2016年2月3日
屬靈操練 Training for Life
读经: 哥林多前書9章24-27節
Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
我是攻克己身，叫身服我，恐怕……自己反被棄絕了。-哥林多前書9章27節
I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest . . . I myself should become disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27
全年读经: 出埃及記31-33章;馬太福音22章1-22節
Bible in a Year: Exodus 31–33; Matthew 22: 1-22
最近，我遇到一位熱愛自我挑戰，喜歡參與極限運動的女性。她曾翻山越嶺，險些喪命，甚至打破金氏世界紀錄。現在，她接受了不同的挑戰，就是養育她那有特殊需求的孩子。她把當時攀爬高山的勇氣和信心，全都傾注在撫育孩子這件事上。
在哥林多前書，使徒保羅談到在賽跑中的運動員。首先，保羅提醒哥林多教會信徒不應只想要滿足自己的慾望，而是要為他人考慮周詳 （8章） 。過後，他還說道，要捨己愛人，就好像是跑馬拉松一樣，需要長久的耐力 （9章） 。身為耶穌的跟隨者，必須要放下自己的權利，全心順服主。
運動員接受訓練，是為了能贏得獎賞。我們的身體和心靈也當受操練，好使我們的靈命更加茁壯。當我們不斷地求聖靈改變我們，慢慢地就能脫去老我。我們靠著上帝所賜的力量，不再說出傷人的話；也能放下手上的電子產品，專心地和身旁的朋友溝通；當意見分歧時，我們也不堅持己見。
今天，當我們奔跑在屬靈的道路上時，上帝將要如何塑造我們呢？
主啊，讓我不求自己的益處，
而是願受操練以得著那永遠的獎賞。
屬靈的操練帶來成長。
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I recently met a woman who has pushed her body and mind to the limit. She climbed mountains, faced death, and even broke a Guinness world record. Now she's engaged in a different challenge—that of raising her special-needs child. The courage and faith she employed while ascending the mountains she now pours into motherhood.
In 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul speaks of a runner competing in a race. After urging a church enamored with their rights to give consideration to one another (ch. 8), he explains how he sees the challenges of love and self-sacrifice to be like a marathon of endurance (ch. 9). As followers of Jesus, they are to relinquish their rights in obedience to Him.
Obedience leads to endurance which leads to the prize that lasts forever.
As athletes train their bodies that they might win the crown, we too train our bodies and minds for our souls to flourish. As we ask the Holy Spirit to transform us, moment by moment, we leave our old selves behind. Empowered by God, we stop ourselves from uttering that cruel word. We put away our electronic device and remain present with our friends. We don't have to speak the last word in a disagreement.
As we train to run in the Spirit of Christ, how might God want to mold us today?
Lord, let me not demand my rights, but train to win the prize that lasts forever.
Training leads to transformation.