Read a little booklet "Hints for Workers" by Jessie Penn-Lewis. Some good tips in the first chapter on assisting others. Here is a summary in point form (we may know these but reminders are necessary):
1. Look at the troubled soul from where they stand.
2. Sympathize and encourage.
3. Gently lead them to focus on the blood of Christ being their peace.
His blood has reconciled us to Him. We
have peace with Him. He is our Father who gives us peace (“I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I
give is a gift the world cannot give so don’t be troubled or afraid” [John
14:27])
Remind and teach that their peace is in the blood of Christ not
their feelings and not the circumstances.
4. Focus on being just a “voice” to direct souls to Christ. Seek not honor. ( Say as Paul said “I am glad to give myself and all I have for your spiritual good even though it seems that the more I love you the less you love me” [2 Corinthians 12:15]
“ So they came to John and said, “Master, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River—the one you said was the Messiah—he is baptizing too, and everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us.
John replied, “God in heaven appoints each man’s work. My work is to prepare the way for that man so that everyone will go to him. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him—that is all. The crowds will naturally go to the main attraction[—the bride will go where the bridegroom is! A bridegroom’s friends rejoice with him. I am the Bridegroom’s friend, and I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less)” [John 3:26-30])"
4. Focus on being just a “voice” to direct souls to Christ. Seek not honor. ( Say as Paul said “I am glad to give myself and all I have for your spiritual good even though it seems that the more I love you the less you love me” [2 Corinthians 12:15]
“ So they came to John and said, “Master, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River—the one you said was the Messiah—he is baptizing too, and everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us.
John replied, “God in heaven appoints each man’s work. My work is to prepare the way for that man so that everyone will go to him. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him—that is all. The crowds will naturally go to the main attraction[—the bride will go where the bridegroom is! A bridegroom’s friends rejoice with him. I am the Bridegroom’s friend, and I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less)” [John 3:26-30])"
Follow Jesus and practice the discipline of silence. Never talk of where people are in their spiritual growth. Be fervent in prayer and silent in speech over all un-Christlikeness
["Above all love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins" 1 Peter 4:8]
6. Philippians 2:3: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
2 Timothy 2:3 Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because you know they produce quarrels
7. Lead souls to search the Word to know the mind of the Spirit for themselves. Leave it to the Lord to teach.
8. Live in unbroken communion with God so that there may be unbroken flow of the divine life in us and we may speak of what we know and experience (no just head knowledge). If we draw from Him, He uses our experiences, circumstances, gifts and capabilities. He uses. We do not depend on them. If we are instruments, we do not say "I think". We do not cling to views and opinions. We say "it is written" and rely totally on Him.
9. Our interior and exterior life should correspond.
10. Let our goal be: Philippians 3:10
"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings becoming like Him in his death and so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead".
No comments:
Post a Comment