The church life is similar to married life. According to God's ordination, there should be no divorce. Neither in married life nor in the church life should there be divorce. In the eyes of God, there is no escape, no emergency exit, from the church life. If you say that the church is no longer the church, it means that you are divorcing the church life. If five years ago you said that this was the church, how can you say that it is not the church today? How could you claim that a certain man is not your husband if you have been living with him for the past several years? There are many different kinds of people in the church life. It is not only difficult for us to remain together, but it is hard for a man to stay with his wife for a long period of time. Anyone who has done so can tell you that it is not easy. For this reason, this country is full of divorces. I once read statistics which indicated that in California there were nearly as many divorces as marriages. But there are no divorces among the young people married in the church life. We can boast to the demons that among the young people in the churches there is no divorce. Because the Lord's grace has been with these young people, they have learned to deal with their spouse, not according to their disposition, but according to resurrection life. In this matter of marriage we have enjoyed great success.

In the church life, however, we must admit that we have shortcomings. Although we have no divorces in our married life, in the church life sometimes the leading ones do not contact others in a proper way. We do not always contact them according to their need, but according to our sentiment, feeling, and enjoyment. In the coming years many young ones among us will be raised up by the Lord to take the lead. When they assume the lead, they must learn not to take the lead according to their sentiment, but according to the discernment that comes from being controlled by resurrection life. If they do this, they will contact the saints according to their needs and not according to their own sentiments. They will be like Joseph who dealt with his brothers according to their needs, even if he had to act contrary to his own desire for the enjoyment of the fulfillment of his dreams. In his dealing with his brothers, Joseph even went against his natural being. According to his natural constitution, he was not the kind of person to be rough with others. But because the brothers needed this kind of treatment, he dealt with them in this way. Joseph did everything according to the need of his brothers. Not one thing he did was according to his desire, enjoyment, preference, or sentiment. Even in the matter of the fulfillment of his dreams, he ignored his feelings and took care of his brothers and of what would be good for them.

With respect to the leadership in the church life, we have not been altogether successful. By leadership I refer not only to the elders, but to anyone who takes the lead to help others. This includes those involved in shepherding. As we contact others in the way of shepherding, we must not do so according to our feelings. Rather, it should be according to the need of others. To learn this is to learn a great lesson. Joseph is an excellent example of proper leadership. He was a leader who did not act according to his need, desire, disposition, or sentiment. On the contrary, he did everything according to the need of others and for their good. When he spoke roughly to his brothers, it was for their good. When he put them into prison for three days, it was for their good. When he bound Simeon and kept him in prison for a longer period of time, it was for his good. We have seen that Joseph loved his brothers to the uttermost. However, he did not love them in a loose way, but in a sober way according to his brothers' need and for their good. We all need to practice this in the church life today.