世界上有许多人被成功神学所迷惑。它声称所有相信耶稣的人都会在社会地位上和金钱上获得成功。人们很容易相信这种说法——一个好的基督徒应该是头，而不是尾；应该是领导者，而不是追随者；应该是富人，而不是穷人。但使徒保罗驳斥了这种成功学。他见证了早期教会所经历的现实。尽管他们是神的儿女，但仍有许多基督徒被呼召去服侍其他信徒，甚至是非信徒——在那个时代，其中有些人还是奴隶。保罗敦促他们在任何情况下都要全心全意、尽心尽力地服侍他们的主人，就像服侍主一样。
保罗似乎在告诉我们，兴旺或成功并不在于拥有最多的权力、金钱或影响力。相反，我们是藉着真诚的服侍来实现富足的。我们出于正确的理由和本着正确的精神为老板或领导兢兢业业地工作，这是一件好事。我们不应该仅仅为了获得金钱和权力的回报而努力工作；我们也不应该在努力工作的同时牺牲对弟兄姐妹的服侍。
你是如何在工作和日常生活中服侍神的？因着信仰耶稣，你的工作方式有何不同？
天父，求你使我的眼目转向你，让我学会为了耶稣的缘故，在生活的各个领域谦卑地服侍他人。阿们。
以弗所书 6:5-8
5你们做仆人的，要惧怕战兢，用诚实的心听从你们肉身的主人，好像听从基督一般。
6不要只在眼前侍奉，像是讨人喜欢的，要像基督的仆人，从心里遵行神的旨意，
7甘心侍奉，好像服侍主，不像服侍人。
8因为晓得各人所行的善事，不论是为奴的，是自主的，都必按所行的得主的赏赐。
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ." - Ephesians 6:5
Many people around the world fall prey to the message of the prosperity gospel. It claims that all who believe in Jesus will experience social and economic prosperity. It’s tempting to believe this message—that a good Christian will always be the head and never the tail, the leader and never the follower, the rich person and never the poor. But the apostle Paul dispels that view of prosperity. He bears witness to the reality of the early church. Despite being children of God, there were still many Christians who were called to serve their fellow believers or even unbelievers—and some of them in that day were slaves. Paul urges them, in every situation, to serve their leaders wholeheartedly, with devotion, as if they were serving the Lord himself.
Paul, it would seem, is telling us that prosperity or success is not about having the most power or money or influence. Instead, we prosper through living a life of sincere Christian service. Working conscientiously for a boss or leader is a good thing when we do it for the right reason and in the right spirit. We should not work hard merely to reap the rewards of money and power; nor should we work hard at the expense of also serving our brothers and sisters.
How are you serving God in your work and daily tasks? How do you work differently because of your faith in Jesus?
Heavenly Father, turn my eyes to you so that I may learn to serve others humbly in all the areas of my life for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
