【双语灵修】唯一的方法ONLY ONE ANSWER
歌罗西书 2:8-15
你们要谨慎，恐怕有人用他的理学和虚空的妄言，不照着基督，乃照人间的遗传和世上的小学，就把你们掳去。 因为神本性一切的丰盛，都有形有体地居住在基督里面；你们在他里面也得了丰盛。他是各样执政掌权者的元首。你们在他里面也受了不是人手所行的割礼，乃是基督使你们脱去肉体情欲的割礼。你们既受洗与他一同埋葬，也就在此与他一同复活，都因信那叫他从死里复活神的功用。你们从前在过犯和未受割礼的肉体中死了，神赦免了你们一切过犯，便叫你们与基督一同活过来，又涂抹了在律例上所写攻击我们、有碍于我们的字据，把它撤去，钉在十字架上。既将一切执政的、掌权的掳来，明显给众人看，就仗着十字架夸胜。
9月21日
唯一的方法
“既将一切执政的掌权的掳来，明显给众人看，就仗着十字架夸胜。” - 西 2:15
我读了一位宣教士记述他在一间庞大寺庙中，见到的令人心碎的事，他看见一群群穷乏的人，向一个巨大的金像叩拜。他们又把赚到的微小金钱放入一个奉献箱，然后跪下诚心祈祷，希望能得到偶像的赐福。
在那座金像的另一边，有人已搭好棚架，为破裂的偶像作修补。这位宣教士觉得这情景很具讽刺性：破碎的人向破碎的偶像叩拜，求它修补他们破碎的生命；而在同一时间，其他人正忙于修补那本身也是破碎的偶像。
今天，我们虽然甚少看见群众向有形有体的偶像叩拜，但我们所处的世代也是同样绝望的。破碎的人仍期望其他破碎的人—和那些取代神的破碎事物，能为他们做唯有神才可以做得到的事。我们把希望放在成功、关系、财富、科技、政治和很多其他的事情上—但最终发现这些也都是不可靠的。
保罗提醒我们，解决我们破碎生命的唯一方法，是耶稣已胜过所有具破坏性的力量和权势。唯有祂拯救的大爱，才能使我们出死入生，从绝望到盼望。这就是我们被呼召去与万国分享的好信息。
祷告
主耶稣，我们常被引诱在你以外求帮助。求你赦免我们，又帮助我们看见和经历你拯救的大能。阿们。
Colossians 2:8-15
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
ONLY ONE ANSWER
Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. —Colossians 2:15
I read about a missionary walking through a vast temple who witnessed something deeply heartbreaking. Crowds of people— many of them poor and desperate—were bowing before a massive golden statue. They placed what appeared to be their meager earnings into a treasury box and knelt in earnest prayer, hoping to receive a blessing from the idol.
On the other side of the statue, scaffolding had been set up. The idol had begun to crumble, and a team of workers was repairing it. The scene struck the missionary with painful irony: broken people bowing to a broken statue, asking it to fix their broken lives—while others were busy working to fix the broken statue itself.
Though we might not see people bowing before physical idols much today, we live in a world that is just as desperate. Broken people still look to other broken people—and to broken substitutes for God—to do what only God can do. We place our hopes in success, relationships, wealth, technology, politics, and more—only to learn that these too are unreliable.
Paul reminds us that the only answer to our brokenness is that Jesus has triumphed over every destructive power and authority. Only his saving love can bring us from death to life and from despair to hope. This is the good-news message we are called to share with the nations.
Lord Jesus, we are often tempted to look for sources of help apart from you. Please forgive us and help us to see and experience your saving power. Amen.