BEING LED TO DISCUSS EVERYTHING WITH GOD
About a hundred years ago there was a spiritual man in England named George Müller, who founded an orphanage. He was a German who became a British citizen after he went to England to preach the gospel. His wife also was British. When he was led by God to establish an orphanage, he did not do any fundraising; he only prayed. He was a person who asked God concerning all things. We may say that he was one who sought after God through prayer all day long. On the one hand, he was managing the affairs. On the other hand, he was looking to God, fellowshipping with God, and discussing things with God. If I remember correctly, whenever he met with someone or tried to resolve a difficult issue, he would be talking to men outwardly and speaking to God inwardly, just like the businessmen in Shanghai who always have two phones at the same time, one in each hand. This encourages me very much. Not only did Müller commit matters to prayer, but even in the midst of discussion with others, he also continued to ask God and seek His leading. In his autobiography he said that before he would do anything, he would ask God if a certain matter pleased Him. Then he would ask if God wanted him to do it, because God might want something to be done in the universe but not necessarily through him. When Müller was clear that God wanted him to do it, the third thing he would do was to ask God when He wanted him to do it. The fourth thing was to ask God where to do it. The fifth thing was to ask God how to do it. Müller would bring these five points before God and would carefully ask, “O God, is it Your intention to do this thing? If you do not intend to do this, then I will not touch it or do it.” Müller was one who would bring every matter, whether big or small, to God for consultation. This was his practice moment by moment.
There was a Christian boss who, while transacting business with others, would often say, “I have to go back and consult my Boss.” The other party would ask, “Who is your Boss?” He would respond with a grin, “You have your boss, and I have my Boss too. My Boss is One whom you have not known.” What he meant was he would carefully consult with the Lord because the Lord was his Boss. A proper Christian is one who learns to live before the Lord daily and who practices to be led by Him. Otherwise, there is definitely something wrong with this Christian, even if people perceive him as right and proper. When we shop for a suit, we have to ask the Lord what color or style to choose. If we think that it is all right to purchase the suit as long as we have enough money in our pocket and the suit fits us just fine, then we have a big problem. People will begin to put question marks on us. They will ask, “Is this Christian inside or outside of God, or perhaps has he not yet entered into the grace of God?”
A proper Christian lives and dwells with the Lord. The Lord is his Master, his Counterpart, and his Companion. Daily he lives before the Lord, walks with the Lord, dwells with the Lord, and rests with the Lord. This is a good and proper Christian. Such a Christian will always be led by the Lord and have the consciousness of the Lord. He knows what the Lord wants him to do, and where and when he should do it. He is enlightened, fresh, pure, and full of the presence of the Lord. He is quick to sense problems that arise because he lives before God. Whenever we meet him, we feel as if we are meeting God. We can always sense that God is upon him and in him. Why? It is because he is a person who fellowships with God and consults with God. He does not have his own natural discernment or his own arrangement. Everything he does comes out of the Lord and is unto the Lord. Whatever he does is under the leading of God.
THE MEANING OF BEING LED
To help us learn the lesson of being led, first we must be clear about the meaning of being led. We usually think that the purpose of being led is to gain some benefit for ourselves. This is an improper concept. The Chinese people pay too much attention to benefits and fortune. Their minds are filled with hopes for longevity, blessings, and peace. Sometimes people ask me, “Sir, if I believe in Jesus, will He be more effective than Buddha? Can He make my son wealthy and my daughter-in-law bear children?” To them, believing in Jesus is the same as worshipping Buddha. Their minds are filled with peace and wealth. Many people believe in the Lord to obtain blessings, peace, and prosperity. The Lord has been kind and considerate towards us and has answered some prayers of this kind. However, the Lord’s ultimate goal in answering our prayer is not just that we may obtain peace but that He may gain us and fill us, so that we may have His nature and His image. The Lord is working towards this goal.
(The Pursuit of a Christian, Chapter 8, by Witness Lee)
