First Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise your youth.” Not only are young people often despised because of their youth, but even older people are despised when they act like children. In today’s society, those who have successful careers or are given authority over others have a strict character. A person with a loose character cannot be a manager or director. Even if he is very knowledgeable and capable, no one will dare to hire him as a manager or a director. If he were given a job, he would be unable to accomplish anything and would end up causing disaster. Do not think that it is easy to be a manager. If you were asked to be a manager, you probably would not be able to do it for even one day. Your subordinates, as well as your superiors, would push you and put pressure on you. If you have a loose character and are unable to bear pressure, eventually you will become seriously ill or at least have stomach ailments.
The difficulty in the Lord’s work is that there are no examinations or grading systems for the co-workers. Today every government organization has general and special examinations for their employees, and private companies also have grading systems to assess a person’s individual performance. However, there is nothing of this sort in the Lord’s work. The co-workers do not have to take examinations, nor will they ever be dismissed. When Brother Nee was taking the lead among the co-workers in mainland China, he suffered much because of the co-workers. Sometimes he was pressed to the limit and wanted to speak some rebuking words to them, but some of the co-workers could not stand being rebuked. They had no fear, so when they were rebuked, they would get angry. They were like hot potatoes that you want to get rid of but cannot and that hurt you when you keep them in your hands. If those brothers had been working in various professions in the world, they would have been asked to leave and to look for another job. However, we cannot do this in the Lord’s work. Thus, we are in a difficult situation.
I hope that this would not cause you to consider yourself fortunate to be in the Lord’s work and to say within yourself, “I am going to join this profession, because once I am in, no one will have control over me.” It is true that no one will control you, but if you have this kind of intention, you will be finished and will be useless in the Lord’s hand. There is a saying in northern China that says, “Once a person becomes a soldier, he is like iron beaten into a nail; once a person becomes a preacher, for his whole life he is spoiled.” Once iron is beaten into a nail, it has no other use except as a nail. In the eyes of the world, a person who becomes a preacher will eventually be good for nothing. His whole life will be finished. Thus, our character needs to be under strict control and to be molded all the time. If we are careless and become set in a certain mold, we will be finished. However, who will control us while we are doing the Lord’s work? Even though Timothy was a spiritual son to Paul, the most Paul could do was to write to him in the way of an exhortation. If Timothy received the exhortation, Paul would be comforted, but if he rejected the exhortation, Paul would not be able to do anything. History proves that Paul was able to get through with Timothy and was unable to get through with other co-workers (2 Tim. 4:10). Even his letters to them were of no effect.
Our hope is to produce two hundred young, full-time serving ones in Taiwan each year. If the Lord fulfills this matter, we will have one thousand full-time serving ones in five years. Although this sounds encouraging, I am concerned that when you young people enter into the Lord’s work, you will become one thousand “hot potatoes” if your character is not trained properly. If this happens, then we will not be able to do the Lord’s work. Hence, I emphasize again and again that besides pursuing the truth and growing in life you must also cultivate a strict character. If you do not pursue the truth or grow in life that much, it is not too great a problem. You may not have a great measure of usefulness, but at least you will still be able to exercise your portion. However, if you learn the truth and grow very well in life but are not built up in character, then this will become a great problem.
The senior co-workers among us are getting old, and in a sense, they cannot do that much anymore. There are some other co-workers, but I would not like to talk about them right now. Thus, I have a heavy burden concerning you young people. I hope that you would pay full attention to the matter of your character. Formerly in China there was a group of people who were known as Bohemians. They did not button their shirts, tie their shoes, or comb their hair. The only thing that they ever did was to stretch out their hand when tea was brought and open their mouth when food was served. Those people were lazy. You should not imitate them. Rather, you should learn to be diligent. A young brother once testified that when he was in the military, he was very disciplined and orderly. He arranged all his personal belongings in a tidy manner, and even his superior praised him. Later, however, after he retired from the military and got married, he needed his wife to help him find his watch, socks, and clothes. This shows that a good character had not been built up in him. Recently, after hearing about the importance of character, he was awakened. He realized that this is a great matter, so he made up his mind to be trained in character and asked his wife not to help him find his daily necessities. If you sisters are serving the Lord and marry this kind of husband, do not help him to do anything. Rather, help him to be trained in his character.
In the churches most problems, whether big or small, can be easily solved. The most difficult matter is finding a proper elder to manage the affairs of the church. The reason it is difficult to find such an elder lies in the matter of character. Therefore, do not despise the training that you are receiving. After you graduate from the training and go out to labor for the Lord, you must in a sense be like a “suicide squad.” Those who have not built up their character cannot be like those in a suicide squad. On January 28, 1932, Japan invaded Shanghai. At that time a pilot in the Chinese air force piloted his plane into a Japanese aircraft carrier. This action shook the whole world. The various world powers were fearful of the bravery of the Chinese people and warned Japan not to act rashly and blindly anymore. This temporarily stopped the Japanese invasion. My point in saying this is that your ability to take a certain action altogether hinges on your character. That young pilot was brave and could sacrifice himself to save the country because he was a person of good character. If he had not had a good character, he would not have been able to do such a thing. Today in the Lord’s service, those who have a good character and a goal are very much needed.
Whether or not we will fulfill the Lord’s purpose has much to do with our character in spiritual matters and in the matters of our daily living. All parents know that if they want their children to be useful, they must cultivate in them a good character. If their character is not built up, they will be easily spoiled. Although you have received a certain amount of perfecting and training regarding your character, in order for you to be useful in the Lord’s hand and to serve the Lord, you need further training regarding your character.
A person who is loose in his character cannot be three-dimensional and is like a flat, two-dimensional surface. A two-dimensional person cannot be a vessel and cannot contain anything. If you are not built up in your character, you will be a person who is flat and cannot be useful. Hence, in learning to serve the Lord, the foremost matter is to pay attention to your character. You cannot be loose in this matter. For instance, consider your reading of the Bible. You must decide how much to read and then read according to a schedule. You must read even when you are sick or when you are exceedingly busy. You must carefully evaluate and schedule every aspect of your life and try your best to save your time and energy for your service and spiritual pursuit. Whether or not you will have good fellowship with the Lord, have adequate prayer before the Lord, read the Lord’s Word properly, or advance in your usefulness in the Lord’s hand will depend on your character. If your character is loose, none of these things can be built up.