TLIG Associations
15 July 1998 07:55
The following testimony may be of general interest because TLIG
Associations seem to have an importance which is highlighted by their
being mentioned in the messages (July 31, 1995).
Towards the end of a recent meeting in London where a TLIG Association
was being formed, it was decided that a chairman and secretary for the
association needed to be appointed. After some discussion on how this
decision would be made, it was decided we would pray for the Holy
Spirit’s guidance and then choose two names ‘out of a hat’.
The first name chosen, for the post of chairman, seemed to be a popular choice because of the person’s spirituality and gentleness. The second name, for the post of secretary, was to lead to some difficulties.
The lady in question, while being totally prepared to take on anything
she was asked to do, considered herself, nevertheless, to be totally
unsuitable for the job because of her total lack of secretarial,
computer, or any form of administrative skills. Some discussion followed
which included suggestions that the Spirit’s choice might be indicating
an encouragement for her to learn such skills. However it was considered
unfair to impose this burden on her and another person was proposed for
the post.
I, personally, felt unhappy about this apparent overriding of the
Spirit’s choice but did not feel especially strongly about the matter.
Later I received the agenda of the next meeting from the now acting
secretary. The agenda had been constructed with great skill and
efficiency, yet the contents filled me with an overwhelming feeling of
doubt that this was what Jesus wanted His Association to be doing. And
I began to think again about the ‘discarding’ of the Spirit’s choice as
secretary. I felt a strong ‘urging’ to contact the lady who had been
initially chosen to see if she could be persuaded to reconsider her views
about the task of being secretary, perhaps offering my own services to
help ‘train’ her.
I made contact with the lady on the phone and we had a long discussion. Two things became clear very quickly. Her great love of Jesus, and her continuing stong belief in her total unsuitability for the post. It upset her greatly that she felt she was not able to respond to the Spirit’s wish. But as we spoke, and in particular as I listened to her outpouring of love for Jesus, what had actually happened at our meeting seemed suddenly to become very clear.
The Holy Spirit had INDEED chosen this lady at our meeting. He had done so, I believe, to indicate in a very strong way that, unlike most human associations, He did not want HIS Association to consider the post of secretary (or any other post) to be a ‘key’ or influential post. He wasn’t really asking the lady to be secretary. He was indicating to us something about the nature of these TLIG associations, that they were not to be treated like any normal human association where a few active individuals ‘guide’ everything that happens. Surely He was telling us that the only concern He had was that the members of His Association loved Him.
David Armitage
