艰难之中的勇气
使徒彼得鼓励教会不仅要预期到有苦难，还要为不可避免的试炼做好准备。要做到这一点，首先要预备我们的头脑。透过苦难，我们的信心会被更新，知道基督正在我们里面工作。对我们许多人来说，生活中最艰难的时刻，总能成为神同在和在我们生命中工作最强有力的见证。
我们不仅要预备自己的头脑，还要预备自己的心去忍受苦难。当彼得写到：“爱能遮掩许多的罪”时，他指的是我们的罪会影响我们和其他信徒之间的关系。基督徒的生活不是要找到彼此的缺点，而是要有怜悯和饶恕。神喜悦我们和睦相处。我们要怎么做呢？我们要热情好客、让客人感觉受欢迎，并分享我们的资源。我们彼此服事，做神百般恩赐的好管家。我们彼此服事和鼓励，正如说神话语的人。
如果我们希望在困难时期茁壮成长，就需要彼此合一，致力于和睦相处。慷慨的爱也能表达出我们对自己所接受的神的爱和怜悯的理解。
神啊，求祢赐我们恩典，能明白我们作为祢的门徒可以有怎样的爱。因为无论环境如何，祢都已经赦免和爱了我们。阿们。
彼得前书 4:1-11
1 基督既在肉身受苦，你们也当将这样的心志作为兵器，因为在肉身受过苦的，就已经与罪断绝了。
2 你们存这样的心，从今以后就可以不从人的情欲，只从神的旨意在世度余下的光阴。
3 因为往日随从外邦人的心意，行邪淫、恶欲、醉酒、荒宴、群饮并可恶拜偶像的事，时候已经够了。
4 他们在这些事上见你们不与他们同奔那放荡无度的路，就以为怪，毁谤你们。
5 他们必在那将要审判活人死人的主面前交帐。
6 为此，就是死人也曾有福音传给他们，要叫他们的肉体按着人受审判，他们的灵性却靠神活着。
7 万物的结局近了，所以你们要谨慎自守，警醒祷告。
8 最要紧的是彼此切实相爱，因为爱能遮掩许多的罪。
9 你们要互相款待，不发怨言。
10 各人要照所得的恩赐彼此服侍，做神百般恩赐的好管家。
11 若有讲道的，要按着神的圣言讲；若有服侍人的，要按着神所赐的力量服侍，叫神在凡事上因耶稣基督得荣耀——原来荣耀、权能都是他的，直到永永远远！阿们。
Courage In The Midst Of Hardship
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. — 1 Peter 4:8-9
The apostle Peter encourages the church not only to anticipate hardship but to prepare for trials that will inevitably come. One way to do that is to prepare our minds. Through suffering, our confidence can be renewed, knowing that Christ is at work in us. For many of us, the difficult times in life lead to the most powerful testimony of God’s presence and work in our lives.
Not only are we to prepare our minds, but we must also prepare our hearts to endure hardship. When Peter writes, “Love covers over a multitude of sins,” he is referring to the way our sins affect our relationships with other believers. The Christian life is not about finding faults in one another. It’s about mercy and forgiveness. It pleases God when we get along together. How can we do that? We show hospitality, making guests feel welcome and sharing our resources. We serve one another, being good stewards of the gifts God has given to us. We serve and encourage one another as people who speak “the very words of God.”
If we expect to thrive in hard times, it will require unity and a commitment to live peacefully together. Loving generously also demonstrates our own understanding of the love and mercy of God that we have received.
God, give us grace to understand how loving we can be as your disciples. For you have forgiven and loved us, no matter the circumstances. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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