2016年1月20日
真人、真神 Real People, Real God
读经: 腓立比書3章17-21節
Reading: Philippians 3:17-21
你們要一同效法我。-腓立比書3章17節
Join together in following my example.- Philippians 3:17
全年读经: 創世記49-50章;馬太福音13章31-58節
Bible in a Year: Genesis 49–50; Matthew 13: 31-58
幾年前，我在《靈命日糧》的一篇文章中，談到了自己曾經歷的家庭悲劇。過後，我接到一位讀者的來函。他說：「當你提到你所經歷的悲劇後，我才意識到《靈命日糧》的作者是真實的人，也面對真實的困難。」這話說的一點也沒錯！我看了一下撰寫這些短文的作者名單，發現其中有人罹患癌症、孩子叛逆、夢想未能實現，以及面對各式各樣的失落。我們確實都是有血有肉的普通人，我們用筆描繪一位真神，祂瞭解我們真實的難處。
在聖經人物中，偉大的使徒保羅也是個有血有肉的普通人。他面對身體軟弱，受到訴訟纏累，還要處理人際糾葛。保羅在面對如此不堪的現實環境時，為我們樹立了好榜樣。在腓立比書3章17節，保羅說：「弟兄們，你們要一同效法我，也當留意看那些照我們榜樣行的人。」
在我們身邊有許多需要福音的人，他們需要耶穌，如今正尋找可信的人，指引他們到完全的救主面前，所以我們必須真誠無偽。
耶和華全然美善，賜下救恩給不完全者。
差遣完全的耶穌，降世為我們的罪受死。
主，助我真誠無偽，指引世人到祢面前。
若能對上帝真誠，便能對世人無偽。
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Several years ago I received a letter from an Our Daily Bread reader after I had written about a family tragedy. "When you told about your tragedy," this person wrote, "I realized that the writers were real people with real problems." How true that is! I look across the list of men and women who pen these articles, and I see cancer and wayward children and unfulfilled dreams and many other kinds of loss. We are indeed just regular, real people writing about a real God who understands our real problems.
The apostle Paul stands out in the Real People Hall of Fame. He had physical problems. He had legal issues. He had interpersonal relationship struggles to deal with. And in all of this messy reality, he was setting an example for us. In Philippians 3:17, he said, "Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do."
Those around us who need the gospel—who need Jesus—are looking for believable people who can point them to our perfect Savior. And that means we must be real.
You, Lord, are perfection. Yet You welcome us imperfect people to come to You for salvation. You sent Your perfect Son to earth to die for us. Help us to be real and genuine as we seek to point people to You.
If we are true to God, we will not be false to people.