0325 維持合宜的關係
新郎的朋友…《約翰福音 3:29》
善良和純潔永遠不應該是吸引人們注意的特質，而應該只是吸引人們歸向耶穌基督的磁鐵。如果我的聖潔沒有吸引別人歸向祂，那就不是正確的聖潔；它只是一種影響，喚起人們不當的情感和邪惡的慾望，使他們偏離正確的方向。一個美麗的聖徒可能會成為帶領人們歸主的障礙，因他只呈現基督為他所做的事，而沒有呈現耶穌基督本人。其他人會留下這樣的想法——「那個人真是個好人啊！」那就不是真正的「新郎的朋友」——我一直在興旺，而祂不是。
為了維持與新郎的友誼和忠誠，我們必須更加小心地保有與祂道德和生命的關係高於一切，包括順服。有時並沒有什麼需要順服的，我們唯一的任務就是與耶穌基督保持生命的連結，確保沒有任何會干擾它，只是偶爾才有順服的問題。當有危機出現時，我們必須找出神的旨意是什麼。然而，我們大部分的生命並不是花在試圖有意識地順服上，而是在維持這種關係——成為「新郎的朋友」。基督徒的工作實際上可成為將人的注意力從耶穌基督身上轉移的一種手段。我們本該成為「新郎的朋友」，卻反成為別人的業餘護佑神，在使用祂的武器時與祂作對。
來自章伯斯的智慧
耶穌基督可以承受被誤解；我們不能。我們的弱點在於總是想要為自己辯護。《幫助之地》
0325 Maintaining the Proper Relationship
…the friend of the bridegroom… —John 3:29
Goodness and purity should never be traits that draw attention to themselves, but should simply be magnets that draw people to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing others to Him, it is not the right kind of holiness; it is only an influence which awakens undue emotions and evil desires in people and diverts them from heading in the right direction. A person who is a beautiful saint can be a hindrance in leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Christ has done for him, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself. Others will be left with this thought— “What a fine person that man is!” That is not being a true “friend of the bridegroom”— I am increasing all the time; He is not.
To maintain this friendship and faithfulness to the Bridegroom, we have to be more careful to have the moral and vital relationship to Him above everything else, including obedience. Sometimes there is nothing to obey and our only task is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus Christ, seeing that nothing interferes with it. Only occasionally is it a matter of obedience. At those times when a crisis arises, we have to find out what God’s will is. Yet most of our life is not spent in trying to be consciously obedient, but in maintaining this relationship— being the “friend of the bridegroom.” Christian work can actually be a means of diverting a person’s focus away from Jesus Christ. Instead of being friends “of the bridegroom,” we may become amateur providences of God to someone else, working against Him while we use His weapons.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves. –The Place of Help