2月25日 傾盡的事奉
難道我越發愛你們，就越發少得你們愛嗎？（林後十二15）
天然的愛是期望回報的，但保羅卻說：“我不管你愛不愛我，我甘願竭盡一切犧牲自己，不單是爲你的緣故，更是要把你帶到神那裏。”“你們知道主耶穌基督的恩典，他本來富足，卻爲你們成了貧窮。”保羅事奉的觀念正是：“不管我怎樣竭盡心力，也是甘心情願的。”對保羅來說，這是一件樂事。
一般傳統教會對作神僕人的觀念，幷不是耶穌基督的觀念。他的觀念是要我們藉著服侍人而事奉他。耶穌基督的思想比社會主義者更富社會主義的色彩。他說在他的國裏，最大的要作衆人的僕人。作聖徒真正的考驗不在傳講福音，乃在洗門徒的脚，就是做那些在人眼光中無足輕重的事，在神看來卻是非常重要。保羅樂意爲神的緣故，不計算代價地爲別人耗盡一切。但我們會把經濟和個人問題帶過來——“假如神要我到那裏，薪金怎樣？氣候怎樣？福利怎樣？人總要考慮這些的。”這一切表示我們事奉神仍有保留：而使徒保羅卻毫無保留。主耶穌對新約聖徒的觀念，保羅都集中在自己的生活中；他不但傳播福音，更爲別人成爲擘開的餅、倒出來的酒。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你今天使那導致我們在你的事奉中軟弱無力的自我意識，永遠消失，這樣，我們所知道的，便只有耶穌。
February 25 The Destitution Of
Service
“Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I
be loved.” 2 Corinthians 12:15
Natural love expects some return, but Paul says – I do not care whether
you love me or not, I am willing to destitute myself completely, not merely for
your sakes, but that I may get you to God. “For ye know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.”
Paul’s idea of service is exactly along that line – I do not care with what
extravagance I spend myself, and I will do it gladly. It was a joyful thing to
Paul.
The ecclesiastical idea of a servant of God is not Jesus Christ’s idea.
His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of other men. Jesus Christ
out-socialists the socialists. He says that in His Kingdom he that is greatest
shall be the servant of all. The real test of the saint is not preaching the
gospel, but washing disciples’ feet, that is, doing the things that do not
count in the actual estimate of men but count everything in the estimate of
God. Paul delighted to spend himself out for God’s interests in other people,
and he did not care what it cost. We come in with our economical notions
–“Suppose God wants me to go there – what about the salary? What about the
climate? How shall I be looked after? A man must consider these things.” All
that is an indication that we are serving God with a reserve. The apostle Paul
had no reserve. Paul focuses Jesus Christ’s idea of a New Testament saint in
his life, viz.: not one who proclaims the Gospel merely, but one who becomes
broken bread and poured out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for other lives.
