Is This True of Me?

None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself . . . —Acts 20:24

It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide. You may be more prosperous and successful from the world’s perspective, and will have more leisure time, if you never acknowledge the call of God. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God asks of you will always be there to prod you on to do His will. You will no longer be able to work for Him on the basis of common sense.

What do I count in my life as “dear to myself”? If I have not been seized by Jesus Christ and have not surrendered myself to Him, I will consider the time I decide to give God and my own ideas of service as dear. I will also consider my own life as “dear to myself.” But Paul said he considered his life dear so that he might fulfill the ministry he had received, and he refused to use his energy on anything else. This verse shows an almost noble annoyance by Paul at being asked to consider himself. He was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Our ordinary and reasonable service to God may actually compete against our total surrender to Him. Our reasonable work is based on the following argument which we say to ourselves, “Remember how useful you are here, and think how much value you would be in that particular type of work.” That attitude chooses our own judgment, instead of Jesus Christ, to be our guide as to where we should go and where we could be used the most. Never consider whether or not you are of use— but always consider that “you are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). You are His.

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我果真如此嗎？

我卻不以性命為念，也不看為寶貴。 （徒二十24）

沒有異象就去事奉神，是容易的；沒有蒙召就去事奉神，也是容易的；因為你根本不需理會神的要求。頭腦上的知識，加上信徒的情感就知道，你會幹得很成功。心情可優悠自得，只要你從未經歷神的呼召。可是，一旦你接受了耶穌基督的差使，神就整日驅策著你；那你再也不能根據頭腦上的知識來為他工作。

我看什麼為寶貴？我若未被主耶穌抓住，我會看事奉為寶貴，為神擺上得時間為寶貴，以我的生命為寶貴。保羅說，他看生命寶貴，只因他能完成所交託他的使命；他拒絕在任何事上花費他的精力。使徒行轉二十章24節中說保羅對別人叫他顧慮自己的安慰，幾乎又一種極端的煩惱；除了完成主所交託的使命外，他絕對不管別的。有時實際的工作，會取去人歸向神的心，因為實際的工作是根據[記住你在這裡多派用場]，[想想你在某項工作上有多難得]。這種態度沒有把主耶穌作為方向的指引，卻用自己的判斷來決定我們在那裡最有用。千萬別思量自己有沒有用，卻要緊記你不屬於自己，乃屬於主。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，靠著你的恩典，讓我張眼看見你，和你的無窮無盡；並且，在關乎你的事工上，讓我明白你的心意。