【双语灵修】自守 Self-control

音频

“因为神…的恩典….教训我们除去不敬虔的心，和世俗的情欲，在今世自守，公义，敬虔度日。” - 多 2:11-12

在这段经文中，自守的字面意思是“有健全的心智，或理性”。它基本上与困惑、无知以及对健康生活的冷漠相反。

神的恩典将我们从不敬虔（即“不敬虔的生活”）中拯救出来，使我们避免成为世界观念的奴隶。我们不是生来就有能力说“不”的——至少不是经常说“不”，也不是不能对其他东西说“是”。如果我们的生活中没有神，我们所有的“是”基本上都是不确定的猜测。我们的猜测有时会使事情变得更糟，有时虽然不太糟——但如果没有神，我们就无法找到通往整全生命的道路。

然而，在祂的恩典中，神已经为我们在一件事上选择了“是”。藉着救主耶稣所做的工，神已经对我们的救赎说了“是”，祂因此赐给我们一种全新的生活方式。故此，神现在可以训练我们在日常生活中对更好的选择说“是”。这就是自守。

自守是被神训练出的一种能力，能够明白并选择那些事物，使我们成为最好的自己。

祷告

耶稣，求你让我们今天看清前方的路，并给我们选择这条生活道路所需的自守。当我们选错的时候，求你温柔地纠正我们。当我们选对的时候，求你鼓励我们。阿们。

提多书 2:11-14

11因为神救众人的恩典已经显明出来，
12教训我们除去不敬虔的心和世俗的情欲，在今世自守、公义、敬虔度日，
13等候所盼望的福，并等候至大的神和我们救主耶稣基督的荣耀显现。
14他为我们舍了自己，要赎我们脱离一切罪恶，又洁净我们，特做自己的子民，热心为善。

Self-control

"The grace of God . . . teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives." - Titus 2:11-12In this passage self-control literally means “having a sound mind, or being reasonable.” It is bas

In this passage self-control literally means “having a sound mind, or being reasonable.” It is basically the opposite of living in confusion, ignorance, or indifference about making choices that support healthy living.

God’s grace saves us from ungodliness (literally, “an unworshipful life”) and from being a slave to the world’s ideas of what we need or want. We are not born with the ability to just say “no”—at least not on a regular basis and not without something else to say “yes” to. If we are without God in our life, all of our “yes’s” are basically guesswork. Our guesses sometimes make things worse, and sometimes a little better—but without God we cannot find the path to full life.

In his grace, however, God has already said “yes” to something else for us. Through the work of the Savior, Jesus, God has said “yes” to our redemption, giving us a whole new way of life. And because of this, God can now train us to say “yes” to better and better choices in our everyday living. That’s self-control.

Self-control is the God-trained ability to understand and choose which options bring us closer to being our best selves.

Prayer

Jesus, make our path clear today, and give us the self-control we need to choose that path. When we choose wrongly, correct us gently. And when we choose correctly, encourage us, we pray. Amen.