1123 蔑視的干擾
耶和華阿，求你憐憫我們，憐憫我們。因為我們被藐視，已到極處。《詩篇 123:3》
我們要當心的不是破壞我們對神的信仰，而是破壞我們基督徒性情或心態的事。「…當謹守你們的心，不可行事詭詐。」（瑪拉基書 2:16）。我們心態的影響力非常強大，它可以是滲透到我們靈魂深處的敵人，讓我們的心偏離神。有些特定態度是我們絕不敢放縱的，如果我們放任，我們會發現它們已經分散了我們對神的信心。直到我們恢復在神面前安靜的心，我們的信心是毫無價值的，我們對肉體和人類聰明才智的信心是我們生活的主宰。
要提防「世上的思慮」（馬可福音4:19），正是它們在我們的靈魂中產生了錯誤的態度。令人難以置信的是簡單的事情竟有如此巨大的力量，將我們的注意力從神的身上轉移；要拒絕被「世上的思慮」所淹沒。
另一件讓我們分心的事，就是我們對辯護的熱情。聖奧古斯丁禱告說：「主啊，請救我脫離總是為自己辯護的慾望。」這種不斷為自己辯護的需要，破壞了我們靈魂對神的信心。不要說「我必須解釋自己」或「我必須讓人們理解」；我們的主從不解釋任何事情——祂讓別人的誤解或錯誤觀念去糾正它們自己。
當我們辨認出別人靈命沒有成長，並容讓那洞察轉向批評時，我們就阻塞我們與神的相交。神從未賜我們洞察力要我們去批評別人，而是為了讓我們代求。
來自章伯斯的智慧
沒有任何生活狀態是我們不能住在耶穌里的。無論我們被放置何處，我們都必須學會住在祂裡面。《我們的輝煌遺產》
1123 The Distraction of Contempt
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. —Psalm 123:3
What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives.
Beware of “the cares of this world…” (Mark 4:19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by “the cares of this world.”
Another thing that distracts us is our passion for vindication. St. Augustine prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul’s faith in God. Don’t say, “I must explain myself,” or, “I must get people to understand.” Our Lord never explained anything— He left the misunderstandings or misconceptions of others to correct themselves.
When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block our fellowship with God. God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus. We have to learn to abide in Him wherever we are placed. —Our Brilliant Heritage, 946 R