"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Cor 4:7-10)
I think of this analogy of a Jenga game I played as a child. The players take turns to remove the blocks one after another and the tower becomes frail. Likewise, our body grows weak due to age, sickness and all the hardships we go through. But because Jesus Christ is in us, God gives us power so great that "...is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms!" (Ephesians 1:19-20)
"Blessed be the man who fear the Lord" the author of psalms 112 wrote. "Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous man will be remembered forever." With this power in us through Christ, we are not shaken, just as the Jenga blocks miraculously standing tall and strong even though only a few blocks remains. His power grants us the surpassing ability to finish the work God has called each of us to do.
Martin Luther King Jr. was God's faithful servant who remained strong in Christ. His message moves me: "To our most bitter opponents we say: ‘We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering...Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you. We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws, because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good...But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory." What incredible sacrifical love, perseverence, longsuffering n forgiveness he had displayed, like that of Christ. This is the kind of power that God has given everyone of us whom believes in Him!
Yet without Christ within us, we are nothing. We crumble like the Jenga blocks falling everywhere. We are vulnerable without hope for the future. We fall into a never ending cycle of sins without a way to redeem ourselves. There is no complete love between one another as God is the source of love. Ah how tragic for those without Christ especially in the times of need! Praying for those who are suffering but without Christ in their life.
Pray that in Christ, we will be the light of the world, shine in this darkness of a world of uncertainty, fear and sins. Seasoned with salt, pray we will show love and respond with gentleness, humility, mercy and righteousness. Pray that people will see that Christ is in us through our joy, peace and hope!
© 2021 Rebecca Kwan All rights reserved
玩層層疊
「我們四面受敵，卻不被困住；心裡作難，卻不至失望； 遭逼迫，卻不被丟棄；打倒了，卻不至死亡。 」）林後4:8-9)
偶然想起小時候跟朋友玩的層層疊遊戲。跟朋友輪流一片一片小積木小心地移走，看輪到誰的時候積木會倒下來！我們的身體隨著年紀，病患和不同的衝擊身體漸漸衰弱， 就好像這些危樓般的積木一樣。但當基督在我們裏面，父神所賜給我們的能力是何等的浩大，這能力「就是照他在基督身上、所運行的大能大力、使他（基督）從死裏復活、叫他在天上坐在自己的右邊」（弗1：20）！
詩人在詩篇112篇寫道：「敬畏耶和華、甚喜愛他命令的、這人便為有福...他永不動搖．義人被記念直到永遠。」 縱使只剩下幾片零碎的木頭，靠著基督我們不至動搖，父神所賜的大能大力確保我們有足夠能力去完成他給我們個人的使命。
想到馬丁路德金 Jr.令我感動的名言：「我们将以自己忍受苦难的能力，来较量你们制造苦难的能力。我们将用我们灵魂的力量，来抵御你们所施的暴力。我们不会对你们诉诸仇恨，但是我们也不会屈服于你们不公正的法律。
你们可以继续干你们想对我们干的暴行，然而我们仍然爱你们。你们在我们的家里放置炸弹，...，你们在一些路边殴打我们，把我们打得半死，奄奄一息。可是，我们仍然爱你们。不久以后，我们忍受苦难的能力就会耗尽你们的仇恨。在我们获取自由的时候，我们将唤醒你们的良知，把你们嬴过来。」馬丁路德金充分地表達了作為神忠實的僕人，在基督裏那份無懼並愛他的仇敵到底的心。他的那份超乎想像的愛,忍耐, 剛強和饒恕, 正是像基督一樣。所謂從神而來的讓人屹立不倒的浩大能力就是如此!
可是, 若我們裏面沒有基督, 我們什麼都不是。我們何等容易破碎, 就會像這些積木不穩而全盤倒下來一樣。我們脆弱, 對未來亦沒有希望。我們掉進一個永遠無法解脫的罪惡漩渦,永遠不能自救。人與人之間沒有完全的愛, 因為唯有神才是愛的源頭。對於沒有基督而受著苦難的人是多麼大的悲傷! 求神憐憫並牽引他們認識基督。
亦祈禱讓我們在基督裏能成為光明之子, 在這個充滿不肯定、驚慌和罪惡的黑暗世代裏面發光。用鹽調和, 隨時發出愛心和用溫柔、謙卑、憐憫和行公義的態度去回應未信主的人。也求神讓人透過我們的愛心、喜樂和盼望 能看到基督!
© 2021 Rebecca Kwan 版權所有
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