0425 「随时常作准备」
无论时机是否适合，都要常作准备…《提摩太后书 4:2》（新译本）
我们许多人都忍受一种不平衡倾向之苦，只在「时机不适合」情况下「做好准备」。时机不是指时间，而是指我们。这节经文说：「务要传道；无论时机是否适合，都要常作准备。」换句话说，无论我们喜欢与否，我们都应该「做好准备」。如果我们只做我们想做的事，我们有些人永远不会做任何事。有些人在属灵领域里完全无用武之地，他们在灵性上软弱无力，除非受到超自然的启发，否则他们拒绝做任何事情。我们与神的关系正确的证据，是无论我们是否受到启发，我们都会尽力而为。
基督工人可能陷入最糟糕的陷阱之一，就是沉迷于自己特别的灵感时刻。当神的灵给你一段灵感、洞察力的时候，你往往会说：「现在我已经历了这一刻，我会为神永远像是这样。」不，你不会，神会确保这一点；那些时光完全是神的恩赐。当你选择的时候，你无法给自己那些时刻。如果你说你只会在最佳状态时为神效力，就像那些特别时刻一样，你实际上会成为神难以忍受的负担。除非神让你一直意识到祂对你的启示，否则你永远不会做任何事。如果你把自己最佳时刻当作神，你会发现神将从你的生活中淡出，永远不再回来，直到你在祂置于你身边的工作中顺服，并指导你学会不再沉迷于那些祂给你的特别时刻。
来自章伯斯的智慧
敬畏神的显著之处，乃是当你敬畏神时，你就什么都不怕，而如果你不敬畏神，你就会害怕其他的一切。「敬畏耶和华的人是有福的。」《至善——天路历程》
0425 “Ready in Season”
Be ready in season and out of season. —2 Timothy 4:2
Many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency to “be ready” only “out of season.” The season does not refer to time; it refers to us. This verse says, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” In other words, we should “be ready” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
One of the worst traps a Christian worker can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you tend to say, “Now that I’ve experienced this moment, I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, and God will make sure of that. Those times are entirely the gift of God. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best for God, as during those exceptional times, you actually become an intolerable burden on Him. You will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously aware of His inspiration to you at all times. If you make a god out of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life, never to return until you are obedient in the work He has placed closest to you, and until you have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has given you.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else. “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord”;… The Highest Good—The Pilgrim’s Song Book, 537 L