【双语灵修】观点与角度 Perspective

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“都是照他自己所预定的美意，叫我们知道他旨意的奥秘。” - 弗 1:9

你有没有试过滑平底雪橇、但却因为雪橇滑行不顺利而感到沮丧呢？或许你的雪橇滑得不够远，又或许那个山坡不如你想像中那样陡峭，你似乎想要放弃了。然而此时你开始从一个新的角度来看这件事，你发觉可以有其他做法。于是你便换了另一副雪橇、要么减低负荷、要么换到山的另一边滑行。很快你便能全速滑下山了，并且被踢起的雪花飞溅到你脸上。真是有意思啊！

读到今天的经文时，我们可能会认为它所表达的令人费解、单调乏味、甚至是老生常谈，以致我们几乎想放弃研读它。不过，我们或许从一个新的角度来看、便会发现我们其实应该继续尝试有创意地去研读呢？耶稣希望我们知道祂多么关心我们，祂想赐给我们的丰盛，远超过我们目前能够想像得到的。

当我们开始明白祂何等爱我们并希望我们与祂建立关系时，我们的观点便会改变。我们知道与祂同活，不单只是在一个主日或在教会的经历，这更是一个我们每天被主引领抵达新的信心境界的奇妙旅程。我们开始学会以新的方式来信靠、以新的方式来聆听和分辨，最终我们便经历到以更新的方式来过好每一天。在信心之旅上，我们便开始日益经历到神丰盛的生命了。

祷告

亲爱的神，求你改变我们看待你的角度，又帮助我们明白你何等爱我们。求你今天以喜乐充满我们。惟愿我们更有能力地去活出我们的信心生活。阿们。

以弗所书 1:7-9

7我们藉这爱子的血得蒙救赎，过犯得以赦免，乃是照他丰富的恩典。
8这恩典是神用诸般智慧聪明，充充足足赏给我们的，
9都是照他自己所预定的美意，叫我们知道他旨意的奥秘，

Perspective

"He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ. . . ." - Ephesians 1:9

Have you ever tried tobogganing and been disappointed when it didn't go smoothly? Maybe your sled didn't go far or the hill wasn't as steep as you thought it would be. Maybe you felt like giving up. But then maybe you got a new perspective and realized there might be other options. So you changed the sled, or lightened the load, or tried a different part of the hill. And soon you were gliding swiftly downhill with snow flying in your face. What fun!

Looking at our Scripture for today, we might think it sounds heavy and plodding, or complicated, or even all-too-familiar, and we might be tempted to give up on it. But what if we just need a new perspective and realize we should try it again? Jesus wants us to know how much he cares for us, and he wants to offer us something that is far more than we can imagine.

When we begin to understand how much he loves us and wants us in relationship with him, our perspective changes. We realize that life with him is not just a Sunday or church experience but an everyday adventure that takes us to new places in our faith. We begin to trust differently, to listen and discern differently, and ultimately to experience a new way to live each day. We begin to experience the fullness of God in our journey of faith.

Prayer

Dear God, help us to change our perspective on how we view you, and help us to realize how much you love us. Fill us with your joy today, and may we be strengthened in how we live out our faith story. Amen.