markvmax 的部落格

Manna issue 68 - Serve the Lord with Gladness 樂意服事主

Balancing our job with service to God. 平衡工作和服事神

Keoni Yang—Sydney, Australia

澳洲雪梨 Keoni Yang

“The longer I serve Him, the sweeter
He grows, the more that I love Him,
more love He bestows.”
"越事奉越甘甜，越愛祂越被愛"

(From the hymn “The Longer I Serve
Him” by William Gaither, 1965)

(取自讚美詩的"事奉祂越久越甘甜" 1965年 William Gaither)

The life of a servant is hardly
appealing to any person. Yet when
we were baptized and entered the
fold of God, we also became His
humble servants. This was not a
contract or a service over a defined
period of years. Instead, we chose to
serve Him for our entire lives to repay
His grace of salvation.

僕人的生活是很難吸引任何人的。
然而當我們受洗進入神的羊圈之內以後，
我們也變成祂謙卑的僕人了。
這並不是一個契約，也不是在規定幾年之內的一段時間要來服事。
反而是，我們自已選擇要以整個生命來服事祂，
以回報祂拯救的恩典。

Likewise, when we first entered
the workforce, it felt as if we would
be working for the rest of our lives
or at least for the next forty years.
We became a servant to our society,
to management; a servant to our
mortgages and the lifestyle of this
world.

同樣的情況，當我們一開始加入職場的時候，
感覺上就好像，我們的餘生都會一直工作，
或者最少我們會在接下來的四十年間，一直工作。
我們成為社會或是上司的僕人；
或者我們變成今世房貸或是自已生活方式的僕人。

Both secular work and service to
God are necessary in our lives, but
not equally so. Jesus reminds us: “No
one can serve two masters… You
cannot serve God and mammon”
(Mt 6:24).

在我們的生活中，世俗的工作和服事神的工作，都是有必要的，
但兩者的重要性卻不是平等的。
耶穌提醒我們：
24一個人不能事奉兩個主；...
你們不能又事奉神，又事奉瑪門（瑪門：財利的意思）。
(太 6：24)

TO WORK AND TO SERVE 工作和服事

There were not any monumental
changes to the way I approached
church service once I started
working. I continued to attend
Sabbath services, and completed
the church duties assigned to me.
My office colleagues came to know
the importance I placed on Sabbath
worship and church service and they
respected me for it, confirming my
own view that I was a faithful servant
to God.

當我開始工作之後，我接觸教會工作的方式，
並沒有任何比較特殊的改變。
我持續參加安息日聚會，
完成教會分派給我的教會工作。
我的公司同事才了解到，我對安息日聚會和教會服事工作其重要性，重視的程度，
他們會因信仰的因素，尊重我，
承認我的想法，認為我是一個神忠心的僕人。

But six months later, I found
myself floundering in the copious
amounts of office work and church
responsibilities, and unbeknownst
to me, the quality of my service and
spiritual worship dropped. I faced
a challenge that every working
Christian faces: I had hit a wall in my
spiritual growth and service quality.
No longer could I genuinely sing that
the more I served, the sweeter He
grew.

但六個月之後，我發現自已在堆積成山的工作負擔及教會服事的責任中掙扎著，
在自已不知不覺之中，我的服事工作及屬靈敬拜的品質下降了。
我面對了每一個職場上的基督徒所會面對的挑戰：
在我屬靈的成長及服事的品質上，遇到了瓶頸。
不久之後，我就不能再真心的唱著，
越事奉越甘甜，越愛祂越被愛。

Entering the workforce marks a
milestone in our lives. Not only are
we able to earn our own money;
we now have the means to start
thinking about buying a house,
starting a family and making other
life decisions. These pursuits then
snowball; we are enticed to work
ceaselessly for that “idyllic” lifestyle
to invest in the future of our children
and even grandchildren, to build up
our assets so that one day when our
storehouses are full we can sit back,
eat, drink and be merry.

