0924 「去」的准备
所以，你在祭坛上献礼物的时候，若想起弟兄向你怀怨，就把礼物留在坛前，先前同弟兄和好，然后来献礼物。《马太福音 5:23-24》
我们很容易想象我们的生活会突然达到一个全然准备好的时刻，但准备的工作并不是突然间完成的；事实上，这是一个必须稳定维持的过程。对我们目前的经验水平感到安定和自满是危险的；基督徒的生活需要准备，而且需要更多的准备。
基督徒生活中的牺牲感对初信者很有吸引力。从人的角度来看，吸引我们到耶稣基督那里的一件事，就是我们的英雄感。以主的话语对我们仔细的审视，会使我们的热情突然受到考验。 「…走你的路，先去同弟兄和好…」，「走/去」的准备，就是容让神的话语仔细地审查你。你的英雄牺牲感还不够好，圣灵会在你身上发现你永远无法服事祂的本性。除了神，无人能发现你身上的那种本性。你有什么事向神隐藏吗？如果有，那就让神用祂的光来鉴察你。如果你生活中有罪，不要只是承认它——要悔罪。无论你个人权利受到怎样的羞辱，你是否愿意顺从你的主和老师？
永远不要忽视圣灵带给你的信念。如果它重要到让神的灵把它带到你的心里，那正是祂在你身上发现的东西。你正在寻找一些需要放弃的大事，而神却告诉你必须放弃一些的小事。在这件小事的背后隐藏着坚固的营垒，而你说：「我不会放弃我自己的权利」——如果你要成为耶稣基督的门徒，那么那正是神希望你放弃的事物。
来自章伯斯的智慧
我们的危险在于淡化神的话来迎合自己。神从不调整祂的话来迎合我；祂调整我来符合祂的话。 《不知往何处去》
0924 The “Go” of Preparation
If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. —Matthew 5:23-24
It is easy for us to imagine that we will suddenly come to a point in our lives where we are fully prepared, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished. In fact, it is a process that must be steadily maintained. It is dangerous to become settled and complacent in our present level of experience. The Christian life requires preparation and more preparation.
The sense of sacrifice in the Christian life is readily appealing to a new Christian. From a human standpoint, the one thing that attracts us to Jesus Christ is our sense of the heroic, and a close examination of us by our Lord’s words suddenly puts this tide of enthusiasm to the test. “…go your way. First be reconciled to your brother….” The “go” of preparation is to allow the Word of God to examine you closely. Your sense of heroic sacrifice is not good enough. The thing the Holy Spirit will detect in you is your nature that can never work in His service. And no one but God can detect that nature in you. Do you have anything to hide from God? If you do, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin in your life, don’t just admit it— confess it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master, whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?
Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, “I will not give up my right to myself”— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Our danger is to water down God’s word to suit ourselves. God never fits His word to suit me; He fits me to suit His word. –Not Knowing Whither, 901 R