealing of our self. The self has to be rubbed away to such an extent that we can allow God to put us in any situation. In this way we will no longer be inflexible and will no longer be partial to any way. Paul was able to be all things to all men because he was fully trained by the Lord. May we all learn to be dealt with by the Lord so that our daily habits and personality will not become rigid and unchangeable. May we not go to an extreme and may we not hinder or frustrate the Lord's work in any way.