進入了職場，也是我們生活上的一個里程碑。
我們不只可以自已賺錢，而且如今，
我們會有方法開始想買一間房子，組成自已的家庭，作一些其他生命中的重大決定。
然後，這些追求就像滾雪球一樣越滾越大；
我們被引誘去不停的工作，為的是追求"夢想中"的生活品質，
為的是投資給自已的子女，或甚至是孫子有更好的未來，
建立自已的資產，這樣有一天，當我們的倉庫贏滿之時，
我們可以坐下來，靠著背放鬆說，讓我們吃，喝，快樂吧。

However, the more time we spend
building treasures on earth, the
more our heart will focus on these
pursuits instead of on God’s work
(cf. Mt 6:19-21). At face value, we
still attend church, pray and read the
Bible, but actually we face the danger
of becoming habitual or even joyless
servants. Worse, we may even forgo
our servitude altogether.

然而，我們花越多的時間在世上累積財寶，
我們的心就會越專注在世上的追求，而不是去注意神的聖工。
(參考，太 6：19-21)
就表面上來說，我們仍然參加教會，禱告，讀聖經，
但是事實上我們面對了成為一種習慣性動作的危險，甚至會變成一個毫無喜樂的僕人。
更糟的是，我們會一起拋棄自已服事的態度。

This danger looms largest over our
working brethren, which is ironical
since it is this group who is the most
able-bodied and ready to be used
by God. Like Timothy, many of us
have been fed the word of God from
childhood. We have the foundation
from years of religious education
classes. We have the finances to
offer and volunteer. We have the
strength to work in the field ready
for harvest. We are the equipped
men and women of God. Yet all this
wonderful grace from God will come
to nothing, if we serve out of pure
habit and without any joy. This kind
of attitude will diminish our quality of
service, rendering us a useless vessel,
a disgruntled servant.

這種危險引誘著我們大部份在職場上工作的弟兄，
很謹刺的是，也就是這一個年齡的人，
他們這時情況的身體，是最能作事的時候，也是準備好讓神用的時候。
就像提摩太，我們許多人從小的時候，
就已經被餵養了神的話語。
經過幾年的宗教教育的課程訓練之後，有了基礎。
我們也有財務資源來奉獻及成為志工。
我們也有力氣可以在已經等待收獲的田裡工作。
我們是神裝備好的男人和女工。
然而，這一切從神而來的恩典，都會歸於無有，
若我們只是出於習慣性的動作，或是沒有任何喜樂的服事。
這種態度會減低了我們服事神的品質，
導致我們成為一個無用的器皿，不是一個甘心樂意的僕人。

THE HABITUAL SERVANT 習以為常的僕人

Is there anything wrong with being a
habitual servant?

習以為常的僕人有任何錯嗎？

The fact that service becomes
habitual reflects our faithfulness
to consistently carry out the work
entrusted to us. But at the same
time habitual service faces the same
danger of any other habit we hold—
we view service as normal, regular
and ordinary. We no longer cherish
something that was given to us as a
grace, uncommon, extraordinary—a
precious gift that motivates us to give
our best to God.

聚會變成習慣的情況，反應了我們的忠心，
能一直持續的執行神交託給我們的聖工。
但同時間，習慣性的聚會同樣會面臨我們其他任何養成的習慣，同樣的危險，
我們把聚會看作很平常，定期聚會就好，很平常的事。
我們不再把這些賜給我們的事物，當成是一種恩典，有所不平常，是超乎平常的 -
而這個珍貴的恩賜，是會激勵我們，把最好的獻給神。

Moreover, serving God may also
turn into a habit over time and with
increasing experience. The longer we
serve, the more “shortcuts” we know
to preparing church work. Since we
don’t need to think much about how
to complete our service anymore,
it becomes a habit. Consequently,
we put less and less effort into our
service.

不只這樣，隨著時間和經驗的增加，
服事神也可能變成是一種習慣。
我們服事神越久，就會知道有更多的"捷徑"，可以用來針對準備聖工。
因為我們不再需要深思熟慮，來想想如何來完成自已的服事工作，
它就變成了一習慣。
接著而來的，我們就會越來越少會努力去投入自已的服事。

I found myself becoming such a
habitual servant soon after I started
to work in society. The reverence and
significance I used to hold for even
the simplest duties such as recording
sermons gave way to a mechanical
completion of tasks. I allowed myself
to continue along this precarious
path of service because I saw no
immediate rebuke or reckoning for
my service. Children still seemed
to enjoy the religious education
classes, discussions that I led were
still fruitful, the church still ran along
smoothly, seemingly regardless of
whether I served wholeheartedly or
half-heartedly.

