8月11日

標　　題：討神歡喜，討人歡喜

經　　節：我現在是要得人的心呢？還是要得神的心呢？我豈是討人的喜歡嗎？若仍舊討人的喜歡，我就不是基督的僕人了。（加拉太書一章10節）

有時候，你得在討神歡喜與討人歡喜之間，有所抉擇，因為神的道路非同人的道路（以賽亞書五十五：8∼9）。努力維持良好的人際關係固然重要，但與神維持堅固及順服的關係，更是重要。不順服神，只與人和好，是沒有智慧的行為。與神和好，永遠是最重要的事。

耶穌警告我們，順從祂可能會引起你人際關係的衝突（馬太福音十：35∼36）。如果保羅主要的目的是討好人，他永遠不能成為耶穌基督的使徒。有時候，順服神使得家人彼此有衝突（馬太福音十：35∼36）。當你臣服於耶穌的主權，親人可能誤會你，甚至反對你，然而，你對神的順服反映出你是神兒女的身分。耶穌說，那些遵行祂旨意的人，是祂的弟兄和姊妹（路加福音八：21）。神並不想在你的家庭中造成紛爭，而是祂把順服祂的重要性，置於家庭和諧之上。

在寧靜中與神相交是非常重要的，如此一來，你才能瞭解什麼事可以討神的歡喜。當你不清楚神的心意，屬世的思維很容易會誤導你。彼得曾視女僕的看法高過主的贊同，後來他為此悲痛異常。如果想討好人的意願，導致你想妥協神要你做的事，要記取彼得的錯誤。要定意討主的歡喜，不管他人的想法。

Pleasing God, Pleasing Others

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

At times you will have to make a choice between pleasing God and pleasing those around you, for God’s ways are not man’s ways (Isa. 55:8–9). As important as it is to strive for good relations with others, it is even more important to maintain a steadfast and obedient relationship with Christ. Disobeying God to keep peace with other people is never wise. Peace with God is always paramount.

Jesus warned that obeying Him might cause division in your relationships (Matt. 10:35–36). If Paul’s primary goal had been to please others, he would never have become an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul went completely against the wishes of his colleagues in order to obey Christ. At times, obedience to God sets family members at odds with each other (Matt. 10:35–36). When you follow Jesus’ Lordship, your family may misunderstand, or even oppose you, yet your obedience to God reflects your identity as His child. Jesus said that those who obey His will are His brothers and sisters (Luke 8:21). God does not intend to divide the home, but He places obedience before domestic harmony.

It is important to get alone in quietness with God so that you understand what pleases Him. The world’s thinking will mislead you more easily when you are not clear about what God desires. It broke Peter’s heart to know that the opinion of a servant girl had mattered more to him than the approval of his Lord! If the desire to appease others tempts you to compromise what you know God wants you to do, learn from Peter’s mistake. Determine that you will please your Lord regardless of the opinions of others.