0728 神的目的還是我的？
耶穌隨即催門徒上船，先渡到那邊伯賽大去…《馬可福音 6:45》
我們傾向於認為：如果耶穌基督強迫我們做某事，而我們順服祂，祂就會帶領我們取得巨大的成功。我們永遠不應該有這種想法，以為我們的成功夢想是神對我們的目的。事實上，祂的目的可能恰恰相反；我們認為神正在帶領我們朝向一個特定的目地或慾望的目標，但祂不是。我們是否達到某個特定目標，此一問題並不重要，達到目標變成只是過程中的一個經歷。我們看為只是達到特定終點的過程，神卻視為目標本身。
關於神對我的目的，我的異象是什麼？不管那個異象是什麼，祂對我的目的是要我現在依靠祂和祂的能力。如果我能在生活的動蕩中保持冷靜、忠誠、不困惑，神的心意的目標就在我身上實現了。神並不是為著某個特定的結束而工作——祂的目的就是這個過程本身。祂渴望我看到「祂在海面上走」，沒有海岸線，沒有成功，也沒有可見的目標，只有絕對的把握，確信一切都很好，因為我看到「祂在海面上走」（馬可福音 6:49）。榮耀神的，是這個過程，而不是結果。
神的訓練是為了現在，而不是以後。祂的目的是為了這一刻，而非未來的某個時候。我們與順服後的結果如何無關，我們對結果的擔心是錯誤的。人們所說的預備，神卻視為目標本身。
神的目的是使我能夠看到祂現在就能在我生命的風暴中行走；如果我們心中有更遠的目標，我們對當下此刻的關注就還不夠。然而，如果我們意識到每時每刻的順服就是目標，那麼，每個到來的時刻都是寶貴的。
來自章伯斯的智慧
神不是不顧我們的環境來促進我們的靈命，而是在我們環境中並通過我們的環境，來促進我們的靈命。《不知往何處去》
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