於2023-01-23發佈


是清除雜事和雜音時候了
作者:羅伯特-霍奇金 Robert Hotchkin
來源:以利亞名單 https://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=28755 
日期:2023.1.22
翻譯:Kate
轉載/轉寄 請註明出處:國度禱告網

我傾向於把事情安排得井然有條,但我的組織方法之一是使用堆疊;這樣,所有的東西就不會散落一地,而且我可以看著一堆東西就知道是什麼;那邊那堆是直播和節目的大綱。那個是周日信息的筆記;那一堆是為下一本書準備的零碎文件;那一堆是需要在年終報稅時提交的已付帳單;那一堆是出版商發給我的書,讓我考慮採訪他們的作者,等等。

最近有一天,我環顧我的辦公室,突然感覺到這些堆積如山的東西已經有點多了。並不是像囤積者級別的堆積物,使我的工作空間變得狹窄,但我知道是時候處理它們了。

一旦我處理完辦公室裡的堆積物,我開始注意到一些書架和桌子上的東西是如何堆積的。突然間,我感到有一種強烈的願望,要把整個房子都翻一遍,把所有堆積的東西都整理出來。

一開始只是一個快速整理辦公室的專案,最後變成了一整個下午和晚上的清理和清潔。

我在吉普車的後面裝滿了供我們當地捐贈中心使用的麻袋。有半打大袋的書要帶去教會,送給我們的成員。此外,我還把我們的大型回收箱和垃圾箱都裝滿了。就在第三次或第四次去垃圾箱的時候,我問主,為什麼我突然有了處理所有這些東西的願望。隨即,祂對我說:"現在是時候清理所有的雜物和雜音了。"

什麼是"雜物"和"雜音"?

當祂說話時,我的整個身體開始刺痛和振動。因此,當我從垃圾箱回來時,我拿起記事本和筆,坐在沙發上,等著祂再解說一下--特別是問什麼是"雜物"和 "雜音"。

祂讓我知道,"雜物"是阻礙我們的東西。我能感覺到,這甚至不一定只是罪的問題,而是任何讓我們分心或佔據我們思想和心靈空間的東西:習慣、做法、關係、虛假的舒適,或任何其他已經失去秩序以至於分心的東西。

就像我在自然界中處理的雜物一樣,主所指的 "雜物"是多年來"堆積"起來的東西,以至於我們幾乎沒有注意到它是如何妨礙我們的,有時甚至使我們遠離神。這可能是一些簡單的事情,比如養成了早上第一件事就是查看電子郵件或頭條新聞的習慣,這往往會變成一個小時的時間來處理信件或滾動螢幕,而不是讓神成為我們一天中的第一焦點。或者雜亂可能是我們長期以來一直在處理的一些問題,以至於它讓我們更專注於情況的事實,而不是祂的真理,這才是解決之道。

祂說,"雜亂"是我們允許的思想、言語和情緒,聽起來不像耶穌,或違反了愛的標準。

神按照祂的形象和樣式造了我們,我們在這裡是要成為祂的代表和呈現神(見創世記1:26-28)。冒犯、苦毒、憤怒、灰心、絕望、喃喃自語、抱怨和咒駡都不會成為神的代表。它們是雜音--就像哥林多前書13:1中,使徒保羅在那裡談到當我們說話沒有愛時,我們的聲音是鳴的鑼,響的鈸。

然而,我們被邀請清除的無愛的雜音不僅是我們的思想和語言。祂讓我知道,這也是指其他的來源,比如媒體的雜音、抱怨和騷擾,這往往讓我們激起負面情緒,以至於我們將更多的黑暗釋放到黑暗中,而不是用祂的光擊碎黑暗。

為新事物騰出空間

我坐了一會兒,讓祂所說的一切沉澱下來。我請求聖靈説明我意識到我需要清除的任何雜亂或喧囂。沒過多久,主再次對我說話:"這將為你不知道即將到來的新騰出空間"。

那是多麼令人興奮的事啊?!

我們正處於如此新、如此大、如此神的事物的邊緣......我們真的不知道會發生什麼。而我們到達那裡的方式是回應祂的邀請,清除雜亂無章的東西。這不是來自一個失望的神的嚴厲責備。這是一位充滿期待的父親發出的溫柔邀請,祂知道即將發生什麼,並渴望你(和我)成為其中的一部分。

現在是時候清理雜物和雜音,為我們所不了解的即將到來的新事物騰出空間。

和我一起禱告:聖靈,鑒察我的心、我的話語、我的思想和我的選擇。幫助我意識到任何需要處理和清除的雜物或雜音。幫助我總是在所有的事情上首先尋求神的國度,接近我所愛的人,以便今年我能夠成為我的天父在地球上更大、更充分、更有力和神奇的代表和再代表。奉耶穌的名,我禱告,阿門!

