2月18日
标 题： 背起你的十字架
经 节： 于是耶稣对门徒说：“若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起他的十字架来跟从我。”（马太福音十六章24节）
不管代价如何，你的“十字架”是神的旨意。背起你的十字架是个抉择，你绝不会被迫背起十字架。你可能有身体上的问题、有一个悖逆的孩子、或面对经济的压力，然而千万不要将这些当作是你要“背负的十字架”。你的十字架不是你所面对的环境，也不是你自己错误行为的后果。你的十字架乃是自愿一同与祂受苦，如同祂为我们死而达成救赎的目的一样（腓立比书三：10）。保罗说自己受苦倒觉得喜乐，因为他知道借着这些痛苦，可以帮助其他人得到灵性的成熟（歌罗西书一：24）。我们倾向于想立即由“舍己”跳到“跟随耶稣”。然而，除非先背起自己的十字架，否则永远不可能跟随耶稣。在某些方面，神的救赎大工惟有借着苦难才能达成。诚如基督要忍受苦痛才能带来救恩，你也必须经历一些苦难，好让神把救恩带给你周遭的人。直到门徒知道耶稣是基督，耶稣才与门徒谈及十字架（马太福音十六：21）。若不先确信耶稣是基督，你将永远不可能忍受十字架的苦楚。一旦与基督的关系稳固，祂会让你知道你的十字架是什么。基督教不可能没有十字架。如果你期待与神的关系，是永远不需要忍受苦难或不招惹麻烦的，那么你绝不能以基督为榜样。十字架是神的旨意。首先，你得先背起自己的十字架，然后才能跟随基督。
Take
up Your Cross
Then
Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)
Your “cross” is God’s will fo ryou,
regardless of the cost. Taking up your cross is a choice; it is not beyond your
control. You may have health problems or a rebellious child or financial
pressures, but do not mistake these as your “cross to bear.” Neither
circumstances you face nor consequences of your own actions are your cross.
Your cross will be to voluntarily participate in Christ’s sufferings as He carries
out His redemptive purposes_(Phil. 3:10). Paul said he rejoiced in his
sufferings because he knew that by them he was able to participate in the
suffering required to bring others into Christian maturity (Col. 1:24).
We tend to want to go immediately from
“denying ourselves” to “following Jesus.” But you can never follow Jesus unless
you have first taken up your cross. There are aspects of God’s redemptive work
that can be accomplished only through suffering. Just as Christ had to suffer
in order to bring salvation, there will be hardships you may have to endure in
order for God to bring salvation to those around you. Jesus did not talk with
His disciples about the cross until they had come to know He was the Christ
(Matt. 16:21). You will never be able to endure the suffering of the cross
unless you have first been convinced that Jesus is the Christ. Once you have
settled your relationship with Christ, He will introduce you to your cross.
There is no Christianity without a cross.
If you are waiting for a relationship with God that never requires suffering or
inconvenience, then you cannot use Christ as your model. God’s will for you
involves a cross. First, take up your cross, then you can follow Him.