我發現自已在開始在社會工作不久之後，
就變成了這種習以為常的僕人。
之前我所抱持的尊敬和看重的態度，
即使是最輕微的責任，如講道錄音，
到後來就成為一種機械式的態度去完成這樣工作。
我讓自已一直持續這種服事的危險方式，
因為我看不見在立即而來的責罵，或是有人來評論我的服事工作。
兒童看起來仍然很高興來參加宗教教育的課程，
我所帶領的課程討論，仍然是有很美好的成果，
教會的各項運作一路走來仍然很順利，
看起來，不論我有沒有去全心服事神，或是敷衍了事的心態來服事，都沒有關係了。

This is the lingering danger for any
believer who no longer serves with
the same zeal or reverence. We see
no rebuke. Instead we see growth
in the church, and we use this to
validate that our poor-quality service
is good enough for God. The habitual
servant is already satisfied with the
work he is doing. Such a servant
maintains the status quo and thinks
that others should take on more
responsibilities.

這是任何信徒，隨時所會面臨到的危險，
他們不再用以前的熱心和尊敬的態度來服事。
我們不會看到有任何責備。
相反地，我們教會裡面有所成長，
反而讓我們用這個當作是一種驗証，
即使是品質不好的服事工作，對神已經是足夠了。
這個習慣性的僕人，已經對自已所作的工作，感到很滿意。
這種僕人一直保持著他的認知偏誤，
反而認為別人應該要負擔更多的責任。

But what was the example that
Jesus set for us? Jesus, the ever-busy
servant, never maintained the status
quo. Instead, He served and preached
the gospel even up to the cross.

但是若我們來看耶穌，到底耶穌為我們留下了什麼的好榜樣？
耶穌，他是一個常常都很忙碌的僕人，
但卻從來沒有保有過這種認知的心態。
相反地，祂一直在服事，傳揚福音，
甚至到最後死在十字架上。

When I was struggling with
balancing work, studies and church, I
still had a yearning to serve more. But
there was a voice inside me that said,
“Enough.” I convinced myself that it
was okay for me to let go of some
responsibilities, that I was “passing
on the baton,” so I no longer viewed
service as the grace it was. It became
a duty and obligation. Subsequently,
my quality of service spiraled even
further downward. I became the
joyless servant.

當我很努力要平衡工作，學習和教會的工作，
我仍然有一種渴望，想要作更多的服事工作。
但同時在我們心裡，會有一個聲音出現說，"夠了吧"。
我說服了自已，我是可以放手一些工作和責任的，
也正好，我可以作"交棒的工作"，
所以我不再像以前一樣，把服事的機會當作是得到了恩典。
它變成了一種職責和義務，
接著，我服事的品質就像螺旋一樣，甚至更進一步的往下旋轉向下。
我變成了一個毫無喜樂的僕人。

The more time we spend building treasures on earth, the more our heart
will focus on these pursuits instead of on God’s work (cf. Mt 6:19-21). At
face value, we still attend church, pray and read the Bible, but actually we
face the danger of becoming habitual or even joyless servants.

然而，我們花越多的時間在世上累積財寶，
我們的心就會越專注在世上的追求，而不是去注意神的聖工。
(參考，太 6：19-21)
就表面上來說，我們仍然參加教會，禱告，讀聖經，
但是事實上我們面對了成為一種習慣性動作的危險，甚至會變成一個毫無喜樂的僕人。

THE JOYLESS SERVANT 不快樂的僕人

When we no longer view service
to God as a grace and privilege, it
will turn into an increasing burden.
Weighed down by our heavy load,
we lose our sense of joy in serving
the Lord.

當我們不把服事神當成是一種恩典和特權的時候，
它就會變成是一種不斷增加的重擔。
因為我們的重擔，不斷的對我們加壓，
結果就是在服事主的過程中，失去了自已喜樂的感覺。

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth
that God loves a cheerful giver (2
Cor 9:7). If we offer our body, time,
and strength but do so without joy
or willingness—can this be a fragrant
offering to God?

