9. WORKING AND CARING FOR THE LORD’S RECOVERY
Do not work and care for your local church or for the local churches in your territory, but for the Lord’s recovery. Even if you are working in your territory for the recovery, your consideration should always be that you are working for the Lord’s recovery. This will save us from much damage. Do not work only for your church, your territory. Do not care only for that territory. We all must work for the Lord’s recovery. I speak this even to the local elders. The elders should not merely care or work for their locality but for the Lord’s entire recovery.
10. NOT CUTTING YOURSELF OFF FROM THE BODY
Do not cut yourself off from the Body. If you cut one member off from the Body, this means that at least you cut yourself off from the Body. You must keep a very good fellowship with all the members in the Body. Do not think that because a certain one is not faithful to you or another one offended you, you would cut them off. Eventually, you cut yourself off from the Body. No person is perfect. People may offend you intentionally or unintentionally. Even if people offend you intentionally, you must learn to forgive, to forget, and to maintain a good fellowship.
The Lord Jesus told us in Matthew 5 that when we come to offer something to God, if we recall that someone is unhappy with us, we had better leave the offering there and get ourselves reconciled with the brother who has something against us (vv. 23-24). We are also told that to stumble or offend a brother is very serious in the Lord’s eyes (Matt. 18:6-10). To cut off a member of the Body is also very serious. We should always, as much as possible, keep fellowship with everyone.
11. MINISTERING LIFE AND BUILDING UP THE CHURCHES
Minister life wherever you go, and build up the churches wherever you are. Do not do or say anything negative. Wherever you go, minister life in a positive way. Wherever you are, build up the church positively.
12. CONSIDERING THE CHURCHES, THE CO-WORKERS, AND THE SAINTS THE SAME
Consider all the churches, all the co-workers, and all the saints the same. Do not consider that those who are with you are superior. All the churches, all the co-workers on this earth, and all the saints on this globe universally should be the same in our consideration.
13. NOT HAVING A SPECIAL GROUP
Do not build a special group around you. By the Lord’s mercy, I can boast that I do not have any “buddies.” I do not have a special group around me. Instead, I probably have offended many of you. Many of you know that the closer you are to me, the more frank speaking you get from me.
Some among you, however, whether intentionally or unintentionally have a group around you. For the long run, and for the Lord’s profit, interest, and for His recovery, this is not a credit to you. I can always boast that I have hundreds of co-workers, but I do not have a special group around me. I do not know who is closer to me today. Actually, everybody is closer. The betrayers always consider that they are the closest. The principle is there with Judas. He was very close, and he betrayed the Lord Jesus with a kiss. Peter did not do something to show people that he was so close to the Lord Jesus. The principle is the same today. Please widen your scope. Every saint in the Lord’s recovery is your help.
14. NOT TRYING TO CONVINCE OTHERS THAT YOUR WAY IS THE BEST
Do not try to convince others that your way is the best. This is similar to item number five which says not to say that your way is the right way. Sometimes certain ones not only said that their way was the right or the best way, but tried to convince others of this. This spontaneously and immediately caused a turmoil. This turmoil damaged them, damaged others, and eventually damaged the Lord’s recovery. I believe that we all love the Lord, and that we all love the Lord’s recovery. The Lord’s recovery may be considered as our babe. Just as a mother loves her babe, so we have to love our babe. We must sacrifice our everything for this babe. This is the conclusion of my fellowship on these principles. Do not do anything or say anything that would damage the Lord’s recovery.
(Elders' Training, Book 04: Other Crucial Matters Concerning the Practice of the Lord's Recovery, Chapter 5, by Witness Lee)
