6月17日 不挑剔的品性
你們不要論斷人,免得你們被論斷。(太七1)
耶穌對論斷的看法是:“不要”。一般信徒是最擅於挑剔的。批評是人的本性,但在屬靈領域裡,批評絕不能成事。批評就是將被批評者的力量削弱。其實只有聖靈才真有批評的身分,指出錯處而不至招來傷害。你若帶著挑剔的脾氣,是無法與神交通契合的。你會變得剛硬、敵視、殘忍,或沾沾自喜,以為高人一等。耶穌說,作為一個門徒,應當培養口不言人過的品質。這不是一勞永逸的,要隨時當心,不讓任何事使你自高、睥睨一切。
耶穌洞悉一切,誰也無可遁形。我若見你眼中有刺,那我眼中必然有梁木。我見到你的任何錯失,神都在我身上找到了。我什麼時候論斷人,就什麼時候定自己的罪(羅二17-20)。不要在他人身上濫施尺度,每個人總有些隱情,是我們無法瞭解的。神首先要來一次屬靈大掃除,使我們不再驕傲自滿。每想到若非神的恩典,我裡面根本一無所有,那就不會對任何人感到絕望了。
祈禱◆主啊,我仰望你,求你幫助我正確地敬拜你。為著我與生俱來可敬拜你,我讚美你,可是,我的生活卻沒有速速按照著它當行的去回應你和你的美善。主啊,幫助我。
June 17 The Uncritical Temper
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1
Jesus says regarding judging – Don't. The average Christian is the most
penetratingly critical individual. Criticism is a part of the ordinary faculty
of man; but in the spiritual domain nothing is accomplished by criticism. The
effect of criticism is a dividing up of the powers of the one criticized; the
Holy Ghost is the only One in the true position to criticize, He alone is able
to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter
into communion with God when you are in a critical temper; it makes you hard
and vindictive and cruel, and leaves you with the flattering unction that you
are a superior person. Jesus says, as a disciple cultivate the uncritical
temper. It is not done once and for all. Beware of anything that puts you in
the superior person's place.
There is no getting away from the penetration of Jesus. If I see the
mote in your eye, it means I have a beam in my own. Every wrong thing that I
see in you, God locates in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-20). Stop having a measuring rod for other
people. There is always one fact more in every man's case about which we know
nothing. The first thing God does is to give us a spiritual spring-cleaning;
there is no possibility of pride left in a man after that. I have never met the
man I could despair of after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of
God.