最棒的基督徒生命10

最大的尊榮

我有榮幸認識各個領域的一些領袖─教會，工商業、教育、政府、體育、軍隊、科學和娛樂。我在這些達到最高層級的人當中發現一些共同特點，就是他們帶著積極進取與滿腔熱情投入，為了在他們的領域保持頂尖。這幾乎都是因為他們對知識與他們專業的熱愛。

最棒的基督徒就是最愛神的人，並藉此最愛他人。有誰能認識神卻不愛祂？因為祂就是愛，我們越認識祂，我們將越愛祂。祂必須成為我們『起初/首要的愛』，或至高的愛。學習祂必須成為我們生命中最大的委身，倘若我們照我們應當的來尋求祂、連結於祂，在我們生命中其他的愛與投入都應該來自我們對祂的愛，甚至是我們的專業。

正如使徒保羅說，我們所做的一切都是做給主，而不是單做給人看。我們所做的每一件事都應當成為對祂的敬拜，這即是我們如何將我們的專業與職業轉變成敬拜與門訓的一部份。在聖經時期的門訓可能是想要得著老師在宗教、哲學或科學上的知識，但我們在基督裡的門訓是為了像祂一樣，並做祂曾做過的事。這即是何以我們的門訓是一種生活方式，持續一生。

正如提摩太前書一章5節告訴我們：『但命令的總歸就是愛；這愛是從清潔的心和無虧的良心，無偽的信心生出來的。』因此，我們門訓的首要擺上是在愛中成長─先愛神再愛人。正如我們夫子所言，這兩條誡命是一切律法的總綱。因此，每一天我們都應當使用每個機會在愛中成長。

我們的夫子不僅教導我們，祂還訓練我們。在祂教導我們某件事後，我們可以預期未來的環境將允許讓我們經歷並應用我們所學。這可能不會立刻發生，但一定會發生。因此，我們應有所期待。我們的夫子不單嘗試要讓我們瞭解，更要我們真實活出並成為我們所瞭解的樣式─來擁有『清潔的心和無虧的良心，無偽的信心』（參考提摩太前書1:5）。

讓我們總是謹記在心：倘若能被偉大的老師選為門徒是最大的尊榮，能被呼召成為萬王之王的門徒那更是何等大的尊榮，還有什麼比此更崇高的目的？讓我們不要浪費任何一天，或任何一個我們夫子為我們的緣故所賜下的試煉。 

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week10, 2015)


The Greatest Honor- The Greatest Christian Life, Part 10
Week 10, 2015
Rick Joyner

I have been privileged to know some of the top leaders in just about every field—the church, business, industry, education, government, sports, the military, science, and entertainment. Some common denominators are found in all who reach the highest levels. One is that they are energetically and enthusiastically devoted to staying on the cutting edge of knowledge in their field. This is almost always because of their love of knowledge and their love of their profession.

The greatest Christian is the one who loves God the most and thereby will love others the most. How can anyone know God and not love Him? Because He is love, the more we get to know Him, the more we will love Him. He must be our “first love,” or highest love. Learning of Him must be the highest devotion of our lives. If we are seeking Him and abiding in Him as we should, every other love and devotion in our lives should flow out of this love for Him, even our professions.

As the Apostle Paul wrote, all we do should be done as unto the Lord, not just men. Everything we do should be as worship for Him. This is how we turn even our professions and vocations into both worship and part of our discipleship. The discipleships of men in biblical times may have been to gain the master’s knowledge in religion, philosophy, or one of the sciences, but our discipleship in Christ is to become like Him and to do the works He did. This is why our discipleship is a lifestyle that lasts for a lifetime.

As we are told in I Timothy 1:5, “The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” Our discipleship is, therefore, first devoted to growing in love—love of God and then love for others. As our Master said, the whole Law is fulfilled in the first two commandments which are to love God and then love one another. Therefore, every day we should consider using every opportunity to grow in love.

Our Master not only teaches us, He also trains us. After He teaches us about something, we can expect circumstances to unfold that allow us to experience and apply what we have been taught. This may not happen immediately, but we can count on it happening. Therefore, we should be expecting it. Our Master is not just trying to get us to understand, but to actually live and become what we understand—to have “a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (see I Timothy 1:5).

Let us always keep in mind that if one of the greatest honors was to be chosen as a disciple by one of the great teachers, how much more the honor of being called as a disciple of the King of kings. What could be a higher purpose than this? Let us not waste a single day or a single trial that has been sent by our Master for our sake.