由平凡致超凡的人生 (Turning Ordinary to Extra-ordinary)
作者：盧國禮 (2020)
生命是充滿了選擇，決斷，決斷，更多決斷。我們如何去作出正確選擇，又或全不作任何選擇為選擇呢？
我們生命的開始在母胎裏，惟有 神的決擇 — 祂主權旨意的選擇。從小孩成長到成年的過程中，我們要面對更多的選擇。在現實裏，據選擇而作決斷是因周圍的環境而異，例如：家庭、學校、職場、社會及退休後。最後，無可選擇。惟有 神的決斷，祂主權旨意再臨到我們身上。我們因此疑問：人生可有真正意義、走過不停溜走的光陰和彎彎曲曲的路途？
由平凡致超凡的人生是依靠著正確的選擇，作出正確的決斷。然而，我們用怎樣的標準來量度正確的準則呢？世上的準則會改變，所謂公正的道德準則也會改變，為了適合大多數人的決斷，冠上“民主”、“自由”的美號。
其實，民主若不建基在教育和絕對完全的道德上，就是等同“零”(沒有)，它只是穿上了奢華的衣裳，作自我為中心的人類活動而矣！
由平凡致超凡，作為耶穌基督的門徒，我們必須切心奮力的作事，完成實踐 神的主權和道德的旨意。如是，我們能夠作出正確的選擇，神實行祂的旨意，神用我們的生命作工，祂又在世界作工。但是，我們不能常常看見 神作的工。例如：在全球冠狀病毒 (COVID-19) 爆發，神的旨意是甚麼？同樣，美、中政府之間“龍式”的對立，又有甚麼 神的旨意？雖然如此，但我們應照 神道德的旨意行事。我們的生命在工作，同時，也在世間工作。聖經教導我們，行事的動機和行動同樣重要。神帥領我們作出慈愛，忠誠，信德，寬仁，和不自私的作為。“神就是愛”(約翰一書 4：19)。“耶穌說彼此相愛”(約翰福音 13：34)。“我們愛，因為 神先愛我們”(約翰一書 4：19)。耶穌基督，祂是“無罪的，替我們成為罪”，為罪人死，在十字架上，“好叫我們在祂裏面成為 神的義”(哥林多後書 5：21)。(贖罪祭)。慈愛是世人所需要的。不只是對某些人，而是每一個人。若我們互愛，我們便是一家人。我們會有足夠資源分享。
忠誠是友誼和關係的基石，不屈不撓的依靠著 神的道德，倫理原則，行出 神要我們活出的生命。
“我們行事為人，是憑著信心，不是憑著眼見”(哥林多後書 5：7)。讓我們聚焦在我們的救主耶穌。“我們縱然失信，祂仍是可信的，因為祂不能背乎自己”(提摩太後書 2：13)，活著沒有信德，乃是無意義的生命 — 凡事皆虛空 — 日光之下，沒有得著甚麼。
寬仁、豁達、慷慨：聖經教導我們要關顧弱者。“你擺設筵席，倒要請那貧窮的，殘廢的，瘸腿的，瞎眼的，你就有福了”(哥林多後書 9：7)。
自私是罪，因為把“我”們放在中間。耶穌要任何跟隨祂的人，放下“我”，卻要背負著自己的十字架。根本上，人不要只為自己而活。“我已經與基督同釘十字架，現在活著的，不再是我，乃是基督在我裏面活著，並且我如今在肉身活著，是因信 神的兒子而活，祂是愛我，為我捨己”(加拉太書 2：20)。神不只拯救了我們，祂提昇我們的品格，由自己的行為到超越我們的自然行為。
用行動來表達慈愛、忠誠、信心、寬仁，而無自私心為動機和他人往來是很易明白的道理，但很難付諸行為。有信德的人，藉著 神的恩惠，可能成功地做到，但許多人都全失敗了。最基本的，就是當機選擇以為正或錯的決斷後，應仍要背負選擇得來的後果。
這是“十字架”的含義，耶穌叫跟隨者背起十字架來跟隨祂。當 神呼召你，祂使其成事. . . . . . 因 神的主權，我們被呼召；因祂的道德旨意，我們便應跟隨。
據以上的原則和聖經引領，作出我們的決斷，不是已定了形的，因為決斷可能不正確，又或有客觀因數不斷在變，使你的決斷徒然無益。我們要接受因應改變，依著 神的話語，恆切祈禱，尋求 神的導引，作出更好的選擇。
讓我們祈禱：
我們天上的父，感謝你拯救了罪人，使我們得自由。神愛世人，你賜下愛子主耶穌基督來救贖了我們，使我們因信得永生，正如 神所應許，聖靈會領我們活出得勝的生命，若我們跟隨 神主權和道德的旨意，作出更美的選擇和決斷。
主啊，我們的 神，改變我們 — 使我們由“平凡致超凡”的人生：愛、慈、信、豁達，和承擔事奉別人。奉耶穌名求。阿們。
Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary
By Francis Loo
Life is filled with choices: decisions, decisions, and more decisions. How do we make the right choice or no choice at all is a choice by itself? The beginning of life in my mother’s womb is solely God’s choice—His sovereign will choose. As we grow from a child into an adult, we are faced with many more choices. In reality, the decisions on choices are based on our surrounding circumstances at home, in school, at work, in society, and in retirement. Then, finally there comes the no-choice of the sovereign will again. We would then ask: Is there any true meaning in one’s life through the tick-tock and zigzag?
