Get Moving! (2)

Also . . . add to your faith . . . —2 Peter 1:5

In the matter of drudgery. Peter said in this passage that we have become “partakers of the divine nature” and that we should now be “giving all diligence,” concentrating on forming godly habits (2 Peter 1:4-5). We are to “add” to our lives all that character means. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; it must be developed. Nor are we born with habits— we have to form godly habits on the basis of the new life God has placed within us. We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, “Jesus . . . took a towel and . . . began to wash the disciples’ feet . . .” (John 13:3-5).

We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with its common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God’s way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don’t always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.

It is difficult for us to do the “adding” that Peter mentioned here. We say we do not expect God to take us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we do! I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty’s sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ.

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趕快行動！

有了……加上……（彼後一5）

彼得說（4節），你們既承受了屬天的性情，如今就要專心一致，竭力養成良好的習慣。 [加上]的意義，是就品格方面而言。不論是天然的或超然的，人的品格絕不是與生俱來的，他必須加以後天的培養。習慣也不是與生俱來的，我們要根據神所賜的新生命，去養成習慣。神的意思不是要我們做閃閃發光的標本，而是要我們在日常平凡的生活中，表現出他恩惠的奇妙。一般的俗務乃是人格的試金石；屬靈生命的大障礙就是要做大事。 [耶穌……拿一條毛巾……洗門徒的腳。 ]

有時生活缺乏亮光，便沒有什麼值得興奮的，只是日復一日，從事平凡的作業。神卻用例行的事務，給我們啟示。別期望神天天給你興奮的時刻，要學習靠著神的能力，活在常務中。 [加上]是難的，我們常說不指望神用舒適的花轎將我們抬進天堂，但我們的行事為人，卻往往與此相反。我所順服的不論是多微小的事，都有神恩典的大能在背後。我之所以盡本分，不是因為職責所在，乃是因我信神安排的一切；這樣，我一順服，神超然的恩惠就透過救贖臨到我身上。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，我的靈經歷你的新恩，然而我在你大能的恩典中成長是何等緩慢！求你速速臨到我身上，使我今天的體驗，如自然界一般延展至壯闊的地平線。