保羅寫信給哥林多教會說，神喜愛人能夠很樂意的奉獻。
(林後 9：7)
若我們獻上自已的身體，時間和力氣，
但這麼作若是沒有喜樂和樂意的心 - 
這個對神而言，是一個芳香的奉獻嗎？

The joyless servant is one who
sits beneath the shade of a plant,
witnessing God’s almighty work
unfolding before his eyes. Yet he is
unable to appreciate the grace and
power of God. He can only think
of his own troubles and worries,
thinking himself to be alone in his
burdensome service to God.

沒有快樂的僕人，就是一個坐在樹蔭下的人，
見証神全能的工作，展現在他的眼前。
然而，他卻不能感謝神的恩典和神的能力。
他只會想到自已的困難和憂慮，
只想到自已的獨自一人，背負服事神這個重擔。

When I was faced with such
dissatisfaction, I became such a
joyless servant. I thought I was the
only one having to make sacrifices
for God. I questioned whether all
this time, tears, prayers, and strength
were worth the service I rendered to
God. Although I knew my service was
not to God’s standard and displeased
Him, I did not reflect or try to
improve. I would only look at others,
thinking that they were serving so
conveniently and thus, excusing
myself from pursuing further spiritual
growth. I justified forgoing church
activities and divine work with my
heavy work and study load, when in
truth I would only spend that time
muddling in my own self-pity and
self-righteousness. I was a servant
without motivation, purpose or joy.

當我遇見這樣的不滿足之時，我就成為了一個不快樂的僕人。
我認為自已是唯一在為神作出犧牲的人。
我會開始質疑，自已一切付出的時間，眼淚，禱告和努力，
是否可以比得上我所對神所付出的事奉。
雖然我知道自已的服事，還達不到神的要求，還讓祂不高興，
我並沒有好好反省，試著想要好好的加以改善。
我只會看著別人，心中想著，他們只是很輕鬆地在服事，
因而給了自已一個藉口，不再進一步去追求屬靈的成長。
我以很沉重的工作負擔，或是要追上學習進度為藉口，
來合理化自已放棄教會活動，及自已所要接受的聖工。
而事實上，我只會花時間用在自憐自艾及自義的心態，來糊里糊塗的渡過。
我們是沒有動機，沒有目標，沒有喜樂的僕人。

A FAITH AND SERVICE REKINDLED 重新點燃信心和服事

By God’s unending grace, He made
me realize the dire state of my service
when I saw how much my spiritual
cultivation and faith had been
affected. My prayers were weak and
Bible-reading was fruitless. I would
listen to sermons daily, but I would
only be searching for something to
move my heart without putting in
the effort to meditate on the word of
God. So I returned to the basics of
spiritual cultivation, making sure my
heart was fully prepared whenever I
served.

因著神不止息的恩典，祂讓我了解到，自已服事的悲慘情況，
當我看見自已的多少的靈修，自已的信心已經受到多少的影響。
我的禱告變的很軟弱，讀聖經也不會結果。
每天我會聽講道，但我只會去尋找一切可以感動內心的東西，
而沒有去努力好好思想神的話。
所以我回到靈修的基礎，
確認自已每當要來服事的時候，內心有好好的準備。

I resolved to pray more deeply and
truly meditate in prayer instead of
just pouring out my complaints and
troubles. I started reading Proverbs
and reflected on each Proverb, slowly
digesting the spiritual food. I sought
to remember once again my true
motivation for serving God.

我決定要作更深的禱告，
真正在禱告中好好思想，
而不是只有把自已的抱怨和困難傾倒出來。
我開始研讀箴言，好好思想反省每一節箴言的每一節，
而漸漸地消化靈糧。
我試著再一次來記得以前，服事神的動激。

Paul was a leading example
in serving unceasingly with the
same burning desire. Every day he
remembered that it was “the Son of
God who loved me and gave Himself
for me” (Gal 2:20). Every day he
remembered and reckoned himself
as the chief of sinners. Through all
these, I realized once again how
blessed I was to be able to serve God.
Humbled by God’s word, I once again
recalled the sweetness of serving
with joy and the pure gratitude that
I could partake in His divine nature.

