First Corinthians 12:13 says that in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body and that we were all made to drink of one Spirit. If we consider this verse in the light of verses 3 through 12, we shall see that to drink is both to call on the name of the Lord and to speak. When we speak, we drink. The baptism into the one Body, which transpired nearly two thousand years ago, has positioned us all to drink. Practically speaking, to drink is to function, to call on the name of the Lord, and to utter something for the Body. If you do not speak in the meeting, you cannot drink. Apparently, when we speak, we are speaking something out; actually, we are drinking, taking something in. The more I speak, the more I drink. This is the reason I am satisfied after speaking in the meeting. Probably you have often had the sense in the meeting to say something; but because you were cautious, the opportunity was lost, and you went home defeated, feeling like a deflated tire. However, we can also testify that when we speak in the meeting, we return home in triumph. This indicates that if we speak in the meetings, we are drinking as we speak. As we speak out, we drink in. Our speaking is our drinking. Thus, we all need to learn to speak in the meetings.
First Corinthians 12:15 and 16 say, "If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" We need to understand Paul's intention in writing these words. Many Christians, members of the Body, have the concept that they are not as good or as high as others. For example, we may think that our hands are better than our feet. Suppose one of the members of the Body who is a foot says, "I am just a poor foot, not a beautiful hand. Therefore, I am not of the Body." This is a form of self-despising. I know that in their hearts many saints despise themselves and say, "I am not that good. The Lord didn't give me five talents or two talents. I'm not sure He even gave me one full talent. Because I am so poor, I don't need to function." Those who feel this way may consider that they are not of the Body. When they come to the meetings, they act like outsiders or spectators. They do not join in the Body activity. Hence, Paul's intention in these verses is to tell those who, outwardly speaking, may seem inferior to others not to despise themselves. Such members should not say that they are not of the Body.
After referring to the foot and the hand, Paul speaks of the ears and the eyes. Comparatively speaking, the eyes are more excellent than the ears. When you look at a person's face, you look firstly at his eyes, not at his ears. Just as the feet are apparently inferior to the hands, so the ears seemingly are inferior to the eyes. In the Body, some are the feet, and others are the ears. Both may consider themselves inferior to other members. Some among us hold this concept and say, "I am not as smart as Brother So-and-so. There is no need for me to say anything in the meeting. Even if I did speak, I could not speak well. Thus, I am excused from functioning."
In my experience throughout the years, I have come to know the psychology of the saints. Some of the sisters say, "We are the weaker vessels. In the meetings, the brothers should be the ones to bear the responsibility because they are the stronger ones." Others may excuse themselves as being too old, too young, or too shy. For this reason, only a few, such as the hands and the eyes, function in the meetings. The reason so many do not function is that they consider themselves inferior. If they are a foot, they view themselves as inferior to the hand. If they are an ear, they see themselves as inferior to the eyes. Thus, they do not function. It seems that their not functioning is humility; actually it is a form of pride. Some feel that if they cannot say something outstanding, with an utterance better than that of the Apostle Paul, they will not say anything at all.
We all need to be converted and become like little children who gradually learn to speak without any consciousness of being smart or dumb. One of my little grandchildren talked all day long, although hardly anyone understood what he was saying. It was even difficult to tell what language he was speaking. But day by day his speaking improved. At first, not one word was right. But gradually he began to use the right words. Now he speaks better English than I do. All the saints must learn to speak in the meetings, even if they seem at times to speak nonsense. Of course, I do not encourage anyone to speak nonsense intentionally. We in the church are a family, not a graduate school where everyone is studying for a master's degree or a doctoral degree. Most of us are still in kindergarten or even in nursery school. Some are in elementary school, others in junior high or high school, and a few are on a college level. The church is not an army—it is a family, a body.