牧者心聲

最近看到約翰派博牧師（John Piper）所寫的一篇文章，他一生不斷呼籲人去渴慕神（Desiring God），但這篇文章特別談及這個時代中，人渴慕神最大的敵人是甚麼。他指出，今天人渴慕神最大的敵人不是明顯的毒藥，而是「蘋果批」——不是撒但公開擺設的筵席，而是人在世界的餐桌前不斷來回流連；不是標明的色情兇殘影片，而是人每天在清醒的時間裡，被沒有意義的瑣碎事情所吸引（例如各式網上短片）；不是因為受邪惡毒害，而是為了享受世界而享樂至死⋯⋯這一切代替人對神的渴慕，以致人的心靈枯竭，靈魂慢慢死去。

基督徒人生的渴慕若不是要得著主，便會被世界各種耀目的事物吸引，就會把渴慕轉向世界的「蘋果批」。我們若忘記神才是我們的一切所需，便會讓內心各種貪慾掌控了我們的人生，引誘我們拼命去得到那些不能滿足我們的東西，我們的生命因此枯竭，對屬靈的事冷漠，事奉主的熱誠也隨之冷淡下來。

主說：「那差我來的是與我同在，他沒有撇下我獨自在這裡，因為我常做他所喜悅的事。」（約八 29）主在地上生活時面對各種艱困，連「枕首的地方也沒有」，但祂卻常常感到滿足，因祂有父的同在。祂怎樣得到父的同在？因為祂常作父所喜悅的事。

人渴慕主不單是一種感情取向，更是生命堅定的志向，無論是在人生哪一個階段、哪一種狀況下，在各種生活抉擇、勤奮與安歇中，都是為要討主的喜悅去作！這人要得著主。因此，保羅面對跟隨主的各樣苦難時，他沒有求主拿去苦難，只是求主一件事：無論是生、是死，總叫基督在我身上照常顯大！生活安舒、無災無難，我們可以感恩；但若我們必須要安舒享受，不想麻煩、不願付出代價，因而拒絕主對我們的心意去生活和事奉，便會失去最能叫我們心靈滿足的主。

有一位弟兄身體出現各種病患，禱告求主醫治，情況卻沒有改變，但他想到人生的目標是討主的喜悅，而不是要沒有病患，便知道要學習順服。他也體會在欣然順服中，感受到主喜悅他！他也在親友中作了美好的見證。一位姊妹舊病復發，要坐輪椅度過餘生，但體會神喜悅她運用仍有的精神力量，去關懷其他傷健朋友，其後帶領了一位坐輪椅的相士信主。神定意要讓我們在世上成為別人的祝福，不論我們在甚麼處境，只要以專心得主喜悅為我們最大的渴慕，我們的心靈便得滿足，別人也能在我們身上看見主。

  Recently, I read an article by Rev. John Piper. Throughout his life, he has continually exhorted people to desire God. In this particular article, however, he spoke about the greatest enemy of this generation’s desire for God. He pointed out that today, that enemy is not obvious poison, but “apple pie”—not a feast openly laid out by Satan, but people lingering again and again at the table of the world; not clearly labeled pornographic or violent videos, but people being drawn away every waking hour by meaningless, trivial things (such as all kinds of short online videos); not being corrupted by blatant evil, but indulging in worldly pleasures until death… All these things replace our desire for God, causing our hearts to wither and our souls to slowly die.

  If the desire of a Christian's life is not to gain the Lord, we will inevitably be drawn to all kinds of dazzling things in the world. We will then turn our desire toward the world’s “apple pie.” If we forget that God is all we need, we will allow various greedy desires in our hearts to control our lives. They entice us to strive for things that cannot satisfy us. As a result, our lives dry up, we become indifferent to spiritual matters, and our zeal for serving the Lord gradually grows cold.

  The Lord said, “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29). When the Lord lived on earth, He faced all kinds of hardships, even having “no place to lay His head.” Yet He was always satisfied because He had the presence of the Father. How did He experience the Father's presence? It is because He always did what pleased the Father.

  Our desire for the Lord is not just an emotional inclination. It is also a firm commitment in life. Whatever stage of life we are in, whatever circumstances we face, and whatever choices we make, whether in our work or in our rest, everything is done to please the Lord! Such a person seeks to gain the Lord. Therefore, when Paul faced all kinds of suffering as he followed the Lord, he did not ask the Lord to take away the suffering. He only asked the Lord for one thing: whether by life or by death, may Christ always be exalted in my body!

  When our lives are comfortable and free from trouble, we can give thanks. But if we insist on comfort and enjoyment, wanting no trouble and refusing to pay a price, and therefore reject the Lord’s will for our lives and service, we will lose the very Lord who can truly satisfy our souls.

  A brother developed various health issues and prayed for the Lord’s healing. However, his condition did not change. Then he realized that the goal of life is to please the Lord rather than to be free from sickness, So, he knew he had to learn to submit. Through joyful submission, he experienced the Lord's delight in him! He also bore a wonderful testimony among his relatives and friends. A sister suffered a relapse of an old illness and had to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Yet she realized that God was pleased when she used her remaining energy to care for other friends with disabilities. Later, she led a wheelchair-bound fortune-teller to faith in Christ. God intends for us to be a blessing to others in this world. No matter what situation we are in, if our greatest desire is to wholeheartedly please the Lord, our souls will be satisfied, and others will see the Lord in us.