0304 我真是如此嗎？
我卻不以性命為念，也不看為寶貴，只要行完我的路程。《使徒行傳20:24》
沒有異象和呼召而服事神或為神做工，是比較容易的，因為這樣你就不會被祂的要求所困擾。常識，蒙上一層基督徒情感，就變成你的嚮導。從世界的角度來看，你可能會更加豐盛和成功，且會有更多的閑暇時間，如果你從未確認神的呼召。但是，一旦你從耶穌基督那裡領受了使命，神對你的要求的記憶總是會一直存在，激勵你遵行祂的旨意。你將不能夠再基於常識為祂工作。
我認為什麼是我生命中「對我來說是寶貴的」？如果我沒有被耶穌基督抓住，沒有將自己降服於祂，我會認為我決定給神的時間和我自己的服事想法是寶貴的；我也會認為自己的生命「對我來說是寶貴的」。但保羅說，他視自己的生命為寶貴，以至於他能完成他所領受的事工，並拒絕將他的精力用在其他事情上。這節經文顯示了保羅對被要求考慮自己時近乎高尚的惱怒。除了履行他所領受的事工之外，他對任何考慮都漠不關心。我們對神的普通而合理的服事實際上可能與我們對祂的完全降服是相爭的。我們合理的工作是基於以下我們對自己說的論點：「記住你在這裡是有多麼有用，想想你在那種特定類型的工作中會多麼有價值。」這種態度選擇了我們自己的判斷而非耶穌基督作為引導我們應該去哪裡以及在哪裡我們能有最佳作用。永遠不要考慮你是否有用——但總是要考慮「你不是自己的人」（哥林多前書 6:19）。你是祂的。
來自章伯斯的智慧
許多國家和個人都曾嘗試過基督教，但放棄了，因為發現它太難了。但無人經歷過有意使耶穌為主卻發現祂是個失敗者的危機。《神的愛—一個基督徒的形成》
0304 Is This True of Me?
None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself… —Acts 20:24
It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide. You may be more prosperous and successful from the world’s perspective, and will have more leisure time, if you never acknowledge the call of God. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God asks of you will always be there to prod you on to do His will. You will no longer be able to work for Him on the basis of common sense.
What do I count in my life as “dear to myself”? If I have not been seized by Jesus Christ and have not surrendered myself to Him, I will consider the time I decide to give God and my own ideas of service as dear. I will also consider my own life as “dear to myself.” But Paul said he considered his life dear so that he might fulfill the ministry he had received, and he refused to use his energy on anything else. This verse shows an almost noble annoyance by Paul at being asked to consider himself. He was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Our ordinary and reasonable service to God may actually compete against our total surrender to Him. Our reasonable work is based on the following argument which we say to ourselves, “Remember how useful you are here, and think how much value you would be in that particular type of work.” That attitude chooses our own judgment, instead of Jesus Christ, to be our guide as to where we should go and where we could be used the most. Never consider whether or not you are of use— but always consider that “you are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). You are His.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Both nations and individuals have tried Christianity and abandoned it, because it has been found too difficult; but no man has ever gone through the crisis of deliberately making Jesus Lord and found Him to be a failure. The Love of God—The Making of a Christian, 680 R