| 受苦之愛 | |
| 經文: 「也要憑愛心行事，正如基督愛我們，為我們捨了自己。」（以弗所書五：2） | |
| 這不是很奇怪？愛不是幸福快樂的源頭嗎？為什麼也是強烈痛苦的源頭？其實人生本來就是如此，快樂總是摻雜著痛苦，苦樂常是相伴的！當愛尋找到它的對象，甘心為他（她）付出時，就註定要為他受苦，也惟有藉著吃苦，才能達到它的目的，獲得最大的喜樂！ 這是多麼特殊奇妙的想法！即使是全能的上帝，也要經過吃苦才能達到祂愛人的目的，這是多麼令人不可思議呀！藉著耶穌的受苦釘死，祂償還全人類的罪債，也軟化最剛硬人的心，吸引人來歸向耶穌；所以愛在受苦中成全了本身的目的，也彰顯出最大的榮耀！ 莫以為愛是可以自我滿足的，不！愛一定要有個對象，並且願意為其自我犧牲，就像耶穌為罪人捨命，就是最好的例子。愛的力量在於放棄自己的權利不為自己求什麼。想想母愛的偉大，就可略窺一二，孩子生病時，母親不眠不休地照顧；孩子走入歧路時，母親會苦口婆心地勸導他，無論情況怎樣糟，愛總是無限的忍耐包容。想想看，為所關心的對象付出精力時間，全心全意地為他禱告，這意味著要擺上多少的流淚禱告，要忍受多少的傷心失望；但因著愛，就能克服一切的障礙、一切的難處。 喔！親愛的弟兄姐妹們，你們真的渴想認識上帝全備的愛嗎？那麼將自己毫無保留地獻上，為服事上帝而活，把自己看成一個器皿、一個管道；讓上帝的愛，藉著你流露出來，滋潤祝福身旁的人。是的，用同理心來體貼周圍人的需要，願與他們分擔痛苦並為他們禱告，且藉著滿溢在我們心中的主愛，就把為他人而活、為他們受苦，當作一件樂事來做；如此，你將逐漸明白何為愛的生活，何為上帝的僕人，何為對別人的終極關懷；就像上帝及耶穌，祂是如何地為成就人類的幸福，犧牲天上的榮華福樂，甚至自己的生命。 喔！我的靈哪！深刻地思想這奇妙的真理吧！若非完全地降服耶穌基督，我們就無法享受與祂之間毫無隔闔的甜蜜交通，願我們將領人歸主、榮耀主名做為我們一生堅持的志業，一生追求的目標。「住在愛裡面的，就是住在上帝裡面，上帝也住在他裡面。」（約壹四：16） | |
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| THE LOVE THAT SUFFERS | |
| Scripture: "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us."—EPH. v. 2. | |
| Is it not strange that love, which is the source of the greatest happiness, should also be the cause of the most intense suffering? Our life on earth is such that suffering always follows, when love seeks to save the object of its love. Yes, it is only by means of suffering that love can gain its end, and so attain the highest happiness. What a wonderful thought! Even the almighty power of God's love could not achieve its purpose without suffering that passes understanding. By means of His sufferings, Christ bore and overcame the sins of the whole world, and the hard heart of man was softened and drawn to God. So love in the midst of suffering manifested the greatest glory, and attained its end perfectly. Let no one, with such an Example before him, imagine that love is self-sufficient. No; love worthy of the name, manifests itself in a life of continual self-sacrifice. Love's strength lies in renunciation. Just think what a mother suffers when a beloved child is ill, or when a son falls into evil ways. Love gives her strength to endure, whatever the circumstances may be. Think, too, what one must undergo who has yielded himself whole¬heartedly to work and to pray for others. It may mean tears and heartache, and much wrestling in prayer. But love overcomes all obstacles. O Christian, do you really long to know the love of Christ in all its fulness ? Then yield yourself wholly to Him and His blessed service. Regard yourself as a channel through which the Highest Love can attain its aim. Take the souls around you into a sympathizing, loving heart, and begin to suffer with them and intercede for them. Let it be your chief delight to live and to suffer for others, in the love and fellowship of the Lord Jesus. Then at length you will realize what this life of love is, as a servant of God, and even as God Himself, and as Christ, to live wholly for the welfare and happiness of others. O soul, dwell on this wondrous truth, that there can be no real fellowship in the love of Christ, save in unreserved surrender, to seek always the glory of God in the salvation of your fellow-men. "He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." | |
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