2月25日 倾尽的事奉

难道我越发爱你们，就越发少得你们爱吗？（林后十二15）

天然的爱是期望回报的，但保罗却说：“我不管你爱不爱我，我甘愿竭尽一切牺牲自己，不单是为你的缘故，更是要把你带到神那里。”“你们知道主耶稣基督的恩典，他本来富足，却为你们成了贫穷。”保罗事奉的观念正是：“不管我怎样竭尽心力，也是甘心情愿的。”对保罗来说，这是一件乐事。

一般传统教会对作神仆人的观念，并不是耶稣基督的观念。他的观念是要我们藉着服侍人而事奉他。耶稣基督的思想比社会主义者更富社会主义的色彩。他说在他的国里，最大的要作众人的仆人。作圣徒真正的考验不在传讲福音，乃在洗门徒的脚，就是做那些在人眼光中无足轻重的事，在神看来却是非常重要。保罗乐意为神的缘故，不计算代价地为别人耗尽一切。但我们会把经济和个人问题带过来——“假如神要我到那里，薪金怎样？气候怎样？福利怎样？人总要考虑这些的。”这一切表示我们事奉神仍有保留：而使徒保罗却毫无保留。主耶稣对新约圣徒的观念，保罗都集中在自己的生活中；他不但传播福音，更为别人成为擘开的饼、倒出来的酒。

祈祷◆噢，主啊，求你今天使那导致我们在你的事奉中软弱无力的自我意识，永远消失，这样，我们所知道的，便只有耶稣。

February 25 The Destitution Of Service

“Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” 2 Corinthians 12:15

Natural love expects some return, but Paul says – I do not care whether you love me or not, I am willing to destitute myself completely, not merely for your sakes, but that I may get you to God. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.” Paul's idea of service is exactly along that line – I do not care with what extravagance I spend myself, and I will do it gladly. It was a joyful thing to Paul.

The ecclesiastical idea of a servant of God is not Jesus Christ's idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of other men. Jesus Christ out-socialists the socialists. He says that in His Kingdom he that is greatest shall be the servant of all. The real test of the saint is not preaching the gospel, but washing disciples' feet, that is, doing the things that do not count in the actual estimate of men but count everything in the estimate of God. Paul delighted to spend himself out for God's interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. We come in with our economical notions –“Suppose God wants me to go there – what about the salary? What about the climate? How shall I be looked after? A man must consider these things.” All that is an indication that we are serving God with a reserve. The apostle Paul had no reserve. Paul focuses Jesus Christ's idea of a New Testament saint in his life, viz.: not one who proclaims the Gospel merely, but one who becomes broken bread and poured out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for other lives.