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I Have No Need of Thee

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 12, 1914

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 91, No. 11.

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“I Have No Need of Thee”

By T. E. BOWEN

T. E. BOWEN
We sometimes forget that the different characteristics which go to make up the church membership are needed for the perfecting of the church, individually and as a whole; that the wide diversities of temperaments, gifts, talents, and capabilities found in its individual members, or are a source of strength when bound together by the love and grace of God.
This is beautifully expressed by the apostle Paul: “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” This is love, upon the same principle that God built up the body. “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? . . . If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.” 1 Cor. 12:14-22.
Naturally we should say, “Cast out the feeble ones; they can be easily spared. But observe that God emphasizes the point that they which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.”
That very brother or sister who to you seems so trying may be the very element God in his wisdom sees you need in the perfecting of your character. Where he may be weak, you may be strong; and, further, there may be weak points in your character where he is strong. Then you need to keep close to that one for the help you may be to him and he to you.
God does not put all his graces into any one individual. The need of the poor brother may be the very thing the Lord sees the man of more means needs to keep him from eternal ruin through selfishness and covetousness. The poor brother has need of the rich brother. The ignorant need the wise, the wise need the ignorant. The strong need the feeble, the feeble the help of the strong. The lesser gifts in the church are needful. The apostle needs the teacher, the helper, the prophet. God placed “helps” in the church because every church needs the helpers. The helper may not be endowed with apostolic or prophetic gifts, but he can be a helper, and receive a helper’s reward. No one can say to any other, “I have no need of thee.” Each is dependent upon the others.
What a world of trouble would be avoided in the church if we all remembered this! How tenderly the weak would be guarded! What thanksgiving would ascend from the cottages of the poor for the timely aid rendered by those in better circumstances, sometimes perhaps in the way of helpful suggestions. Should you like to have all in the church just like yourself?—Hardly. Then why should we not appreciate more than we do the diversity of the gifts placed in the church? Instead of lightly esteeming any, or setting at naught a brother or sister, or criticizing one another, thus doing work for the enemy, shall we not cultivate the spirit of love and seek to help one another?
We find the mighty Son of God by the side of the sick, the sorrowing, the struggling one. “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
We do need one another. We need to put away all the petty jealousies and differences that keep us from those who can help us, and who also need our help. Then there will be no disposition to say in thought or act of any brother or sister by our side on the way to the kingdom, struggling for the mastery over every besetting sin, “I have no need of thee.”