Another excerpt
from "Release of the Spirit - The Breaking of the
Outward Man" by Watchman Nee
From
Chapter 3 - "Recognizing the Thing in
Hand"
Publisher New
Wine Ministries, UK. First British edition 1968.
Copyright.
Copied with permission.
The
Person Broken, Not Just Taught
No one is equipped to
work simply because he has learned some teachings. The
basic question is still: what kind of man is he? Can
one whose inner workings are wrong, but whose teaching is
right, supply the need of the Church? The basic lesson
we must learn is to be transformed into a vessel fit for the
Master's use. This can only be done by the breaking of
the outward man.
God is at work in our
lives unceasingly. Many years of sufferings, trials,
hindrances - this is the hand of God, daily seeking to
carry on His work of breaking us. Don't you see what
God is doing in this endless round of difficulties? If
not, you should ask Him, "Oh God, open my eyes that I may
see Thy hand." How often the eyes of an ass are
sharper than those of a self-styled prophet.
Though the ass had
already seen the Angel of the Lord, his master had
not. The ass recognized the forbidding hand of God,
but the self-styled prophet did not. We should be
aware that brokenness is God's way in our lives. How
sad that some still imagine that if they could only absorb
more teaching, accumulate more preaching material, and
assimilate more Bible exposition, they would be profitable
to God. This is absolutely wrong. God's hand is
upon you to break you - not according to your will, but His;
not according to your thoughts, but His; not according to
your decision, but His. Our difficulty is that as God
withstands us, we blame others. We react like that
prophet who, blind to God's hand, blamed the ass for
refusing to budge.
All that comes to us
is ordered by God. To a Christian, nothing is
accidental. We should ask God to open our eyes that we
may see He is striking us in all things and in all areas of
our life. One day, when by the grace of God upon us we
are able to accept the ordering of God in our environment,
our spirit is released and ready to function.
One Law Which
is Unaffected by Prayer
There is an immutable
law of God's working in us: His specific purpose is
breaking us and releasing our spirit for free
exercise. We must understand that none of our praying,
pleading or promising will affect or change this
purpose. It is according to His law of accomplishing a
brokenness and release is us: all our praying will not
alter this law. If you deliberately thrust your hand
into the fire, will prayer keep you free from pain (barring
a miracle?) If you do not want to be scorched, do not
thrust your hand into the fire and think that prayer will
save you. God's dealing with us is according to His
law. In order to come forth, the inward man must pass
through the outward man. Until our outward man is
shattered, our inward man simply cannot come forth. Do
not disregard this law and keep praying for blessings; such
prayers are in vain. Praying can never change God's
law.
We must settle this
once and for all. The way of spiritual work lies in
God's coming out through us. This is the only way God
has ordained. To the one who is unbroken, the gospel
is blocked and cannot flow out through the life. Let
us bow low before God. To obey God's law is far better
than saying many prayers. It is much better to stop
praying and confess: "God, I prostrate myself before
Thee." Yes, how often our prayer for blessings are
actually raising up barriers. We long for blessing,
yet seem to find God's mercy. If only we would seek
for enlightenment, learn to submit ourselves to His hand,
and obey His law, we would find that the outcome is the very
blessing we long for.
_______________________
In Christ