0728 神的目的还是我的？
耶稣随即催门徒上船，先渡到那边伯赛大去…《马可福音 6:45》
我们倾向于认为：如果耶稣基督强迫我们做某事，而我们顺服祂，祂就会带领我们取得巨大的成功。我们永远不应该有这种想法，以为我们的成功梦想是神对我们的目的。事实上，祂的目的可能恰恰相反；我们认为神正在带领我们朝向一个特定的目地或欲望的目标，但祂不是。我们是否达到某个特定目标，此一问题并不重要，达到目标变成只是过程中的一个经历。我们看为只是达到特定终点的过程，神却视为目标本身。
关于神对我的目的，我的异象是什么？不管那个异象是什么，祂对我的目的是要我现在依靠祂和祂的能力。如果我能在生活的动荡中保持冷静、忠诚、不困惑，神的心意的目标就在我身上实现了。神并不是为着某个特定的结束而工作——祂的目的就是这个过程本身。祂渴望我看到「祂在海面上走」，没有海岸线，没有成功，也没有可见的目标，只有绝对的把握，确信一切都很好，因为我看到「祂在海面上走」（马可福音 6:49）。荣耀神的，是这个过程，而不是结果。
神的训练是为了现在，而不是以后。祂的目的是为了这一刻，而非未来的某个时候。我们与顺服后的结果如何无关，我们对结果的担心是错误的。人们所说的预备，神却视为目标本身。
神的目的是使我能够看到祂现在就能在我生命的风暴中行走；如果我们心中有更远的目标，我们对当下此刻的关注就还不够。然而，如果我们意识到每时每刻的顺服就是目标，那么，每个到来的时刻都是宝贵的。
来自章伯斯的智慧
神不是不顾我们的环境来促进我们的灵命，而是在我们环境中并通过我们的环境，来促进我们的灵命。《不知往何处去》
0728 God’s Purpose or Mine?
He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side…—Mark 6:45
We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.
What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.
God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.
God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
God does not further our spiritual life in spite of our circumstances, but in and by our circumstances. Not Knowing Whither, 900 L