【双语灵修】值得信任TRUSTWORTHY
约翰福音 4:28-29
那妇人就留下水罐子，往城里去，对众人说：“你们来看！有一个人将我素来所行的一切事都给我说出来了，莫非这就是基督吗？”
11月23日
值得信任
“你们来看！有一个人将我素来所行的一切事都给我说出来了……” - 约 4:29
撒玛利亚妇人因为信得过耶稣，才愿意从她匿藏的地方走出来。她对人本来有很大的戒心，所以才会因为想避开邻居，在午间酷热的时刻，携着沉重的水瓶来井边打水。但这陌生人“耶稣”有些特别之处，促使她放下戒心。过了不久，妇人便向这个为何洞悉她一切的犹太人敞开自己。她对邻居有戒心，但她感到与耶稣一起有安全感。
我们生命中那些对灵命泠漠的人，是怎样看我们的呢？我们不明白为什么他们会拒绝神。当有人好像拒绝谈论属灵的事时，我们甚至会以为他们是在针对自己。有时我们想怪责这些不肯开放自己的人，不过，或许我们要先问自己一些问题。我们要知道，除非有安全感，一般人是不会开放自己的。所以，我们可能猜想：“是否因为一些过往的经历，令他们认为和我们谈论这些事并不安全呢？”
我们不能控制未信的家人和朋友的反应——这都是由神掌控的。但我们可以决定如何对待别人。真诚的好奇心可以建立信任，但如果明显是单单想“推销”我们的观点，信任很快便会瓦解的了。
问问自己：“上一次一位灵性冷漠的人，曾经从我身上感受到真诚的好奇和关心，是在几时呢？”
祷告
主啊，求你教导我如何在人际关系中，成为值得信赖的人，帮助我去反映你的爱，带着关怀去聆听，又去营造有安全感的空间，好让别人能经历到你的真理。阿们。
John 4:28-29
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23
TRUSTWORTHY
“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. . . .” —John 4:29
The Samaritan woman trusted Jesus enough to come out of her hiding place. She was guarded enough to lug a heavy water jug to the local well in the noontime heat to avoid her neighbors, yet there was something about this stranger (Jesus) that invited vulnerability. Before she knew it, she had opened up to this Jew who somehow knew everything about her. She didn’t feel safe with her neighbors, but she sensed she was safe with Jesus.
How do the spiritually distant people in our own lives see us? We may wonder how they could reject God. We might even take it personally when someone seems resistant to spiritual conversations.
Sometimes we want to blame such people for their lack of openness, but maybe there are questions we should ask ourselves first. We need to realize that people generally won’t open up unless they feel safe. So we might wonder, “Have previous experiences led anyone to conclude that we might not be a safe place for such conversations?”
We can’t control the reactions of unbelieving friends, family members, and acquaintances— that’s in God’s hands. What we can control is how we choose to treat people. Genuine curiosity can build trust, but an obvious effort to “sell” our point of view can quickly erode it.
Ask yourself, “When was the last time a spiritually distant person sensed genuine curiosity and care from me?”
Lord, teach me to be trustworthy in relationships. Help me to reflect your love, listen with care, and create safe spaces where others can experience your truth. Amen.