讀經:馬太福音第二十二章。
默想:「你要盡心、盡性、盡意愛主你的神。這是誡命中的第一,且是最大的。其次也相倣,就是要愛人如己。」(太22:37-39)
默想一:你有辦法達到「盡心、盡性、盡意愛主我們的神」的要求嗎?我們憑自己無法做得到。唯有經歷神愛的充滿、浸透、激勵時,我們自然會對祂流露出真誠的愛。我們愛,因為神先愛我們(約一4:19)。你對神的愛體會有多少,你就愛祂有多少。
默想二:為什麼愛神的,就會懂得「愛人如己」?因當他們被神的愛觸摸時,他們的生命在基督裡成為新人,他們自然會愛神並愛神所愛的人。今天教會最有力的見證,不是人多少,也不是生動的節目,更不是嚴謹的儀式和規條,乃是教會有沒有彼此確實相愛。教會有愛,自然就吸引人歸向主。
禱告:感謝神,因袮是愛。我承認自己會說愛祢,但有時我不能愛你所愛的人;我愛服事祢,但有時我不能服事不可愛的人。求祢赦免我的愛無能及服事的缺陷。求聖靈充滿我們,我願以全人、全心的愛來愛祢,並以祢的愛來愛我周邊的人。奉耶穌基督的名禱告,阿們!
Bible Reading: Matthew 22.
Insight: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mat:22:37-39)
Insight one: Do you have a way to fulfill the requirement of “love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”? We are not capable to fulfill it by ourselves alone. Only when we experience the fullness, infiltration, and inspiration of God’s love, we can then naturally express our sincere love to Him. We love because God first loved us (1Jn 4:19). The more you experience God’s love, the more you will love Him.
Insight two: Why do those who love God know how to “love your neighbor as yourself “? This is because when they are touched by the love of God, their lives become new creatures in Christ, and they will naturally love God as well as love those whom God loves. The most powerful testimony of the church today is not the number of people, nor is the vivid program, nor is the rigorous rituals and rules, but is whether people truly love one another in the church. When the church has love, it naturally attracts people to the Lord.
Prayer: Thank God because You are love. I admit that I can say that I love You, but sometimes I can’t love the person You love; I love to serve You, but sometimes I can’t serve the unlovable ones. Forgive me for my inadequate love and incompetent serving. Pray to let the Holy Spirit fill in us, and I will love You with my whole body and whole heart, and love those around me with Your Love. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!