Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;
O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
— Psalm 130:1-3
How can we be built up with others in the church life? First we have to go through affliction from the Lord’s governmental hand. As He plows over our person we need to spend much time with Him in prayer.
It is in prayer, in the Lord’s light, that we are brought to realize who we are. Then we will cry out, “Lord, if You would mark iniquities, who would stand? I’m only here by Your mercy!” This makes us the proper person for the building up of the church. The more we think that we are “right” the more the Lord will bring us to Psalm 130. To say “I am right!” is to be wrong to the uttermost. It means we are completely the wrong person for the building of the church.
For example, suppose a leading brother harshly rebukes us. When we see who we really are, we will not defend ourselves because we know there is nothing to defend. Our realization will be, “I am worse than you say.” This is the secret for building the church. We must be brought to this realization: “I was conceived in sin. I grew up in my self-life. In all these years I have been in rebellion against the Lord.” Then at the same time we should pray, “Yet, Lord, I am still able to love You. I am still able to love Your church. Thank You, Lord. This is all by Your mercy.” Then we are the proper person for the building up of the church.
Adapted from The Journey of Life, pages 87-88.
Tomorrow: “With the Lord’s Light Shining on Us”