The Distraction of Contempt

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt —Psalm 123:3

What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives.

Beware of “the cares of this world . . .” (Mark 4:19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by “the cares of this world.”

Another thing that distracts us is our passion for vindication. St. Augustine prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul’s faith in God. Don’t say, “I must explain myself,” or, “I must get people to understand.” Our Lord never explained anything— He left the misunderstandings or misconceptions of others to correct themselves.

When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block our fellowship with God. God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.

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使信徒分心的事

耶和華啊，求你憐憫我們，憐憫我們因為我們被藐視已到極處。 （詩一二三3）

最要當心的，不是那些破壞我們對神信仰的事，而是破壞我們基督徒性情的事。 [所以當謹守你們的心，不可行詭詐。 ]心智的影響至大，它是直透人心靈的仇敵，叫人的心偏離神。心智的某些傾向，是絕不容稍有放任的；若放任，就使我們對神的信心偏離。除非回复在神面前安息的心，否則我們對他的信心就盡失，掌管我們的只是對肉體和智慧的信心。提防[今生的憂慮]，因為這些事叫心靈產生錯誤的性情。很細微的事也足以分散我們對神的心，其能力之大，叫人詫異。要拒絕被今生的掛慮所佔有。

另一分心的事，就是好辯的慾念。聖奧古斯丁禱告說：[主啊，就我脫離自我辯護的情慾。 ]心智的傾向，會破壞對神的信心。 [我一定要為自己解釋清楚，我一定要叫人明白。 ]主從來不解釋什麽；他讓自己更正錯處。我們有時察覺別人的屬靈生命停滯不前，接著就批評起來；這樣，我們就阻塞了通往神的道路。神給我們洞悉力，並不是要我們批評，乃是要我們代求。

祈禱◆多少時候，我發現在我裡面的是[驢]，而不是我的智力，[看見耶和華的使者而跨進田間]。主啊，求你加添我屬靈的敏銳，以致我可以察覺到你最微小的舉動。