PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

The Lord's interest today is with the building of the church. But how can we, as fallen human beings, be built up together? It is difficult even for a husband and wife or for parents and children to be built up together. We all want enjoyment for ourselves and react against anything that touches our sense of enjoyment. Apart from the losing of the soul, it is impossible for the church to be built up. If someone offends you, you may be unwilling to forgive him simply because you enjoy being able to condemn him. Because forgiving him is not enjoyable to you, you have no interest in forgiving him. This is true not only in the church, but also between husbands and wives. Sisters, once your husband has offended you, you may enjoy holding on to that offense. Holding on to it and refusing to forgive him affords you psychological pleasure. This is the saving of the soul. If you save your soul in this way, you cannot have a proper family life. In order to have a proper family life, we need to lose our soul. Our soulish enjoyment must go. If you are willing to lose your soulish enjoyment, you will be rewarded one day when the Lord comes into your family. At that time, the Lord will save your soul. You were willing to lose it, but when the Lord comes in, He will save it and cause you to have great enjoyment. For the building of the church there is the crucial need that we all learn to lose our soul. Do not keep any enjoyment for your soul. Rather, lose it for the Lord's sake.

LOSING THE SOUL IN THE FAMILY LIFE AND IN THE CHURCH LIFE

Husbands and wives argue with each other because they find it enjoyable. The reason a husband is not willing to lose the case to his wife is that it would mean the losing of his soul. But if a brother loses his soul by losing the case to his wife, the Lord will reward him by coming in at a certain point to save his soul. That will be the time for the soul to have its enjoyment. This illustrates the fact that the family life is built up through the losing of the soul.

There cannot be a proper family life without the losing of the soul. For the sake of the family, you need to lose your enjoyment. Then the Lord Jesus will reward you in a positive way when He causes a transfiguration to take place in your family.

The same is true in the church life. In the church, we all need to learn to lose our soul, to lose our soulish enjoyment. By losing our souls, a transfiguration will take place. Then in the Lord's transfiguration we shall be rewarded positively, and the Lord will save our soul. If you consider your experience, you will find that this is true.

Without the third key, the losing of the soul, the first two keys do not work very well. We need the last key, the losing of the soul, in the church life. In every aspect of the church life we need to lose our soul. If we lose our soulish enjoyment, we shall not argue with the brothers. Therefore, the losing of the soul is the way for the church to be built up. By the exercise of the three keys, the gates of Hades are locked up and the doors of heaven are opened. When Hades is locked up and the heavens are opened, we shall have an excellent church life. This excellent church life is the kingdom today. This is the way for the church to be built up.

Witness Lee, The Exercise of the Kingdom for the Building of the Church, pp. 39-48

APPLICATION

When we enjoy Christ as our wisdom from God, what is the first aspect of the divine virtue, the divine goodness, that we shall experience?

How can we experience being separated from what is common and from being common ourselves?

Redemption also includes being brought back to God, being terminated, and being replaced by Christ. In your experience, can you give a clear testimony of how you have enjoyed Christ in each of these aspects in your care of your children?