|
忘記背後，努力面前，向著標杆直跑！ “這不是說我已經得著了，已經完全了；我乃是竭力追求，或者可以得著基督耶穌所以得著我的（所以得著我的：或譯所要我得的）。弟兄們，我不是以為自己已經得著了；我只有一件事，就是忘記背後，努力面前的，向著標竿直跑，要得
神在基督耶穌裏從上面召我來得的獎賞.” -- 腓立比書 3:12-14 保羅在這段經文裏面表白了他個人信仰的目標以及作爲一個信徒，他仍然有軟弱的地方，用以來鼓勵我們。雖然，保羅靈性老練，是一個忠心的領袖，然而卻承認自己還有未達到的目標。他提醒基督徒必須要不屈不撓向著面前的標杆努力。我們不能改變過去，若還堅持停留在過去，其結果若不是落入沮喪，就會變得自滿。當我們覺得自己沒有達到目標時，就會沮喪；而當我們覺得自己在某些方面有所達成時，就會變得懶惰了。所以，保羅在這裡提醒我們，要忘記背後，要向前看，向著可以去努力的未來看。 保羅寫腓立比書這封信時，他得救的年日已有30多年了。對我們來說，這是令人鼓舞的，因爲不管我們跟隨基督有多久，在信心和事奉上，我們總有機會可以繼續成長，成熟。
在未來的年日，當我們一同服事主，讓使徒的話常常提醒我們，事奉基督和認識基督是基督徒靈命成長所不可缺少的兩件事，缺一不可。光對基督有知識上的認識，若不學習事奉主，這知識對我們來說是沒用的。然而，對神不認識所作的事奉也是毫無意義的。
保羅在這段經文的話説得很清楚，他的目標就是要認識耶穌，更像耶穌，得著神所要他得著的。我們的基督徒生命若要成長，我們的服事若要有效果，我們必須學習保羅在腓立比書所立的榜樣。
在2006年裏，願神祝福我們，讓我們一同學習，一同成長，一同服事，求神讓我們能看見祂要在我們中間成就的事。 Forgetting the Past and Looking Forward to
What Lies Ahead I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these
things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally
be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and
sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past
and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the
end of the race and receive the prize for which God,
through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. Philippians 3.12-14 NLT Paul encourages us by making a personal confession of his goals and
shortcomings as a believer. Though he is a spiritually mature and faithful
leader, he admitted that he had not yet attained the goals he described in the
previous verses. He reminds Christians of the necessity to persevere and look forward
to what is ahead. Since we cannot change the past, and dwelling on it will only
do one of two things — either become discouraged, or self-satisfied. If we feel
that we’ve not met our goals, we may become discouraged, and if we have indeed
accomplished some of our goals, we may become lazy. So Paul reminds us, in that
context, to forget the past, and to look to what is still possible in the
future. Paul’s salvation had occurred 30 years before he wrote to the
Philippians. This should be an encouragement to us, that no matter how long
we’ve followed Christ, there will always be room to grow and mature in our
faith and our service to the Lord. As we serve our Lord together in the years ahead, let the apostle’s
words remind us that serving and knowing Christ are inseparable
activities in the life of a growing Christian. It is no use knowing Christ if
we don’t learn to serve Him, and it is just as senseless to try an serve Christ
without knowing Him. Paul’s statement in these verses clearly says that his goal is to know
Jesus, to be like Him, to be all that the Lord wants him to be. We should learn
from Paul’s letter to the Philippians that this is the example for us to follow
if we want to grow and be effective in Christian life and service. May God bless all of us in 2006 as we look forward to what God will do
among us as we learn together, grow together, and serve Him together. |