HOW TO KNOW MAN "Cont'd"
Have you imagined that it is the dull who cannot discern, and only the clever who can? No, in this work the clever and the dull are equally excluded. You cannot use your (independent) mind or feeling to discern people. No matter how keen your mind, you cannot penetrate the depth of man and reveal his condition. After meeting a soul, each person must first discern what that individual's real need is before God. Often you cannot depend on what he says. Though he may correctly insist that he has a "headache," this may be only a symptom of a deeper condition whose roots are to be found elsewhere. Just because he feels warm does not necessarily mean he has a "high fever." He is likely to tell you many things which have no bearing on his case. A "sick person" seldom understands his real trouble; so he needs you to diagnose for him and offer the means of cure. You may want him to tell you his need, but he is prone to be mistaken. Only a trained diagnostician who is skilled in recognizing spiritual ailments, can discern the "patient's" real need. In every diagnosis you must have certainty.
One who is merely subjective is sure to afflict people with imaginative illnesses, stubbornly insisting that this or that is what ails them. Sometimes we may discover that the particular trouble is beyond our ability to help. Do not be so foolish as to assume you can cope with every situation and help all. For those whom you can help, you should spend and be spent. When you cannot be of help, you should tell the Lord, "This is beyond my ability; I cannot discern this disease. I haven't learned this yet. O Lord, be merciful." We should never think we can handle all the spiritual work or try to monopolize it.
Here is our chance to see the supply of the different members of the Body. If you feel a certain brother or sister can handle the trouble, seek him out and say, "This is beyond my measure; perhaps this is in your jurisdiction." In this way of working together in the Body, we learn to act relatedly, not independently. We must emphasize it again: every worker must learn before the Lord how to know man. How many lives are spoiled after passing through the hands of eager brothers who have not learned, but vainly give subjective views to meet objective needs! People are not necessarily afflicted with ailments that we imagine they have. Our responsibility is to discern their true spiritual condition. If we have not first been a partaker of spiritual understanding how can we hope to help the rest of God's children?
As you begin to gain sensitivity of your position in Christ, your eyes of your understanding is enlightened to know the true state of every situation in Jesus name.
Amen!
Author: Watchman Nee
Compiled and edited by: Peter O. Olutoyese
Amen
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