至于我和我家人,我们必定事奉上帝。 As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Friday, May 4, 2012

免除忧虑 Walk Away From Worry

by Jennifer Benson Schuldt

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

腓立比4章6Philippians 4:6

当一无挂。」 ”Be anxious for nothing.”

读经: 腓立比4章1-9 Scripture Reading: Philippians 41-9

几年前,查经组长向我提出挑,要求大家住圣的某一章,并要在小中背。一开始,我对这个建很抗拒。一整章! 要在大家面前背出来! 从来就不是我的专长,一想到大家会着我看,在长长沉寂中等着我背出下一个字,我就感到害怕。
几天之后,我不情愿地翻着圣,想看看有哪些文可以背,翻了久都感,直到我翻到腓立比第4章。
我默默地这节经文:当一无挂,只要凡事借着祷告、祈求和感,将你所要的告上帝」(6)。突然我知道自己哪一章了,也知道怎么免除对这份作的焦
上帝不想要我们为未来的事情烦恼,因为忧虑会使我无法祷告。使徒保提醒我不要焦躁不安,而应该向上帝求助。当我以祷告替代焦,上帝的平安将会保守我的心怀意念(7)。
一度有人半开玩笑地:「如果你能忧虑,何必要祷告? 里很清楚地指出:忧虑对没有帮助,但祷告会和上帝近,是能担当我所有忧虑的那一位。

若一日忙碌,

你感力累;

云密布焦,

                   便是祷告之。 (无名人士)

合手向上帝祷告,就不会因焦而扭双手。

A few years ago, our Bible-study leader challenged us to memorize a chapter of the Bible and recite it to the group. Internally, I began to protest and groan. An entire chapter, in front of everyone? Memorization had never been my thing; I cringed as I imagined long silences while everyone watched me, waiting for the next words.
A few days later, I reluctantly leafed through my Bible, looking for a set of verses to learn by heart. Nothing seemed right until I landed in Philippians 4.
I read this verse in silence, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (v.6). That’s when I knew which chapter to memorize, and how to walk away from my anxiety about the assignment.
God does not want us to agonize over future events, because worry paralyzes our prayer life. The apostle Paul reminds us that instead of fretting, we should ask God for help. When we continually take this approach to anxiety, God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds (v.7).
Someone once said tongue-in-cheek, “Why pray when you can worry?” The point is clear: Worry gets us nowhere, but prayer gets us in touch with the One who can handle all of our concerns.
When you feel the tension mounting,
And across the busy day,
Only gloomy clouds are drifting
As you start to worry-pray! (Anon.)

It’s impossible to wring our hands when they are folded before God in prayer.

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