 

It Is Time to Clear Out the Clutter and the Clatter
Robert Hotchkin, Maricopa, AZ
Jan 22, 2023

I tend to keep things fairly organized, but one of my methods of organization is to use stacks and piles; that way everything's not strewn about, and I can look at a pile and know what it is. That stack over there is outlines for livestreams and shows. That one is notes for Sunday messages. That one is bits and pieces for the next book. That stack is paid bills that need to be filed for end-of-year tax reporting. That one is books publishers have sent me to consider interviewing their authors, etc.

One day recently, I looked around my office and suddenly had the sense that the stacks and piles were getting to be a bit much. It wasn't like I was at hoarder-level heaps that were narrowing me out of my workspace, but I knew it was time to deal with them.

Once I got done with the stacks in my office, I started to notice how things had piled up on some of the bookshelves and end tables as well. All of a sudden, I felt a strong desire to go through the entire house and sort out all the places where things had piled up.

What began as a quick project to organize my office a bit, ended up being an entire afternoon and evening of clearing and cleaning.

I filled the back of my Jeep with sacks for our local donation center. There was half a dozen large bags of books to take to church and give away to our members. Plus, I was well on my way to filling both our large recycle and trash bins. It was on the third or fourth trip out to the bins that I asked the Lord why I had felt such a sudden desire to deal with all of this. Immediately, He spoke to me and said, "It is time to clear out all the clutter and the clatter." 

What Is the "Clutter" and the "Clatter"?

When He spoke, my whole body started to tingle and vibrate. So, when I came back in from the bins I grabbed a notepad and pen, sat down on the couch, and waited for Him to unpack that a bit more – specifically asking what the "clutter" and the "clatter" was.

He let me know that "clutter" was anything that has been getting in our way. I could feel that this was not even necessarily just sin issues, but anything that has been distracting us or taking up space in our minds and hearts: habits, practices, relationships, false comforts, or anything else that has gotten out of order to the point of distraction.

And just like the clutter I was dealing with in the natural, the "clutter" that the Lord was referring to is the stuff that has "piled up" over the years to the point that we barely even notice how it has gotten in the way and, at times, kept us from Him. It could be something as simple as having gotten into the habit of checking emails or headlines first thing in the morning, which can often turn into an hour of dealing with correspondence or scrolling screens, instead of making Him our first focus in our day. Or clutter could be some long-term issue we've been dealing with for so long that it has us more focused on the facts of the situation than His truth that is the solution.

He said that "clatter" was the thoughts, words and emotions we allow that don't sound like Jesus, or that violate the standards of love.

He has made us in His image and after His likeness, and we are here to be His representatives and re-presenters (see Genesis 1:26-28). Offense, bitterness, anger, discouragement, despair, murmuring, complaining and cursing don't do that. They are clatter – like the noisy gong or clanging cymbal in 1 Corinthians 13:1, where the apostle Paul talks about what we sound like when we speak without love.

The loveless clatter that we are being invited to clear out is not only our thoughts and words, however. He let me know that it also refers to other sources, like the murmuring, complaining and haranguing of media, which often gets us stirred up in negative emotions to the point that we are releasing more darkness into the darkness, as opposed to shattering that darkness with His light! 

Making Room for the New

I sat for a bit to let all He had spoken sink in. I asked Holy Spirit for help in being aware of any clutter or clatter that I needed to clear up. It wasn't long after that the Lord spoke to me again: "It will make room for the NEW that you have no idea is coming."

How exciting is that?!

We are on the cusp of something so new, so big, so God...we really have no idea what is coming. And the way we get there is to respond to His invitation to clear out the clutter and the clatter. This is not a stern rebuke from a disappointed deity. This is a tender invitation from an expectant Father who knows what is coming and longs for you (and me) to be a part of it.

It is time to clear out the clutter and the clatter to make room for the new that we have no idea is coming!

Pray this with me: Holy spirit, search my heart, my words, my thoughts and my choices. Help me be aware of any clutter or clatter that needs to be dealt with and cleared out. Help me always and in all things to seek first the Kingdom of God and draw nearer to my Beloved, so that this year I can become an even greater, fuller, more powerful and miraculous representative and re-presenter of my heavenly Father here on Earth. In Jesus' name I pray, amen!