要思念上面的事
重生和活在神的国中,要求我们在心思意念上作出脱胎换骨的改变。神来到我们当中对我们说:“你们要思念上面的事,不要思念地上的事。”
然而我们或许会疑惑:“假若我们不理会那些在地上需要处理的事情,我们的生活岂不是会变得更加混乱?神真的告诉我们,不要再专注于在我们周围发生的日常事情吗?”
思念“在天上”的事,关乎放下我们以前的罪恶生活,好叫我们能活出我们蒙召活在基督里的新生命。我们不再活在“淫乱、污秽、邪情、恶欲和贪婪”中,我们蒙召要存“怜悯、恩慈、谦虚、温柔和忍耐的心”等等。我们当以神国子民的身份生活,意思是说我们定时与神相聚、阅读和钻研圣经、祈祷、敬拜、享受与其他信徒交通、从基督徒学者和艺术家身上学习等等。这样,当我们在这世界上为神生活时,我们在地上的生活便能更专注在神为我们预备的那些更重要的目标和美意上了。
然而,假若我们每天都浸淫在我们旧的自私模式和世界的虚假承诺中,我们便会逐渐飘离神希望我们得到的丰盛生命了。
祷告
耶稣啊,求你引领我们专心思念为你而活,又灭绝我们在地上邪恶的欲念,带领我们成长,成为你永恒的国度中满有喜乐的子民。阿们。
歌罗西书 3:1-14
1所以,你们若真与基督一同复活,就当求在上面的事,那里有基督坐在神的右边。
2你们要思念上面的事,不要思念地上的事,
3因为你们已经死了,你们的生命与基督一同藏在神里面。
4基督是我们的生命,他显现的时候,你们也要与他一同显现在荣耀里。
5所以要治死你们在地上的肢体,就如淫乱、污秽、邪情、恶欲和贪婪,贪婪就与拜偶像一样。
6因这些事,神的愤怒必临到那悖逆之子。
7当你们在这些事中活着的时候,也曾这样行过。
8但现在你们要弃绝这一切的事,以及恼恨、愤怒、恶毒、毁谤并口中污秽的言语。
9不要彼此说谎,因你们已经脱去旧人和旧人的行为,
10穿上了新人;这新人在知识上渐渐更新,正如造他主的形象。
11在此并不分希腊人、犹太人,受割礼的、未受割礼的,化外人,西古提人,为奴的,自主的,唯有基督是包括一切,又住在各人之内。
12所以,你们既是神的选民、圣洁蒙爱的人,就要存怜悯、恩慈、谦虚、温柔、忍耐的心。
13倘若这人与那人有嫌隙,总要彼此包容,彼此饶恕;主怎样饶恕了你们,你们也要怎样饶恕人。
14在这一切之外,要存着爱心,爱心就是联络全德的。
Set Your Minds on Things Above
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." - Colossians 3:2
Being born again to live in the kingdom of God calls for a dramatic shift in our thought patterns. God comes to us and says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
But we may wonder, "If we ignore earthly things that need to be taken care of, won't our lives just become more chaotic? Is God really telling us to quit focusing on the day-to-day matters all around us?"
Setting our minds "on things above" has to do with leaving our old sinful lives behind so that we can put on the new life we are called to live in Christ. Instead of living in "immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed," we are called to show "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience," and more. We are to live as the people of God's kingdom. This means we regularly spend time with God, reading and studying the Bible, praying, worshiping, enjoying fellowship with other believers, learning from Christian thinkers and artists, and more. In this way our earthly lives become increasingly focused on the greater purposes and good that God has in store for us while we live for him in this world.
If, however, we spend each day immersed in our old, selfish ways and in the false promises of the world, we will find ourselves drifting away from the full life God wants for us.
Jesus, draw our minds to focus on living for you. Starve out our sinful earthly desires, and bring us to flourish as joy-filled citizens of your eternal kingdom. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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