THE NEED FOR ALL TO FUNCTION
Do not say that you are not of the Body. To say, "I am not of the Body," means that you feel you do not need to function. For the foot to say, "Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body," means that the foot has no need to function. In this portion of the Word, not to be of the Body means not to function. Many of us, perhaps eight out of ten, are like this. Many think that because they are not talented or gifted, they do not need to function. This means that they consider themselves not of the Body. As many sit in the meetings, they have this concept. They may deny it, but deep within they say, "I am not an elder, so I don’t need to do anything in the meeting." Although you may not be as gifted as the elders, you are still a member of the Body. You cannot say that you are nothing. If you are not a hand, at least you are a little finger. Therefore, you must be of the Body, that is, you must function in the meetings.
When we come to the meetings, we should be like basketball players. However, when certain saints come, they come not as players, but as spectators. Those who behave like spectators feel that they are not of the team, not of the Body. But all of us are on the team. Therefore, when we come to the meetings, we must come as players expecting to play in the game. We need to be adjusted in this matter. Some of the sisters may say, "I am not that smart or gifted. There is no need for me to function." It seems that these sisters are not of the Body. They are of the Body, but considering themselves inferior to others, they do not function. They say, "I am just a poor foot. No one pays attention to me. Those who are the eyes or the hands may go ahead and make a show. I prefer to stay aside." Do not think like this. No matter how inferior you may seem to be when compared to others, you must still be proud of what you are. The foot should say, "I may sometimes give off an unpleasant odor, but if I don’t walk, the body has no way to walk. If I don’t touch the earth, how can the body touch the earth? I am proud of being a foot." Likewise, the ear needs to say, "I am proud of being an ear. If I don’t hear, the body cannot hear." Members like the feet and the ears must learn to be proud and uplift themselves. Although the religious ones may be troubled to hear that some of the members of the Body need to be proud, this is nonetheless quite necessary. However, if the members become too proud, they will then need to be humbled.
THE BODY TEMPERED TOGETHER
In verse 24 Paul says, "God hath tempered the body together." The word "tempered" in this verse is very significant. Sometimes the Lord will allow you to become proud. But if you are too proud, He will humble you. To temper something is firstly to heat it up and then to cool it down, as a blacksmith does when making an iron fitting. In order to make the steel stronger, he first heats the metal and then puts it into cold water. This is tempering. Likewise God has tempered the Body. If you are not able to help people to be proud, you are not a good minister. I encourage you all to be proud. Say, "Praise the Lord that I am a wonderful foot!" But after I have helped you to become proud, I shall put you into cold water. Some religious pastors always tell people to be humble. But so many of you despise yourselves and are in bondage to your self-made humility. I want to dig you out of your graves of humility and help you soar in the air. I would like to teach you to be proud. However, after soaring in the air for a while, you will need to be put into a cage. This is not pleasant, but it is necessary. Do not say that because you are not a hand, but a foot, you are not of the Body and do not need to function. You must be proud of what you are. Do not despise yourself or nourish any self-made humility.
(The Spirit and the Body, Chapter 14, by Witness Lee)
