The Call of the Natural Life

When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me . . . —Galatians 1:15-16

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature. The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul— “When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] among the Gentiles . . . .”

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.

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今生的事奉

神既然樂意他的兒子啟示在我心裡。 ……（加-15-16） 

神的呼召並不是要我們去做某一種工作；我這樣的解釋也許是由於與神親密的相交，使我自然領會該為他做什麼。呼召是神本性的表達，而事奉則是適合我個性工作的結果。使徒保羅說：[神樂意將他兒子啟示在我心裡，叫我把他傳在外邦人中。 ]（傳就是神聖的表達）這說明了保羅在地上的職務是要傳揚神的兒子。 

事奉是內裡無限熱誠的湧流；可是，深入一點說，其實是沒有事奉的呼召的；這乃是我對神的體認和回應，以微不足道的行動表現出來。事奉，是屬於我天然生命的一部分。神與我們建立關係，叫人認出他的呼聲，然後就甘心情願為愛他而有所行動。事奉神，是人聽見了神的呼召而專誠獻上愛的禮物。事奉是我的一種表達；而神的呼召是他的表達。因此，當我有了他的性情，又見他的呼召時，兩者就同時響應，互相配合。神的兒子啟示在我心裡，於是我以誠以愛在日常生活中事奉他。 

祈禱◆主啊，你的說話來的那麼靜悄悄，卻是無處不在——[若有人服侍我，就當跟從我]，和[若有人服侍我，我父必尊重他]。在這種意義上，請接納我成為你的僕人。