【双语灵修】在基督里稳固不移ANCHORED TO CHRIST

雅各书 1:9-12

卑微的弟兄升高，就该喜乐；富足的降卑也该如此，因为他必要过去，如同草上的花一样。太阳出来，热风颳起，草就枯乾，花也凋谢，美容就消没了；那富足的人在他所行的事上，也要这样衰残。

5月3日

在基督里稳固不移

“卑微的弟兄升高，就该喜乐；富足的降卑也该如此……。” - 雅 1:9-10

今天很多人都在争取为自己下定义的权利。他们似乎在说：“我会改造或再次改造自己，而你则必须接受我选择做怎样的人。”然而这样说却把重担压在别人身上。当人们尝试一起生活时，它也有令人反复无常和筋疲力尽的感觉。

神明白我们需要有一个稳定、可靠的身份 ——一个能够支持我们经历盛衰浮沉生活的身份。衪亦知道我们无法创造我们需要的身份，于是衪便借着耶稣基督赐我们一个新的生命。耶稣甘愿舍弃衪的荣耀、能力和权利，衪在十架上牺牲自己，为要救赎我们脱离冒犯神和彼此冒犯的罪。借着相信衪，我们得到衪的爱和公义。我们的身份在衪里面稳固不移，而不用再依赖我们的成就或别人对我们的看法了。

雅各劝喻那些成功和富足的信徒，要晓得他们是卑微的，因为他们是蒙恩得救的罪人。他又鼓励那些经济上有困难的信徒，要欣然接受他们在基督里的高位——被爱、被接纳、蒙神珍惜。若能这样做，我们便不会轻看别人，也不会尝试胜过别人来弥补我们缺乏的安全感了。

祷告

亲爱的耶稣，感谢你，你的牺牲是多么巨大，以致我们得到的远超过我们配得的。主啊，惟愿我们在你里面找到自己的身份。奉你的名求，阿们。

James 1:9-12

SATURDAY, MAY 3

ANCHORED TO CHRIST

“Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation. . . .” — James 1:9

Many people today are engaged in a battle for the right to define themselves. It’s as if they are saying, “I will invent or reinvent myself, and you must accept me for who I choose to be.” But this places immense pressure on people. It also brings on volatility and exhaustion as people try to navigate life together.

God recognizes our need for a stable, reliable identity—one that can sustain us amid the ups and downs of life. He also knows we cannot invent the identity we need. So God made a new life possible for us through Jesus Christ. Jesus willingly gave up his glory, power, and privilege. He came to sacrifice himself on the cross to atone for our sins against God and each other. Through faith in him, we receive his love and righteousness. Our identity is anchored in him rather than in our achievements or others’ opinions of us.

James urges believers who have prospered and become wealthy to recognize their humble position as sinners saved by grace. And he encourages believers who are struggling financially to embrace their exalted position in Christ—loved, accepted, and cherished by God. By doing these things, we can avoid looking down on others and/or trying to outdo others to make up for our feelings of insecurity.

Dear Jesus, thank you for giving up so much, so that we can gain more than we deserve. May we find our identity in you, Lord. Amen.