God’s Purpose or Mine?

He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side . . . —Mark 6:45

We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.

What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.

God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.

God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.

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順服之後又如何？

耶穌隨即催門徒上船，先渡到那邊……（可六45-52）

我們很容易這樣想：主若催逼我們，我們若順服他，他就必叫我們大大的成功。千萬別把成功的夢想，當作神對我們的計畫；神的計畫可能恰好相反。我們以為神要領我們到某一特定的目的——一個理想的目標；其實並不是。到達某一目的，只是附帶的事。我們所稱為過程的，神卻稱為目標。

我對神的計畫有何夢想？他的計畫就是要我現在倚靠他和他的能力。在動盪不安之中，我若能保持平靜不疑惑，這就是神計畫的目標。神作工不是為某一個特別的終點；他的目標就在過程之中——要我看見他正行在波浪上；雖然不見邊岸，沒有目的地，但有一個肯定的確信，深知必然平安無事，因為我看見他正在海面上行走。這是過程，不是目標，使神得著榮耀。神的訓練是即時的，不是等一會兒的。他的計畫是這一分鐘，不是將來某件事。我們不必顧及順服之後會怎樣；若牽掛以後會怎樣，就走錯了路。人所謂的訓練與預備，神卻稱為目的。

神的目的是要我如今就知道，他能在我生命的混亂動盪中行走。若我們在前方另有目標，那麼，臨到我們的每一刻都變得如珍如寶了。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，倘若那需要是出於你，我便歡喜！為著你教訓我們[有火煉的試驗臨到你們，不要以為奇怪，倒要歡喜]，我讚美你。