LIVING UNDER THE LEADING BY THE SPIRIT
The Lord's leading is not for outward business or activity; it is absolutely for our living. We must live this way. If you pick up this kind of understanding, it will revolutionize your entire life. I don't mean that we shouldn't have any arrangement for our schooling, or any kind of plan for our job, or any kind of plan for our business. But the basic principle is this: all the time we should live under the leading by the Spirit. Our arrangements and our plans must be under the leading by the Spirit because we are persons who are altogether living under the leading by the Spirit. Our goal is not to be famous, and our goal is not to be wealthy. Our goal is just to live Christ for the church as God's eternal purpose. Because we need to live on this earth, we need to have a kind of living. We must have some kind of arrangement and plan for our education, for our children, for our job, and for our business. But we should not have this in a worldly way. We must have our plan and our arrangement and all the parts of our daily life under the leading by the Spirit.
LIVING BY FAITH
The New Testament teaches us that whether we have a job or a business, or whether we receive the highest education or not, we live by faith. It doesn't mean that since you have the best education, you would have a successful business and you would have the best future. Your future eventually is under the hand of the Lord.
I do encourage the young people to get the highest education. But just because you have the highest education does not mean that you will be a successful and prosperous person. A lot of things can happen. Who could have told us that in 1973 there would be an oil embargo which would affect the entire world economy? Who can be sure that he will always be healthy? Our future is altogether in the hands of our Father. We should not forget that we are really different from the unbelievers. We have a heavenly Father who takes care of us. I can testify that for over fifty-six years my heavenly Father has been taking care of me. Whatever I planned eventually became a failure, but still He was taking care of me.
A BASIC DECISION
As the Lord's children, we just have to love Him and to be one with Him. We have to live the Lord Jesus. Also we have to set our heart on the Lord's interest. We have to tell the Lord, “Lord on this entire earth I have no other interest. My unique interest and desire is You. I love You because You love me. I want to live You. I want to live under Your instant and momentary leading.” This is basic. Dear saints, if you don't make such a basic decision you can never have the Lord's leading. You must have such a basic decision. You must tell the Lord, “Lord, thank You, You have chosen me, You have predestinated me, You have called me, You have saved me, You have regenerated me, You have brought me to this day, and You have preserved me. Thank You, Lord, by Your mercy and grace I love You. Besides You I have no interests, no desire. I just want to live You, living under Your momentary leading.” Dear saints, this is more than basic! If you have not made such a basic decision, you don't need to talk about the leading. You are not in the position to have the Lord's leading. You must make such a decision.
DOING YOUR DUTY
After making such a decision then you must simply follow the Lord to do your duty. As a teenager you need to follow the Lord to study under the care of your parents. Spontaneously, the Lord will arrange a school for you, and the parents will do something for you. You just live under the leading of the Lord. Stage after stage the Lord will lead you to get your education. Gradually, in the same way the Lord will lead you to have a marriage. The Lord will lead you to get a job. The Lord will lead you to pick up some experiences in a trade or in a business. All of this is under the Lord's leading.
In your daily living, all these leadings should not be accidents; they should be part of your daily living. Yet, you are not trusting in what you have learned or in what you can do for your living. You put all your trust in the Lord Jesus. Our trust is in our Father's hand. You don't need to be bothered and sidetracked by your living. Today the matter of making a living is a big distraction that carries the Lord's children away from His leading. We must stick ourselves to the Lord's leading. We must take care of the Lord's leading first. Our trust is not in what we do for a living. Our trust is in the hand of our heavenly Father. Then the matter of leading would not be a bothering or a distraction to us. Then you would never choose a job which would give you better pay and yet take so much time away from your seeking after the Lord. You wouldn't care firstly for the better pay. You would care firstly for seeking after the Lord. You would live under the Lord's leading every day.
In such a living you do your duty, yet you do not trust in your duty for your living. That is your duty, but that is not your trust. Your trust is in your heavenly Father. This is the right way. Schooling, job, business, or marriage would not be a distraction to you. You just seek after the Lord and live under His leading. And you just do your duty. Your living, your safety, your future are altogether in His hand. This is the right way. If you live this way, you don't need to seek a certain leading at a certain time for a certain activity. Because you live under His momentary leading, you are clear how you should go all the time.
(Witness Lee, Perfecting Training, Chapter 52)
