重建關係 Broken Relationships

May 19, 2011 — by C. P. Hia

(From: Our daily Bread, http://odb.org/ and http://chinese-odb.org/)

腓立比書2章3節 Philippians 2:3

「凡事不可結黨，不可貪圖虛浮的榮耀。」

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit.

读经: 腓立比書4章2-7節 Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:2-7

我從陽台望過去，有一棟二十層的公寓被拆毀了，拆除的過程花了不到一星期的時間。但是，在那地點要重新蓋一棟建築，到目前為止已過了好幾個月，即使夜間與週末都不停歇地施工，這新樓仍尚未完成。相對之下，拆毀比建造真是容易多了！

建築的拆毀與建造是如此，人際關係也是這樣。在腓立比書4章2節裡，保羅寫給教會中的兩位婦女，說到：「我勸友阿蝶和循都基，要在主裏同心。」這兩位婦人之間的爭吵若不被解決，會影響到腓立比教會，使其見證被毀壞。所以保羅勸勉這「真實同負一軛的」（3節）要來幫助她們重建彼此的關係。

令人難過的是，基督徒也會爭吵，但我們應該尋求「與眾人和睦」（羅馬書12章18節）。除非我們的衝突被化解，基督徒這麼辛苦建立的見證是會被毀壞的。將破碎的關係恢復和好，需要付出許多的努力與時間，但那是值得的。就像一棟新建築從斷垣殘壁中升起，和好的信徒們會更堅強。讓我們今天就尋求用言語和行為來彼此建造吧！

我們有共同的敵人，

牠要用世俗與鬥爭；

在耶穌教會的身上，

留下那一道道疤痕。Sper

兩個基督徒比一個好：團結才是力量

I watched from my balcony as a 20-story apartment building was demolished. The demolition took barely a week to complete. In its place a new building is being constructed. It’s been months now, and despite construction activities going on nights and weekends, it is still incomplete. How much easier it is to tear down than to build up!

What is true for demolition and construction of buildings is also true for personal relationships. In Philippians 4:2, Paul wrote to two women in the church, saying, “I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” The quarrel between these two women threatened to tear down the witness of the Philippian church if left unresolved. So Paul urged a “true companion” (v.3) to help rebuild that relationship.

Sadly, Christians do quarrel, but we should seek to “live peaceably” with all (Rom. 12:18). Unless our conflicts are resolved, the Christian witness so painstakingly built up can be destroyed. It takes much effort and time to reconcile broken relationships. But it is worth it. Like a new building rising from the ruins, reconciled believers can emerge stronger. May we seek to build each other up through our words and actions today!

We have a common enemy
who wants to scar the life

Of Jesus’ precious bride, the church,

Through worldliness and strife. - Sper

  

Two Christians are better than one — when they’re one.