0821 不被注意的事工
虛心的人有福了…《馬太福音 5:3》
新約注意到了一些按照我們的標準來看似乎不值得注意的事情。「虛心的人有福了」這句話的字面意思就是「窮人有福了」窮人真是太平凡了！今日的講台傾向於強調一個人的意志力或他品格之美——這些都是很容易被注意到的。我們經常聽到「為耶穌基督做出決定」，強調我們的主從不信任的事情。祂從未要求我們為祂做決定，而是要我們降服於祂——是非常不同的事。耶穌基督國度的基礎，是在於那些平凡人的真實可愛。我在貧窮中真的蒙福。如果我沒有意志力，而且本性沒有什麼價值或卓越，那麼耶穌對我說：「你是有福的，因為你通過你的貧窮才能進入我的國。」我無法憑藉自己的善良進入祂的國——我只能是絕對的乞丐才能進入祂的國。
代表神說話的愛的真正特質，總是被擁有這種品質的人所忽視。有意識的影響力是驕傲的和非基督教的。如果我懷疑自己是否對神有任何用處，我立刻就會失去主觸摸時的美麗和新鮮感。 「信我的人……從他腹中要流出活水的江河來。」（約翰福音7:38）。如果我檢查流出的東西，我就失去了主的觸摸。
誰是影響我們最大的人？當然不是那些認為自己影響了我們的人，而是那些根本不知道他們正在影響我們的人。在基督徒的生活中，敬虔的影響力從不自覺。如果我們意識到自己的影響力，它就不再具有耶穌觸摸所特有的真正可愛。我們總是知道耶穌何時在工作，因為祂在平凡中製造一些鼓舞人心的東西。
來自章伯斯的智慧
我們不是要宣揚行善。善行不是被宣講的，而是要被實踐的。《故我差遣你》
0821 The Ministry of the Unnoticed
Blessed are the poor in spirit… —Matthew 5:3
The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. “Blessed are the poor in spirit….” This literally means, “Blessed are the paupers.” Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.
The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.
Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed. So Send I You, 1330 L