1105 與祂一同受苦
…倒要歡喜；因為你們是與基督一同受苦，使你們在他榮耀顯現的時候，也可以歡喜快樂。 《彼得前書4:13》
如果你要蒙神使用，祂會帶你經歷許多根本不是特別針對你個人的經歷。那些經歷的設計是為了讓你在祂的手中有用，並使你能夠理解別人生活中發生的事。因着這個過程，你永遠不會對你的遭遇感到詫異。你說：「哦，我無法應付那個人。」為什麼你不能？神給了你足夠的機會向祂學習那個問題；但你卻轉身離開，沒有留意那個功課，因為那花費你的時間似乎是愚昧的。
基督所受的苦難不是普通人的苦難，祂「照神的旨意」受苦（彼得前書 4:19），祂對苦難的觀點與我們不同。只有通過我們與耶穌基督的關係，我們才能理解神處理我們的目的是什麼。當苦難臨到，我們基督教文化的一部分就是想要事先知道神的旨意。在基督教會的歷史上，人們傾向於避免與耶穌基督同受苦；人們試圖通過他們自己的捷徑來完成神的命令。神的道路永遠是受苦的道路——「漫長回家」的道路。
我們是否與基督同受苦？我們是否預備好讓神除去我們個人的野心？我們是否預備好讓神藉着超自然轉化來摧毀我們個人的決定？那就意味着我們不知道神為什麼要那樣帶領我們，因為知道就會讓我們靈性驕傲。我們從來無法在當時明白神讓我們經歷什麼——我們在經歷中或多或少是不明白的。然後突然間，我們來到了醒悟之時，也明白——「神已經加力量給我，而我甚至不知道！」
來自章伯斯的智慧
狂熱分子是一個將自己確立在無法征服的無知中的人。《力圖更佳戰鬥》
1105 Partakers of His Suffering
…but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings… —1 Peter 4:13
If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are designed to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others. Because of this process, you will never be surprised by what comes your way. You say, “Oh, I can’t deal with that person.” Why can’t you? God gave you sufficient opportunities to learn from Him about that problem; but you turned away, not heeding the lesson, because it seemed foolish to spend your time that way.
The sufferings of Christ were not those of ordinary people. He suffered “according to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:19), having a different point of view of suffering from ours. It is only through our relationship with Jesus Christ that we can understand what God is after in His dealings with us. When it comes to suffering, it is part of our Christian culture to want to know God’s purpose beforehand. In the history of the Christian church, the tendency has been to avoid being identified with the sufferings of Jesus Christ. People have sought to carry out God’s orders through a shortcut of their own. God’s way is always the way of suffering— the way of the “long road home.”
Are we partakers of Christ’s sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp out our personal ambitions? Are we prepared for God to destroy our individual decisions by supernaturally transforming them? It will mean not knowing why God is taking us that way, because knowing would make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through— we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we come to a place of enlightenment, and realize— “God has strengthened me and I didn’t even know it!”
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
A fanatic is one who entrenches himself in invincible ignorance. —Baffled to Fight Better, 59 R