當小是大時
雷克-喬納
2023年3月21日
所羅門之歌（雅歌）2:15告訴我們，"小狐狸正在毀壞葡萄園"。通常不是大事使我們迷失方向，但小事會分散我們的注意力，甚至使我們偏離生活的軌道。我們浪費的日子很快就會加到幾週、幾個月和幾年，而幾年加起來就會奪走我們的人生目標。
上週我分享了我最近如何確定對我來說完美的一天是什麼樣子，然後每天都追求這個目標。這給我的生活帶來了巨大的變化，我感歎如果我在五十年前就這樣做，我的生活會有多大的成果。儘管如此，我知道我可以在我剩下的時間裡取得比過去五十年更多的成就，如果我願意忠心地每天專注於我每天需要做的最重要的事。
神的名字不是 "我曾經 "或 "我將會"，而是 "我是"！這就是神。瞭解祂與人的歷史交往和聖經預言是很重要的，但要瞭解祂的本體，我們必須在當下瞭解祂。為了實現這一目標，我們必須下決心每天都這樣做。"你們今日若聽他的話，就不可硬著心"（見希伯來書3:7）。昨天已不存在，明天也不存在。我們真正擁有的是現在。我們可以從過去學習，對未來有憧憬，但生活在現在是我們應該關注的地方。
有長期的目標和異象是好的，也是重要的，但如果沒有實際的、一步一步的行動，這些目標和異象很少能實現，而這些行動必須以耐力和決心來完成。成功不是一個選擇長期或短期策略的問題，而是兩者都有。新年決議很少帶來長期變化的原因之一是，我們沒有完成這些決議的短期策略。
我一直是一個有遠見的人，一個"總括的大局"的人。我喜歡廣泛的概念和大膽的策略。我很快就對細節感到厭煩。這是一個弱點，有時會造成很大的損失。當我們的成就取決於兩者時，我們不能只做我們喜歡的部分而不做我們不喜歡的苦差事。這就是為什麼我們被告知要每天背起我們的十字架，跟隨祂。做我們喜歡的事並不是十字架。
當我意識到最能觸動主的最高敬拜是當我們把我們最不喜歡的事變成對主的敬拜時，我的想法就轉變了。這樣的奉獻比簡單地做我們喜歡的事更能觸動祂。
異象的實現通常發生在人們願意做艱苦的工作，而這是異象實現的必要條件。同樣有必要的是，負責"大局 "的領導人不要過於分心於細節。哪個飛機乘客會希望看到飛行員在機艙內幫忙空姐服務？不，我們希望飛行員緊緊盯著儀錶，看著前方的情況。關鍵是要保持在我們本應佔據的位置上，同時理解和尊重他人的職責和呼召。
從另一個角度來說，每個人都必須停泊在實際的細節上，包括負責最宏大異象的最高領導人。這就是為什麼使徒保羅，可以說是有史以來最重要的傳教士，要花時間做繁瑣的造物工作。這使他緊貼實際，能夠認同那些一生都在做這種工作的人。
勞倫斯修士是修道院的洗碗工，給了我們美好的例子，說明即使是最卑微的工作，作為對主的敬拜，也可以成為最崇高和超越的任務。因此，主的存在與勞倫斯同在，國王和貴族們不遠萬里來到勞倫斯身邊，與這位謙卑的洗碗工共度時光。有些人說，他們願意用他們偉大的地位和財富來換取像勞倫斯弟兄那樣的一盎司的平安和快樂。
我們不需要更大的任務來更好地服侍主；我們需要使我們現在擁有的任務變得更大。要做到這一點，我們要把它們當作對主的敬拜來加以聖化，並全心全意地為祂做一切。
Mar 21
WEEK 12
When Small is Big
Rick Joyner
In Song of Solomon 2:15 we are told, “little foxes are ruining the vineyard.” It is not usually the big things that sidetrack us, but the little things can distract us and even steer us from the path of life. The days we waste can quickly add up to weeks, months, and years, and the years can add up to robbing us of our life’s purpose.
I shared last week how I recently determined to define what a perfect day would look like for me and then pursue that each day. This made such a huge difference in my life, I lamented how much more fruitful my life could have been had I done this fifty years ago. Still, I know I can accomplish more in the time I have left than I did in the last fifty years, if I will be faithful to live day-to-day focusing on the most important things I need to do daily.
God’s name is not “I Was,” or “I Will Be,” it is “I Am”! It is important to know His historical dealings with men and biblical prophecy, but to know Him as He is, we must know Him in the present. To accomplish this, we must resolve to do this every day. “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your heart” (see Hebrews 3:7). Yesterday no longer exists, nor does tomorrow. All we really have is the present. We can learn from the past, and have vision for the future, but living in the now is where our focus should be.
It is good and important to have long-term goals and vision, but these are seldom accomplished without practical, step-by-step actions that must be followed with endurance and resolve. Success is not a matter of choosing long-term or short-term strategies, but both. One reason New Year’s resolutions seldom result in long-term change is because we have no short-term strategies for accomplishing them.
I have always been a visionary, a “big picture” person. I love broad concepts and bold strategies. I bore quickly with details. That is a weakness which can sometimes be costly. We cannot just do the part we enjoy without the drudgery we dislike when our accomplishments are dependent on both. That is why we are told to take up our crosses daily and follow Him. Doing what we like is not a cross.
One revelation that turned this around for me was when I realized the highest worship that most touches the Lord is when we turn what we most dislike into worship as unto the Lord. Such devotion touches Him far more than simply doing what we like.
Fulfilled visions usually happen when people are willing to do the hard work that is necessary for visions to come true. It is also necessary that leaders responsible for the “big picture” not become too distracted with details. What plane passenger would want to see the pilot helping the flight attendants serve in the cabin? No, we want the pilot glued to the instruments and looking at the conditions ahead. The key is to remain in the place we were meant to occupy, while understanding and respecting the duties and callings of others.
In another way, everyone must be moored to the practical details, including the highest leaders responsible for the most expansive visions. That is why the apostle Paul, arguably the most important missionary of all time, took time to do the tedious task of tentmaking. This kept him moored to the practical and able to identify with the people whose lives were spent doing such tasks.
Brother Lawrence, a dishwasher at a monastery, gave us a wonderful example of how even the humblest job done as worship unto the Lord can become the most noble and transcendent task. Consequently, the presence of the Lord abided with Lawrence, and kings and nobles traveled great distances to spend time with Lawrence, the humble dishwasher. Some said they would have traded their great positions and wealth for just an ounce of peace and joy like Brother Lawrence had.
We don’t need greater tasks to better serve the Lord; we need to make the tasks we now have greater. We do this by sanctifying them as worship to the Lord and doing all for Him with all our hearts.