1月27日

標　　題： 你是否受造完全？

經　　節： 祂雖然為兒子，還是因所受的苦難學了順從。祂既得以完全，就為凡順從祂的人成了永遠得救的根源。（希伯來書五章8∼9節）

受苦有積極的一面。我們每個人在某些程度上都在忍受著痛苦。然而，大好消息是：經由痛苦，我們將更像耶穌基督。你是否願意付出任何代價，好更像基督？在你生命中的一些事，神唯有藉著痛苦才能夠創建你。即使神無罪的兒子耶穌，也是在忍受天父為祂預備的痛苦之後，才能得以完全。祂一旦忍受了苦痛，便成為完全、成熟和完美的救贖主。藉著祂，全世界的人類能夠查找救恩。

如果你在困境中生成許多苦毒，那麼你已經向神關閉了自己生命的一部分。一旦如此，你將永遠無法完全。你靈魂的某些地方唯有藉著苦難的功課才能觸及。神的靈有重要的功課要教導你，而唯有身處試煉中，你才能學到這些功課。掃羅被封王時，他從未經歷任何苦難，不但如此，他從未培養成熟的品格，好能實行神所指派的工作。大衛則是經年累月地遭受苦難與悲痛，當他登上王位時，他是合神心意的人。

不要怨恨神允許你的生活承受傷痛，不要想盡辦法避免苦難。神並沒有讓祂的愛子免受苦難，我們怎能期待祂使我們免受苦難呢？即使處於苦痛中，仍要學習順從。

Are You Being Made Perfect?

Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. (Heb 5:8-9)

There is a positive aspect to suffering. We all endure suffering to some degree, but the good news is that through it we can become like Jesus. Are you willing to pay whatever price is necessary in order to become like Christ? There are some things that God can build into your life only through suffering. Even Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was complete only after He had endured the suffering His Father had set before Him. Once He had suffered, He was the complete, mature, and perfect Savior through whom an entire world could find salvation.

If you become bitter over your hardships, you close some parts of your life from God. If you do this, you will never be complete. Some places in your soul can be reached only by suffering. The Spirit of God has important things to teach you, but you can only learn these lessons in the midst of your trials. King Saul was made king without ever enduring hardship, but he never developed the character or maturity to handle God’s assignment. David spent years in suffering and heartache. When he finally ascended the throne, he was a man after God’s own heart.

Don’t resent the suffering God allows in your life. Don’t make all your decisions and invest everything you have into avoiding hardship. God did not spare His own Son. How can we expect Him to spare us? Learn obedience even when it hurts!