Office Fellowship: Diligent

The Lord has entrusted me with a responsibility of fellowshipping with the literature serving ones. I have never felt that I am worthy to be able to oversee the services of the serving ones. Now, I have no choice. I have to be faithful to the responsibility the Lord has assigned to me. Therefore, I gladly accept this charge, trusting in God's grace to be a faithful and prudent steward.

Of late I had received a couple of emails from three serving ones concerning their situation and the way they serve in the office in Chennai. When I first saw the mail it pricked my heart. I was convicted that things were not right and that I am responsible to step and sort out the problem. Yet, I was fully aware that without the Lord's anointing I could not do this. As I have been feeling, I never deem myself to be able to oversee the serving ones especially when things are not going right, and when they have problems among themselves. I had no choice, but to step in.

After much prayer and consideration before the Lord. I wrote an email to all the office staff, calling for a time of fellowship. 

Romans 12:7a

Or service, let us be faithful in that service; 

Dear Brothers in Chennai Office,

In the light of the recent feeling concerning our service and coming to the office on time, it is not a good testimony that we are not honoring the fellowship we had the last time. All serving ones in Chennai office agreed in mutuality to come at 10 AM, which usually was 9:30 AM, as we are very considerate about your family and personal situation. It really is not the outward time schedule, but it is the person that is always the problem. If we are sincere in our service to God, let us exercise to be faithful. 

Considering this, let us fellowship on 8th April 2019, Monday at 10 AM as per the set office time. Please be at the office and we will fellowship on timing and other related items.

Much grace to us all. 

In Him, 

Palmei 

On the 8th morning, I asked all the serving ones in Chennai to pursue a message on DILIGENT Chapter Five, The Character of the Lord's Worker by Watchman Nee. Few points, excerpt from the book.

What is diligence? It is the opposite of slothfulness. It is not shirking from responsibility. A diligent person does not try to reduce his work to nothing. On the contrary, he tries to create work out of nothing. In the Lord's service, it is quite possible for us to take a day or two of rest if we do not look for work. We should not be those who stand around idly waiting for something to turn up. If we work only when work turns up, we are not diligent persons. A diligent person is never idle; he is always looking for things to do. He is always pondering, praying, contemplating, and considering before God as to what he should do. Unless he exercises himself this way, he can find himself with nothing to do. If we only act "according to the book," we may soon find that there is not much of a book left. We should expect to find much work in our service to God. We should discover many needs. We have to pray much to the Lord and look to Him all the time. We should open our eyes, and as soon as we find something that needs to be done, we should do it. After we finish a job, we should wait on the Lord and look to Him again. And as soon as we find more to do, we should tackle it. Following this, we should seek God's will again, and take on yet another task. This is what it means to serve God. The Lord said, "My Father is working until now, and I also am working" (John 5:17). We must never change this verse to read, "My Father is resting until now, and I also am resting." Laziness is not our way; our way should be, "My Father is working until now, and I also am working.

A diligent person always waits on God. As soon as he is free, he goes to the Lord and looks for things to do. He is always seeking an opportunity to work.

The word in Greek for diligence is spoude or spoudazo. It is also translated as zeal, earnestness, eager, and haste (Rom. 12:8, 11; 2 Cor. 7:11-12; 8:7-8, 16; Heb. 4:11; 6:11; 2 Pet. 1:5, 10; 3:14; Gal. 2:10; 2 Tim. 2:15; 4:9, 21; Titus 3:12; Jude 3; 1 Thes. 2:17; Eph. 4:3; 2 Pet. 1:15; Mark 6:25; Luke 1:39).

Second Peter 1:5-7 says, "Adding all diligence, supply bountifully in your faith virtue; and in virtue, knowledge; and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, endurance; and in endurance, godliness; and in godliness, brotherly love; and in brotherly love, love." This is diligence. Peter used the phrase and in six times. This shows that a diligent man always adds to what he has; he is not content with what he has. We should cultivate this character. We should always add to what we have and never stop. There must always be the "adding...and in." We must push ourselves all the time. This is the only way to see results.

Everyone who knows God and who is useful in His hand is diligent.

After pursuing, I asked each one of them to share from the book. Through their sharing, they confessed and got the answers to the questions concerning themselves and their service. I was especially glad that the brothers opened up and confessed, even asked forgiveness for the mistakes they have done. I simply have to echo what has already been read and understood from the ministry. Issues concerned were addressed and the servings had a new beginning. 

Having convened such a meeting of the full-time serving ones in the literature service, I should myself learn from all of them, and learn to be diligent indeed.

Lord, make me a faithful and prudent slave. Lord, may I experience You as my faithfulness and fruitfulness in my service.