謙卑的操練

謙卑的操練

艾芙琳·克裏斯滕森（Evelyn Christenson）——一位在禱告事奉上享譽國際的導師——提供了一份可能的罪狀清單，幫助你開始認識罪在你生命中的力量。每一個“是”的答案，都是你生命中需要認罪的罪。請把你正麵對的罪寫下來，並且具體說明。

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“凡事謝恩，因為這是神在基督耶穌裏向你們所定的旨意。”（帖前5:18）
你是否為任何事憂慮？是否沒有為一切事——無論看似好的還是壞的——感謝神？你是否在用餐時忽略感謝禱告？

“神能照著運行在我們心裏的大力，充充足足地成就一切，超過我們所求所想。”（弗3:20）
你是否因為覺得自己才幹不夠而不敢為神嚐試？是否因自卑感而不敢事奉神？當你為基督完成一件事時，是否沒有把一切榮耀歸給祂？

“聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必得著能力，並要在耶路撒冷、猶太全地和撒瑪利亞，直到地極，作我的見證。”（徒1:8）
你是否沒有用你的生命為基督作見證？是否認為隻要過基督徒的生活就夠了，而不必用口向失喪的人作見證？

“不要看自己過於所當看的。”（羅12:3）
你是否過分為你的成就、才能、家庭驕傲？別人會不會形容你為傲慢？你是否高估自己在基督身體中的重要性？你是否覺得自己比教會中其他人更重要？你是否抗拒神改變你？

“不要彼此說謊，因你們已經脫去舊人和舊人的行為。”（西3:9）
你是否說過謊？誇大其詞？是否不認為“小白謊”是罪？是否按自己的喜好而非事實講述事情？

“一切苦毒、惱恨、忿怒、喧嚷、毀謗，並一切的惡毒，都當從你們中間除掉。”（弗4:31）
你是否常抱怨、挑剔、爭論？是否有批評的靈？是否對不同宗派的基督徒懷有芥蒂？是否在背後說別人壞話？你是否對自己、別人或神生氣？

“豈不知你們的身子就是聖靈的殿嗎？”（林前6:19）
你是否輕忽你的身體？是否在飲食和鍛煉上不當照顧它？是否以不聖潔的性行為玷汙你的身體？

“汙穢的言語一句不可出口。”（弗4:29）
你是否用過汙穢的話，或講帶顏色的笑話？是否縱容別人這樣做，無論是在你麵前還是在你家裏？

“不可給魔鬼留地步。”（弗4:27）
你是否看不見，當你藉著超覺靜坐、瑜伽、靈媒預言、神秘學書籍、暴力或色情電影等向它敞開心思時，你就是為撒但預備了降落場？你是否從星座運程而非神得生活指引？你是否藉批評、閑言、缺乏支持等，成為撒但破壞教會的工具？

“殷勤不可懶惰。”（羅12:11）
你是否拖延還債，甚至逃避還債？是否用信用卡超出償還能力？是否在稅務記錄上不誠實？是否參與不正當的生意交易？

“不可停止聚會。”（來10:25）
你是否聚會不規律？聚會時是否人在心不在，交談、看書、走神？你是否缺席禱告會？忽略家庭靈修？你是否拒絕讓其他基督徒在小組中監督和為你禱告？你的信仰旅程是否過於孤立？

“要禁戒肉體的私欲。”（彼前2:11）
你是否對異性懷有淫念？是否用性取向的電視、電影、書籍、雜誌充滿心思？是否從事淫亂、奸淫、變態等神的話語所禁止的行為？

“若有彼此相愛的心，眾人因此就認出你們是我的門徒了。”（約13:35）
你是否在教會裏製造或參與派係、分裂？你是否寧可加劇誤會，也不願化解？你是否隻愛自己教會或宗派的人？隻愛自己種族或階層的人，並盼望某些人不要來教會？你是否暗暗為別人遭遇不幸而高興，或因他們成功而煩惱？

“一個人不能事奉兩個主……你們不能又事奉神，又事奉瑪門。”（太6:24）
你的目標是否是賺盡可能多的錢？累積更多財物？你是否扣留了神在你收入中應得的份？金錢是否成了你的神？

“倘若這人與那人有嫌隙，總要彼此包容，彼此饒恕。”（西3:13）
你是否沒有饒恕那些冒犯你的人？是否對某些人心門關閉？是否懷恨在心？

“從前偷竊的，不要再偷。”（弗4:28）
你是否藉偷懶、早退等方式偷竊雇主的時間和金錢？是否虛報開支？是否欺騙他人並以“他們也騙我”為理由合理化？

“外麵顯出公義來，裏麵卻滿了假善和不法。”（太23:28）
你是否明知自己是假冒的，隻是在裝作真正的基督徒？是否用教會會員身份掩蓋滿是罪的生活？是否為了社交地位、教會或社區接納而假裝虔誠？是否在主日講道時笑容可掬，卻一周活在罪中？你在家裏是否與在外人麵前的形象完全不同？

“凡是真實的、可敬的、公義的、清潔的、可愛的、有美名的……你們都要思念。”（腓4:8）
你是否喜歡聽閑話並傳出去？是否相信關於仇敵或競爭對手的謠言或半真半假的話？你是否每天沒有花時間讀聖經和禱告？是否未能常常思想神的事——那些美好、真實、純潔的事？

 

THE HUMILITY EXERCISE

Evelyn Christenson, internationally known authority on prayer, provides a list of possible sins that may help you to begin to understand the power of sin in your life. Every “yes” answer is a sin in your life that needs to be confessed. Write down the sin you are dealing with and be specific.

• In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJ). Do you worry about anything? Have you failed to thank God for all things, the seemingly bad as well as the good? Do you neglect to give thanks at mealtime?
• Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20, NKJ). Do you fail to attempt things for God because you are not talented enough? Do feelings of inferiority keep you from trying to serve God? When you do accomplish something for Christ, do you fail to give Him all the glory?
• You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8, NKJ). Have you failed to be a witness with your life for Christ? Have you felt it was enough to just live your Christianity and not witness with your mouth to the lost?
• I say…to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think (Romans 12:3, NKJ). Are you overly proud of your accomplishments, your talents, and your family? Would it be fair to describe you as arrogant? Do you overestimate your importance to the body of Christ? Do you think that as a Christian you are more important than others in your church? Do you rebel at God wanting to change you?
• Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds (Colossians 3:9, NKJ). Do you ever lie? Exaggerate? Do you fail to see “little white lies” as sin? Do you tell things the way you want them rather than the way they really are?
• Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice (Ephesians 4:31, NKJ). Do you complain, find fault, argue? Do you have a critical spirit? Do you carry a grudge against Christians of another group because they don’t see eye to eye with you on all things? Do you speak unkindly about people when they are not present? Are you angry with yourself? Others? God?
• Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19, NKJ). Are you careless with your body? