1227 爭戰勝敗所在
耶和華說，以色列阿，你若回來歸向我…《耶利米書4:1》
我們的爭戰勝敗，首先是我們在神面前意志的隱秘處，而不是在世界眾目睽睽之下。神的靈抓住了我，我被迫與神獨處，並在祂面前爭戰。直到我這樣做之前，我每次都會失敗。這場爭戰可能只花一分鐘或一年，但那取決於我，而不是神。無論要花多久的時間，我都必須獨自在神面前與我的意志摔跤，且我必須下定決心在祂面前經歷放棄或拒絕的地獄。沒有什麼力量可以勝過一個在神面前爭戰並獲勝的人。
我永遠不應該說，「我會等到我陷入困境時再來試試神。」試圖那樣做是行不通的。我必須在我靈魂的隱秘處，先解決神和我之間的問題，在那裡沒有人可以介入。然後我可以繼續前進，確信這場戰爭已經得勝了。如果在那裡打敗仗，那麼在世人面前必有災難、災禍和失敗，就像神的律法一樣確定。爭戰失敗的原因，是我先從外面世界打起。要與神獨處，在祂面前爭戰，並一次性解決這個問題。
在處理人的問題時，我們的立場應該始終是推動他們做出意志的決定；這就是降服於神的開始。神並不經常但偶爾會把我們生命帶到一個重大的轉捩點——生命的重大分水嶺。從那一點起，我們要麼走向越來越緩慢、懶惰且無用的基督徒生活；要麼變得越來越熱情，竭誠為主，為神的榮耀盡我們最大的努力。
來自章伯斯的智慧
隨着年齡的增長，我是否變得更高尚、更好、更有幫助、更謙卑呢？我是否展現出讓人認識到與耶穌同在的生命？或者我是否變得更加自我主張，更加有意地堅持自己的方式？對自己說真話是一件很偉大的事情。《幫助之地》
1227 Where the Battle is Won or Lost
“If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord… —Jeremiah 4:1
Our battles are first won or lost in the secret places of our will in God’s presence, never in full view of the world. The Spirit of God seizes me and I am compelled to get alone with God and fight the battle before Him. Until I do this, I will lose every time. The battle may take one minute or one year, but that will depend on me, not God. However long it takes, I must wrestle with it alone before God, and I must resolve to go through the hell of renunciation or rejection before Him. Nothing has any power over someone who has fought the battle before God and won there.
I should never say, “I will wait until I get into difficult circumstances and then I’ll put God to the test.” Trying to do that will not work. I must first get the issue settled between God and myself in the secret places of my soul, where no one else can interfere. Then I can go ahead, knowing with certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity, disaster, and defeat before the world are as sure as the laws of God. The reason the battle is lost is that I fight it first in the external world. Get alone with God, do battle before Him, and settle the matter once and for all.
In dealing with other people, our stance should always be to drive them toward making a decision of their will. That is how surrendering to God begins. Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point— a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth.——The Place of Help