Read and pray: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)
Those who minister the word must also pay attention to their manner of speaking. This relates to attitude and is connected to temperament. Of course, we do not focus on outward things, but the way of speaking can greatly affect the word we minister. It is possible that our attitude may reduce the weight of the message.
For example, using our hands too much while speaking can be distracting, and this should be corrected. We can fix this issue by practicing speaking in front of a mirror. That way, we can correct ourselves.
A worker of the Lord should never pretend; however, every worker should maintain a proper attitude. Attitude refers to the way of speaking. The first lesson a diplomat must learn is about attitude. He cannot act like a child at an important event.
Even an athlete maintains a proper attitude. He has a distinctive manner in the way he walks or runs. When an athlete gets up, he behaves in a way that makes others recognize him as such.
A worker must never pretend but must be genuine. Nevertheless, we must carry ourselves in a proper way. Sisters should have an attitude appropriate for sisters. This attitude is different from that of the brothers.
Elders must have a conduct that is appropriate to them. The same is true for younger ones. Some elders are sloppy when they are with the saints; they do not maintain a proper manner.
An elder should not act like a bureaucrat, making himself appear special or above others; rather, he should behave properly. He should be sincere, unpretentious, and simple, not showy. At the same time, he should not be frivolous or careless.
People should sense that he has weight, that he is serious, and that his conduct is that of an elder. These qualities are related to a person’s background, natural disposition, education, environment, and family.
Every diplomat must learn three important lessons: first, proper conduct. Next, he must improve his linguistic skill. A diplomat must be skilled with words. He must be able to turn any situation to his advantage with just a few words.
We are all ambassadors of the kingdom of God, diplomats, interacting daily with the kingdom of the devil on the earth. We have already had the experience of transforming those who opposed us with just a few words. They even received the Lord after just a few words, though at first they had no desire for Him. Thus, the second thing a diplomat must learn is how to speak.
Third, a diplomat must learn to be magnanimous. A magnanimous person does not always let others know when he is happy or sad. A magnanimous person always gives others a way out. For example, when offended, he does not immediately become angry. Instead, he exercises his magnanimity by withdrawing and considering the situation to see if he has a basis to give a clear response.
He does not become angry right after being offended, nor does he do things for others based on his emotions. A magnanimous diplomat always consults many specialists, such as advisors, overseers, secretaries, and consultants, to evaluate the pros and cons of a situation before responding.
Anyone who cannot learn these three things cannot be a good diplomat, even if he has much knowledge. Knowledge is secondary for him. The most important matter is his conduct. Next, he must have the ability to speak and to be magnanimous.
When provoked, he does not lose control of his emotions, and when praised, he does not feel indebted to others. All who serve must learn these three lessons. It is completely inappropriate to lose control when we feel offended by a brother. And it is also not proper to immediately accept a brother’s request just because it is favorable to us.
We must pay attention to the way we behave when contacting others and ministering the word. In these matters, it is very difficult for others to correct us. It is better to stand in front of a mirror, observe ourselves, and make corrections as needed.
For example, a brother furrows his brow, raising one eyebrow very high and lowering the other, every time he stands up to speak. Then he shakes his head twice before speaking the first sentence. He has done this for more than twenty years and has never changed his speaking posture.
Another brother always gets nervous and jittery when receiving strangers. Although affectionate, his behavior is inappropriate. It is possible to remain calm and act in a dignified manner when greeting someone. If we do not behave properly, we give a poor impression.
Moreover, we should not all have the same manner when speaking. For example, there was a preacher who wore a robe and did not move much while speaking, but when he opened his mouth to say, “God so loved the world,” it was powerful and overwhelming.
Another preacher ran down from the platform where he preached, ran across the meeting hall, and then returned to his place. He cried and laughed, shouted and screamed, knelt and lay on the ground. Sometimes, he imitated the way certain women walked and talked to show how inappropriate it was.
Generally, people found it hard to accept his manner, but after hearing his message, they were conquered and ended up convinced that his behavior was right, not inappropriate. Thus, all who minister the word have their own particular manner.
The matter of attitude is a problem for almost everyone. Ten years ago, there was a brother who spent all his time pulling up his pants while speaking. Another was unaware that his belt was always twisted every time he finished speaking. Yet another loved to hold his tie while speaking.
Although these are not major things, they can affect our preaching of the word. A brother who loves to frown should not speak at a wedding or at a memorial meeting. Weddings are joyful occasions, and his frowning would be inappropriate. Likewise, people are already very sad at a memorial meeting, and they do not need his frowning face. In reality, this person should not speak on any occasion.
Some people always behave appropriately. In a joyful event, their word is suitable even if they do not speak directly about joy. When they speak at a memorial meeting, the relatives are greatly comforted. Perhaps they do not say much, but their attitude carries great weight.
For a while, I thought Brother Nee was too spiritual to care about such minor things as appearance. Yet one day, while teaching me to compose Chinese hymns with characters, he said that if we printed the hymns horizontally, they would be less effective in touching people, but if we printed them vertically, the impact would be greater. We then composed a hymn both horizontally and vertically. Reading and singing them both ways, we discovered that there was indeed a difference. As human beings, we are affected by many things. The ability to touch people is essentially a work of the Holy Spirit; however, certain things can frustrate that work.
Reading something printed horizontally may frustrate this work, while reading the same thing vertically may help it. Likewise, a proper attitude not only removes people’s resistance to the Holy Spirit, but also cooperates with His work.
If it is inappropriate, our attitude will become a reason for resistance to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, our improper behavior can completely annul the impact of our word. When people dislike our attitude, they do not listen to what we say; their hearts are closed and they cannot receive anything from the message.
Furthermore, the younger ones should never behave like elders. They should be spontaneous and natural, while still maintaining a proper and distinctive conduct. We must be mad before God and sober before men (2 Cor. 5:13). However, being reasonable before parents is different from being reasonable before children.
Even while being sober in both situations, our behavior will differ. Being sober before parents expresses one kind of conduct, but conduct before children will be different. We must study this subject.
Enjoy more: Hymn S-95
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