0924 「去」的準備
所以，你在祭壇上獻禮物的時候，若想起弟兄向你懷怨，就把禮物留在壇前，先前同弟兄和好，然後來獻禮物。《馬太福音 5:23-24》
我們很容易想象我們的生活會突然達到一個全然準備好的時刻，但準備的工作並不是突然間完成的；事實上，這是一個必須穩定維持的過程。對我們目前的經驗水平感到安定和自滿是危險的；基督徒的生活需要準備，而且需要更多的準備。
基督徒生活中的犧牲感對初信者很有吸引力。從人的角度來看，吸引我們到耶穌基督那裡的一件事，就是我們的英雄感。以主的話語對我們仔細的審視，會使我們的熱情突然受到考驗。 「…走你的路，先去同弟兄和好…」，「走/去」的準備，就是容讓神的話語仔細地審查你。你的英雄犧牲感還不夠好，聖靈會在你身上發現你永遠無法服事祂的本性。除了神，無人能發現你身上的那種本性。你有什麼事向神隱藏嗎？如果有，那就讓神用祂的光來鑒察你。如果你生活中有罪，不要只是承認它——要悔罪。無論你個人權利受到怎樣的羞辱，你是否願意順從你的主和老師？
永遠不要忽視聖靈帶給你的信念。如果它重要到讓神的靈把它帶到你的心裡，那正是祂在你身上發現的東西。你正在尋找一些需要放棄的大事，而神卻告訴你必須放棄一些的小事。在這件小事的背後隱藏着堅固的營壘，而你說：「我不會放棄我自己的權利」——如果你要成為耶穌基督的門徒，那麼那正是神希望你放棄的事物。
來自章伯斯的智慧
我們的危險在於淡化神的話來迎合自己。神從不調整祂的話來迎合我；祂調整我來符合祂的話。 《不知往何處去》
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