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Subjectivity can be expressed through the smallest things in our life. It is a nature, a habit. If a man's subjectivity is dealt with by the Lord, he will show a marked difference in the numerous small actions of his daily life. A subjective man is subjective in everything. He likes to control others. He likes to give his opinions, issue orders, and tell one to do this and another to do that. A subjective man has a solution for every problem. When a young worker of the Lord is put together with a few other brothers, you will immediately know whether or not he is a subjective person. If he is by himself, you cannot tell anything. But as soon as there are two persons, you will see that the one who is subjective always will try to be on top of the other. He will want to have a say in what to eat and what not to eat, what to wear and what not to wear, where to sleep and where not to sleep. He will always insist on this and that. He is omniscient and omnipotent. When two sisters are put in a room, we can tell immediately if one of them is subjective. If both of them are subjective, they will not get along with each other at all. If one is subjective, perhaps they can get along with each other. If both are subjective, neither one will be able to get along with the other. This does not mean that we should keep our mouth shut from now on. If difficulties arise in the work or problems arise with the workers, we have to be faithful. What I am saying is that after we have spoken and others have chosen to ignore our word, we should not force anything upon them. We should not feel hurt when others will not take our word. Many people treasure their own ideas too much. When others will not take their word, they feel hurt. This is the reaction of a subjective person. In order to be faithful, we have to say many things. But we do not say them because we are interested in meddling with others' affairs. We do not say them because our temperament or habit compels us to talk. We do not have to speak every time the opportunity arises. We can speak when there is a need, but we do not have to make a rule that we must speak all the time, nor do we have to make a habit of speaking. It is wrong to speak whenever an opportunity arises. It is wrong to speak with an undisciplined tongue. God has not appointed us to be the teacher of all. Some people are used to speaking and teaching others. This clearly shows that they are very subjective. If a man's subjectivity is not broken, it is hard for him to work for the Lord.
A subjective man is not necessarily a faithful man. A faithful man speaks because he has to speak. He does not speak because he likes to speak or because he has a lust for speaking. A faithful man speaks because he does not want others to fall into error. He does not speak out of a lust for speaking. If a faithful man finds that his words are rejected, he does not feel dejected; he can turn away. But a subjective man is different. He has a lust to speak, and if he does not speak, he feels unhappy. He has a habit of opening his mouth every time he sees something. Do you see the difference? A subjective man speaks because he likes to speak; he likes to impose his will upon others. He likes to dominate others with his ideas and have others listen to his words. A subjective person finds it difficult to accept the rejection of his will. Brothers and sisters, a subjective man is totally different from a faithful man. We should be faithful. Many times, it is wrong if we do not open our mouth. But we must differentiate between faithfulness and subjectivity. A subjective person likes to meddle with others' affairs. He likes others to listen to his words. He likes to control others in everything. He gives orders to this person and directions to that person. He considers his methods the first and the best, and his ways the most perfect. He wants everybody to take his way. Many subjective persons cannot stand differences in others. Brothers and sisters, a subjective person is the narrowest kind of person in this world. A man can only be broad and generous after he has been dealt with by the Lord and his subjectivity has been removed. Only a broad person can tolerate those who are different from themselves. Subjectivity demands uniformity; it demands sameness. It cannot tolerate differences in others. If two subjective persons are put in a room, there will not be peace in the room. One wants to do one thing and the other wants to do another thing, and the room will be filled with arguments. One will think that he is bearing the cross, and the other will also think that he is bearing the cross. Both are having problems with the other, and both think that they are bearing the cross. This is what happens when two subjective heads are put together. A subjective person always tries to take things in his hand; he wants to establish himself as the leader among God's people. He makes instant decisions on how things should be done. A subjective person likes to meddle in the smallest affair. He likes to interfere, to control. This is a basic problem with a subjective person. We know that God will not entrust things to such persons. I have never seen God entrusting things to a subjective person. God cannot use such ones. I have never seen a subjective person who has traveled any considerable length spiritually. His disposition blocks him from receiving any instruction. A disposition that refuses to be instructed is unteachable and useless.
A subjective person likes to take over and make proposals. If a person is subjective, he creates problems in God's work. Not only is he dull to learning and unfit for God's commissioning; his total energy is spent on his own subjectivity. As a result, he has no energy for God's work. When a man interferes with others' affairs, he becomes negligent of his own work, because other things fully occupy him. If a man keeps an eye on others' vineyards, his own vineyard surely will be neglected. Brothers and sisters, we do not have the time to indulge in subjectivity. God has entrusted enough ministry, responsibility, and work to us. We do not have the time to meddle with others' affairs. We have to focus our time and energy on the works that we should do. We are busy enough. Only those who are negligent in God's work and who give up their own responsibility before God have the energy to deal with the miscellaneous affairs of the other brothers and sisters. It is clear that all subjective persons have abandoned the work that God has assigned to them. They have allowed their own work to go unattended while busying themselves with others' business. If a worker always gives up his own work to take care of others' work, his own work will surely be poor. A subjective person can never be effective in the Lord's work. God cannot trust him, and even if He entrusts anything to him, it will not be properly carried out. It is difficult to remove a person's subjectivity, because his subjectivity is a matter of disposition. He is subjective in everything, not only in God's work, but in his personal life as well. He is subjective towards others' affairs. A subjective person is a very busy person in this world. He wants to be involved in everything. As a result, he cannot run a straight course before the Lord. He has his opinion, view, and way for everything. This presents a real spiritual problem and a real spiritual barrier. We have to pray, "Lord, be gracious to me. Make me a pliable person before You. I want to be pliable and soft, not only before You, but before all the brothers and sisters." Paul was such a person. His letters were "weighty and strong." When it came to the matter of his testimony before God, he was weighty and strong. But when he came face to face with the Corinthians he was "weak and his speech contemptible" (2 Cor. 10:10). Paul was uncompromising in the testimony he bore. This is the reason his words were "weighty and strong." But when he talked with others, he was meek, not harsh. Brothers and sisters, we have to learn to differentiate between the two. In our ministry we have to be strong and weighty, but in ourselves we should not be subjective. "Some preach Christ even because of envy and strife, and some also because of good will, these out of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. But the others announce Christ out of selfish ambition, not purely, thinking to raise up affliction in my bonds. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truthfulness, Christ is announced; and in this I rejoice; yes, and I will rejoice" (Phil. 1:15-18). Do you see the balance here? When others take the same way as we do, we thank the Lord for it. If others will not take the same way, but take a different way, we are still their brothers and sisters. We are not bothered by it. We have to maintain this balance. On the one hand, we have to be faithful to our testimony. On the other hand, we should not be subjective in ourselves. A faithful man is never subjective, and a subjective man is not necessarily faithful. We have to draw the line clearly between the two.
In summary, subjectivity is simply an unbroken self. Brothers and sisters, we have to pray for God's breaking work, praying that we will not be subjective in any way, whether towards others or towards our own affairs. The Lord has to crush us completely before we will be soft and meek. Without such a crushing, we will always be somewhat subjective. Some people may be sharper than others, but a subjective person is always opinionated, full of methods, and ready to take control of others. We have to allow the Lord to deal with us in a severe way at least once so that we can be crushed to the ground and never rise again. When a test comes again, we then will be faithful to our testimony. We will allow others the freedom to choose to follow or to not follow us. We will not have the compulsion to speak. We are not here to be a teacher to many. We should not be so eager to speak, propose, make decisions, teach, or control the work. Brothers and sisters, we should be strong in our ministry, but at the same time, we should learn to be meek and not subjective before the Lord.