I thought all along that it was a harmoniously-coordinating service if brothers and sisters could live in peace with each other and didn’t dispute or quarrel outwardly in performing their duties. Thus, when coordinating with the brothers and sisters to perform duties, I always “regarded harmony as most precious” and made an all-out effort to maintain an outward harmony with them. Many times, when my opinion was different with theirs or I saw what they did was improper, I did not want to bring them up for fear that the harmony would thus be damaged. Therefore, I pressed many things into my mind. For a time, we seemed to be coordinating harmoniously without any dispute, but I felt very tired and suppressed inwardly; moreover, no results were achieved in our work.

One evening, two sisters and I were together eating and drinking the word of God, and we read these words: “You should coordinate harmoniously for the sake of God’s work, the interests of the church, and the activation of all the brothers and sisters. You coordinate with each other and make up for each other’s deficiencies to achieve better results in the work, so as to care for God’s intention. Only this can be called true coordination, and only such people are the ones who truly enter in. In the coordination, it does not matter even if you speak some improper words concerning something. Fellowship again afterward and get a clear understanding of it. Don’t neglect this. After such fellowship, you then make up for the deficiencies of the brothers and sisters. Only if you continuously push your work further in this way can better results be achieved. As a person who serves God, each of you should safeguard the interests of the church in everything and not consider your personal interests. …” Having read these words, I suddenly saw the light. Actually, harmonious coordination is not, as I thought, that outwardly brothers and sisters keep on good terms with each other without dispute or quarrel. God requires that in serving in coordination, we should not safeguard our fleshly interests but put the interests of God’s family above everything else; we all should drop ourselves, open our hearts and fellowship with one another, and learn from others’ strong points to offset our own weaknesses to achieve better results in the work, so we can care for God’s intention and at the same time enter into the truth and grow in life together in the coordination. However, in my serving in coordination, I only considered my fleshly interests and maintained a surface harmony with others. Although outwardly I had no dispute or quarrel with the brothers and sisters, yet when we had different opinions in the work, I stuck to my own views and kept my “secrets” deep in heart; consequently, we did not achieve any result in the work and even less entered into any truth, though we coordinated laboriously. Thank God! It is the inspiration of God’s words that has enabled me to realize my erroneous viewpoint. I have understood that a harmoniously-coordinating service does not mean to live together in peace, but to fellowship sincerely and coordinate genuinely with each other to achieve better results in the work. O God! I am willing to correct my wrong way of practice and no longer safeguard my fleshly interests. I am willing to care for your burden and practice entering into the truth in my coordinating service, and will try to attain a true harmonious coordination with the brothers and sisters, so that I can serve you to your heart’s desire.

Wu Shuang

Heze City, Shandong Province