9月24日 “去”的準備

所以你在祭壇上獻禮物的時候，若想起弟兄向你懷怨，就把禮物留在壇前，先去同弟兄和好，然後來獻禮物。（太五23-24）

我們很容易幻想自己會達到一個完全準備妥當的地步，但其實準備功夫不是突然間可以作成，準備乃是一個不斷持續的過程。陷進固有的經歷中，是一種危險。我們要準備加上準備。“犧牲精神”對青年信徒來說，是很具吸引力。按人性論，唯一吸引我們向主耶穌的，就是那英雄氣概。可是在主話的細察下，這熱潮要受到考驗。主說：“先去同弟兄和好。”“去”的準備，是先讓神的話查驗。單有英雄氣概是不夠的。聖靈要在你身上查出不合用於事奉的意向。這意向，除了神以外，沒有人能查察出來。你有什麼東西要向神隱藏？若有，就讓神用他的光來搜查。若有罪，就要認罪，不要單單承認。不管是怎樣卑躬，你願意順服主嗎？

千萬不可不顧良心的譴責。若神的靈叫你想起那事，那事就是重要的，是他所要查察的。你以往不斷要找些大的事來放棄，神卻要你注意些小事。因為在這小事的背後，正藏著頑梗的大本營：“我不肯放棄自己的主權。”若要作耶穌基督的門徒，神要你放棄的正是你的主權。

祈禱◆主啊，讓今天充滿了對你的讚美。願你使我脫離各式各樣的煩擾。為著我的思想能專注於你，我讚美你，但我仍渴望你的美善臨到我身上。

September 24 The “Go” Of Preparation

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there thou rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matthew 5:23, 24

It is easy to imagine that we will get to a place where we are complete and ready, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished, it is a process steadily maintained. It is dangerous to get into a settled state of experience. It is preparation and preparation.

The sense of sacrifice appeals readily to a young Christian. Humanly speaking, the one thing that attracts to Jesus Christ is our sense of the heroic, and the scrutiny of Our Lord's words suddenly brings this tide of enthusiasm to the test. “First be reconciled to thy brother.” The “go” of preparation is to let the word of God scrutinize. The sense of heroic sacrifice is not good enough. The thing the Holy Spirit is detecting in you is the disposition that will never work in His service. No one but God can detect that disposition in you. Have you anything to hide from God? If you have, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin, confess it, not admit it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?

Never discard a conviction. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to have brought it to your mind, it is that thing He is detecting. You were looking for a great thing to give up. God is telling you of some tiny thing; but at the back of it there lies the central citadel of obstinacy: I will not give up my right to myself – the thing God intends you to give up if ever you are going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.