Turning an ordinary life into an extraordinary one is dependent on making the right decisions on the right choices. By what benchmark can we measure up to that right standard? The worldly standards will change so will the moral standards of so-called righteousness which are adjustable to suit the majority decisions in the name of “democracy”. In fact, “democracy” not building on the foundation of education and absolute morality is zilch—it is self-centred human activities under a luxurious garb.
To transform ordinary to extraordinary, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must strive to make our best decisions by fulfilling God’s sovereign and moral wills. In this way, we can make our choice decisions.
God is working out His will. God is at work in our lives, and He is at work in the world. But we cannot always see God at His work. For instance, what is God’s will in this disastrous COVID-19 pandemic? And what of the draconic exchanges between the governments of the United States and China?
However, we are supposed to act out God’s moral will. We are at work in our lives, and we are at work in the world. The Scriptures teach us that our motives are just as important as our actions. God directs us to act with loving-kindness, integrity, faithfulness, and generosity and not to be self-serving.
God is love . . . . (1 John 4:16). Jesus said . . . Love one another. . . . (John 13:34). We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Jesus Christ . . . who had no sin to be sin for us, and died for us sinners on the cross so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5; 21).
Loving-kindness is what the world needs. Love not just for some, but for everyone. If we love one another, we are in the same family. We will have enough resources to share. We will be more healthy and more joyful. Love is what we need most for our desire for fulfillment.
Integrity is the foundation of good friendships and relationships. It is an uncompromising adherence to moral and ethical principles by which we act out God’s moral will in our lives. We are at His work in this world.
“We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Let us fix our eyes on Jesus our redeemer. Even when we are faithless, God will remain faithful for He cannot disown His promise (2 Timothy 2:13). To live without faith is to live a meaningless life—everything is meaningless—there would be nothing to gain under the sun.
Generosity is defined as magnanimity and freedom from meanness or pettiness. The Scriptures admonish us to have regard for the weak, “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the cripple, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. . . ” (Luke 14:13). “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Self-serving is a sin as the self is in the center. Jesus desires that anyone who follows Him must deny oneself and take up one’s cross to follow Him. In essence, one ceases living for oneself. “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20). God does not merely redeem us, but He lifts us above our own natural way to do things we could not otherwise do for ourselves.
To act with loving-kindness, integrity, faithfulness, and generosity without being self-serving as motives behind actions in our interactions with others are more easily understood than to put into practice in life. Some, in good faith and God’s grace, may be successful; many may fail flat. It all boils down to making the right or wrong decision in the situation and being responsible for the consequences of that choice. This is the nature of the “cross” Jesus asks those followers to take up and follow Him. When God calls, He enables. . . . By His sovereign will we are called, by His moral will we ought to follow.
Decisions by the above-mentioned principles and biblical guidance are not set for they might not be accurately made. Or the constantly changing world may make your decisions futile. We must accept changes and be prepared to adopt changes in our decision-making process abiding by God’s Word in addition to praying for God’s guidance to make better choice decisions.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for redeeming us sinners and setting us free. Because you so love the world, you gave your only beloved Son-our Lord Jesus Christ- to save us so that those who believe in Him shall have eternal lives. As you promised, the Holy Spirit will lead us to live in victory, if we will follow your sovereign and moral wills, in making our choice decisions.
Oh Lord, our God, transform us—turn us from “ordinary into extraordinary” beings: loving, kind, faithful, generous, and committed to serving others. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
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