5月10日 採取主動

 “…有了信心，又要加上德行…” （彼後1:5）

“加上”的意思是要有所行動。我們常有一個危險，就是忘記我們不能作上帝作的事，上帝也不會作我們能作的。我們不能救自己，也不能叫自己成聖–那是上帝作的事。上帝既不會給我們好的習慣或者性格，也不會強迫我們行在他的旨意裡。我們自己必須作這些事。神在我們裡面作工，但我們自己必須“作成”我們“得救的功夫”（腓2:12）。“加上”意味著我們必須養成作事情的習慣，而這在一開始總是很困難。採取主動要有一個開頭–把自己帶到必走之路上。

要警醒本來清楚知道神的旨意卻要反復詢問的傾向。採取主動–停止猶豫–邁開第一步。當上帝告訴你他的心意時，靠信心馬上就付諸行動，永遠都不要再考慮或者改變最初的決定。如果當神要你去做一件事，你卻猶猶豫豫，那你就在不經意間摒棄了神的恩典。自己要採取主動，現在就做出決定，不要讓自己那麼容易就回頭。破釜沉舟之時，告訴自己，“我要寫那封信”，或者“我要把那筆債還掉”；然後就去作吧！不要輕易改變！

我們必須養成在一切事情上仔細聆聽神聲音的習慣，明白他的心意並聽從他的命令。如果當災難到來時，我們能條件反射般地轉向神，我們就知道自己已經養成了這種習慣了。採取主動必須從目前所站的崗位上開始，而不是那些我們還沒有經歷過的。

May 10 Take The Initiative

“Add to your faith virtue. . .” （“Furnish your faith with resolution.”） （MOFFATT.） 2 Peter 1:5

“Add” means there is something we have to do. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits, He will not give us character, He will not make us walk aright. We have to do all that ourselves, we have to work out the salvation God has worked in. “Add” means to get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages it is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning, to instruct yourself in the way you have to go.

Beware of the tendency of asking the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative, stop hesitating, and take the first step. Be resolute when God speaks, act in faith immediately on what He says, and never revise your decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do a thing, you endanger your standing in grace. Take the initiative, take it yourself, take the step with your will now, make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you – “I will write that letter”; “I will pay that debt.” Make the thing inevitable.

We have to get into the habit of hearkening to God about everything, to form the habit of finding out what God says. If when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we know that the habit has been formed. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we are not.