二○二一年十一月二十日／二十一日
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自保與使命
蕭壽華牧師
早年曾在北美生活，看見許多華人移居當地置業之後，社區的面貌便逐漸轉變。華人總愛為家居築起圍牆，使得行人路旁不多見到草地庭園，只見一堵堵的圍牆。華人喜歡有更多安全感，所以會圍住自己的小天地，避免外來干擾，這本來無可厚非，但圍牆卻同時也會將自己封在自我的世界內，以致只知自家缺水，不理鄰家饑荒。
生活中困難越多，人就越容易只顧自保。自保本是一種負責任地管理自己生命的態度，但人在不安與憂慮中，往往會把自保的需要無限放大，以致生命長久囚禁在自我中心的牢籠中。
登山寶訓勸告我們，要先求神的國和神的義。這正是對應不安與憂慮的解藥，屬神的人深知道有一位看顧自己的天父會不斷供應、保護，因此無需過分自保，而心靈也可自由地想到神的國，為祂而活。主復活以後向門徒顯現，第一句話是：「願你們平安！」祂以復活的大能保證我們平安！接著的便是：「父怎樣差遣了我，我也照樣差遣你們。」從中指明了我們的身分——屬於神、有使命在身的受差者。這差遣也是克服自我中心的解藥，因為有了主賜的平安，我們就不用再圍封自己、擔憂自己的前途，可以只管緊握自己的身分與使命，就是受差活出捨己服事的生命。
最近我與外間一位牧者傾談，他的教會最近來了 30 多位未信的朋友，問及原委，這些人均表示這段日子多了思想前途去留、人生意義的事。他們過去多曾就讀教會學校，現在想多認識信仰，這位牧者說現在很需要人來栽培急增的慕道者。另一人告訴我，一間基督教中學有多名學生信主，似乎出現了福音復興的情況。一位基督徒老師表示，今天教學上多了各種規範，他因而更感到教學不純粹是一份職業，而是神託付給他的使命，叫他要在種種限制下留心神開敞的機會，靠主能力去愛這個時代的學生。由此看來，神仍在各種不同的處境中工作，祂也沒有忘記我們的需要！神何等盼望屬祂的兒女放下憂慮與過分的自保，起來領受此刻的使命，在身處的崗位上為祂而活。
今天的香港很需要有使命的基督徒，縱使生活上面對許多重擔，我們仍可憑有限的空間、能力「在小事上忠心」，有意識地按著主的感動生活，循著主交託的使命前行，須知道，先求祂的國和祂的義的人，有真正的供應和安全。
Pastor's Sharing Self-protection and Mission
Rev Gordon Siu
Earlier while living in North America, I saw many communities gradually taking on a new look after many Chinese settled there with their properties. The Chinese invariably love to erect a wall around their home so people on the walkway see less of the lawn and garden but wall after wall. Chinese like a stronger sense of security and so they would enclose their own little world so that interference from the outer world is barred off. There is nothing wrong with that, but the wall also encloses them in the world of their ego, making them focused on the needs of their own home and ignoring the needs of the neighborhood.
As hardship in life increases, people are prone to focus on self-protection. Self-protection is really a responsible way to manage one’s life. But in worries and anxiety, people tend to indefinitely magnify the need for self-protection – to the extent that their lives become bound by the cage of self-centeredness for a long time.
The Sermon on the Mount exhorts us to seek first God's Kingdom and His righteousness. This is the solution to worries and anxiety. Those who belong to God are convinced that the Heavenly Father will always care for them, provide for them and protect them. Undue self-protection is therefore unnecessary. Their heart is free to think about God's Kingdom and to live for Him. When the Lord resurrected and appeared to His disciples, the first thing He said was "Peace be with you!" He guarantees peace for us with the power of resurrection! Then He said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." This indicates our identity – we belong to God, we are sent with a mission. This sending is also a solution for overcoming self-centeredness. With the peace that God gives, we no longer need to enclose ourselves or worry about our future. All we need is hold on to our identity and mission. That is, we are sent to live out a life of sacrifice and service.
I lately chatted with a non-NPAC pastor. More than 30 non-believer newcomers have attended his church recently. When asked why, these people expressed that they have thought more about their future, whether they will leave or stay, as well as the meaning of life. Most of them have studied in Christian schools and now they want to know more about faith. The pastor said there is a great need for workers to groom the sharply increased number of truth seekers. Another person told me that one Christian secondary school had seen a large number of students coming to faith, which seems to be a time of revival. Meanwhile, a Christian teacher said there are more constraints in teaching now. This made him feel that teaching is not just a profession but a mission entrusted to him by God. He is to watch out for opportunities God prepares under various restrictions. He is to love the students of this generation by the power of God. We can see God's hand at work in different situations. And He has not forgotten our needs! How God hopes that His children will lay down their anxiety and undue self-protection, and embrace their mission in the here and now to live for Him in their current roles.
Today, Hong Kong is in great need of Christians with a mission. Even though we face many burdens in life, we can still use the available space and power to "be trusted with very little," to consciously live as the Lord has moved us to and move forward with His entrusted mission. We need to know that those who seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness has true provision and security.
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