2月23日 事奉的決心
人子來，不是要受人的服侍，乃是要服侍人。（太二十28）
保羅對事奉的觀念與主一樣：“我在你們中間作服侍的，像他一樣。”“我們爲基督的緣故作你們的僕人。”我們常以爲一個蒙召作傳道的人，是被召成爲與衆不同的人。對于耶穌基督，他被召的是別人門前的地毯；做他們的屬靈領袖，卻絕不是他們的上司。保羅說:“我曉得怎樣處卑賤。”
保羅對事奉的觀念是這樣：“我爲你們耗盡了最後一分力量，你儘管稱贊我，或是指責我，一點也沒有關係。”只要有一個人尚未認識耶穌基督，保羅就是欠他的債，要服侍他直到認識主。保羅事奉的根源不是愛人，乃是愛主。我們若獻身人類的幸福努力，很快就會心碎而倒退，因爲人忘恩負義，比狗更加厲害。但若動機是出于愛神，那麽怎樣冷酷無情也不能阻攔我們的服侍。
保羅體會耶穌基督怎樣對待他，就成爲他決意服侍人的秘訣。“我從前是褻瀆神的，逼迫人的，侮慢人的。”——不論人怎樣對待我，也絕對比不上我昔日怎樣以惡毒來對待耶穌基督。我們一旦體會耶穌基督怎樣爲我們的卑鄙、自私、罪惡服侍到底，那麽，不論別人怎樣待我們，也不能改變我們爲主服侍人的決心。
祈禱◆主啊，你僕人的話，正好標明我內心深切的禱告——我的神，我仰賴你的恩賜，好像我不能從任何人身上尋見，或在人內心的幻想或構思中出現。
February 23 The Determination To
Serve
“The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but
to minister.” Matthew 20:28
Paul’s idea of service is the same as Our Lord’s: “I am among you as He
that serveth;” “ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” We have the idea that
a man called to the ministry is called to be a different kind of being from
other men. According to Jesus Christ, he is called to be the “door-mat” of
other men; their spiritual leader, but never their superior. “I know how to be
abased,” says Paul. This is Paul’s idea of service – “I will spend myself to
the last ebb for you; you may give me praise or give me blame, it will make no
difference.” So long as there is a human being who does not know Jesus Christ,
I am his debtor to serve him until he does. The mainspring of Paul’s service is
not love for men, but love for Jesus Christ. If we are devoted to the cause of
humanity, we shall soon be crushed and broken-hearted, for we shall often meet
with more ingratitude from men than we would from a dog; but if our motive is
love to God, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellow men.
Paul’s realization of how Jesus Christ had dealt with him is the secret
of his determination to serve others. “I was before a perjurer, a blasphemer,
an injurious person” – no matter how men may treat me, they will never treat me
with the spite and hatred with which I treated Jesus Christ. When we realize
that Jesus Christ has served us to the end of our meanness, our selfishness,
and sin, nothing that we meet with from others can exhaust our determination to
serve men for His sake.
