保罗很言简意赅。我们在今天的三小节经文中看到了深刻的洞见。没错，保罗为腓立比信徒感恩，但感恩并不是唯一的祷告。他还盼望他们的爱心多而又多。但并不是以那种情感化、问候卡之类的方式。对基督徒来说，爱不仅仅是情感。 它也包含深刻的洞察力、分辨力，以及在既定情况下找出最佳方案的能力。它催促我们发问：“当我遇到这样或那样的状况时，怎样才能坦然真诚的面对耶稣？”
我们通常不会把爱和皱着眉头找出最佳行动方式联系起来。 然而基督式的爱恰恰包含了这种深思熟虑；其目标是结出圣灵的果子，能够彰显耶稣并将他人引向耶稣。
当我们读到约翰福音 3:16“神爱世人”时，就知道神的救恩计划是藏在那神圣之爱背后的。没错，这样的爱的确包含了温情和热情，但神对我们救恩的计划同样需要很多神圣的分辨力。我们认为解决罪的问题很容易吗？神的独生子为此付上了生命的代价！
我们被呼召去爱，我们也被呼召要有结果子的、深思熟虑的、属神的行为，好使我们凡事都能在基督里荣耀神。
亲爱的神，求祢赐给我们分辨的心，好使我们更好地认识祢，以及将祢的爱带给周围的人。阿们。
腓立比书 1:9-11
9 我所祷告的，就是要你们的爱心在知识和各样见识上多而又多，
10 使你们能分别是非 ，做诚实无过的人，直到基督的日子；
11 并靠着耶稣基督结满了仁义的果子，叫荣耀称赞归于神。
"This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best. . . ." — Philippians 1:9-10
Paul knew how to pack a lot into a little. In just three verses today we find deep insight. Yes, Paul is thankful for the Philippians, but thanksgiving is not his only prayer. He also wants their love to abound. But not in some sentimental, greeting-card kind of way.
For the Christian, love is more than sentiment. It also involves depth of insight, discernment, and the ability to figure out what is best in a given situation. It prompts us to ask, “What will help me be the most transparent to Jesus when I encounter this or that situation?”
We don’t typically associate love with a furrowed brow as we figure out the most fitting way to act. But Christlike love involves exactly that kind of thoughtfulness. The goal is to produce spiritual fruit that reflects Jesus and also points others in his direction.
When we read in John 3:16 that God “so loved the world,” we know that God’s plan of salvation was behind that divine love. Yes, such love did involve warmth and ardor, but God’s working out of our salvation required a lot of holy discernment too. Do we think it was easy to solve our sin problem? It cost the life of God’s only Son!
As we are called to love, we are also called to the God-like activity of fruitful hard thinking so that in all things we will bring glory to God in Christ.
Grant us discerning hearts, dear God, that we may better understand you and how to bring your love to others around us. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