保羅是一個很出色的例子，
用同樣火熱的心，不止息地服事。
每天他記得，
"神的兒子；他是愛我，為我捨己。"
(加 2：20)
每天他都記得，認為自已是罪人之中的大首領。
經過這一切，我再一次明白到，自已到底是多受到祝福，我才可以來服事神。
因著神的話可以謙卑下來，
再一次我記得了以喜樂之心來服事的甜蜜，
還有我可以與祂神聖本質有份，純粹的感謝。

Once my spiritual cultivation
became stronger, regular and
meaningful, I once again began to
view church work as an opportunity
to put what I had prayed and read
about into practice. I opened my
eyes and began to truly observe the
brethren around me. Whether they
had been serving and working for
many or only a few years, I realized
I could learn from every servant.
Removing pride and contempt from
my eyes, I could see their sacrifice and
strengths. Time spent with spiritual
companions was no longer centered
on our troubles, but on improving
the divine work we were entrusted,
and on encouraging one another to
serve God to our best. In this way, I
regained joy in serving the Lord.

一旦我的靈修變的更加堅強，可以定時定期，也就對我更加有造就，
再一次，我開始把教會的工作，看成是一種機會，
可以把我一直禱告的事加以實行，並且把所讀的聖經加以實現。
我張開了雙眼，開始觀察在我四週圍的弟兄姐妹。
無論他們只有作這服事工作有好幾年，還是短短的一段時間，
我就了解到，我可以向每一個神的僕人加以學習。
去除了我眼中的驕傲，和對別人的輕視，
我看不見他們的犧牲和努力。
當我花時間和屬靈的同伴在一起的時候，
不再只專注在自已的困難，轉而去注意如何去改進那些已經託負給我們的聖工，
並且互相的鼓勵要盡力來服事神。
只有這樣，在服事主的事上，我從新得到了力量。

CEASELESSLY SERVING GOD WITH JOY 快樂地不停服事神

As working members of the society,
we are particularly blessed with
many opportunities to serve God.
But with these blessings come
responsibility and faith. So, whether
we have worked one year or forty
years, we need to stay focused on
serving only one master: our Lord
Jesus Christ. Society compels us to
work ceaselessly until we retire. Yet
God’s love compels us to serve Him
ceaselessly for all the days of our
lives.

身為社會裡的工作階層，
我們特別受到祝福，有許多機會來服事神。
但是因為有這些祝福，隨之而來的就是責任和信心。
所以，無論我們已經工作了一年，還是四十年，
我們要保持專注在服事唯一的一個主人：我們的主耶穌基督。
這個社會在壓迫我們不停的工作，直到老了退休。
然而神的愛，驅使我們可以在生活的每一個日子中，不停的服事祂。

Therefore, whether we have
become habitual or even joyless
servants, let us rekindle our faith in
God through spiritual cultivation,
remembering that serving God is a
grace and an opportunity to work for
Him.

所以，無論我們已經變成了一位習慣性的信徒，或甚至是一個毫無喜樂的僕人，
讓我們對主的信心，過靈修從新點燃起來，
讓我們記得，服事神是一種恩典和機會。

Let us seek to continuously
improve in our service and heart
towards God, never forgetting the
zeal and reverence we had when we
first served.

讓我們一直在自已的服事的工作上，尋救改進，
讓自已的心可以更加親近神，
不要再忘記之前的熱心，
以及當我們一開始信主之時，我們對主的敬畏。

Serving God with joy and devotion
is a banner and testament of a
living and growing faith. It will be
a sweet-smelling sacrifice to the
Lord, truly edifying others and
ourselves and eventually making
our service grow sweeter every day.
All glory be to God.

用喜樂和奉獻的心來服事神，
是一種有生命和成長信仰的旗幟和見証。
這就是一種給主的甜美芬芳獻祭，
真的可以造就別人和自已，
並且最後讓我們的服事每天都可以變的更加甜美。
願一切榮耀歸予神。

Habitual service faces the same danger of any other habit we hold—
we view service as normal, regular and ordinary. We no longer cherish
something that was given to us as a grace, uncommon, extraordinary—a
precious gift that motivates us to give our best to God.

習慣性的聚會同樣會面臨我們其他任何養成的習慣，同樣的危險，
我們把聚會看作很平常，定期聚會就好，很平常的事。
我們不再把這些賜給我們的事物，當成是一種恩典，有所不平常，是超乎平常的 -
而這個珍貴的恩賜，是會激勵我們，把最好的獻給神。

小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com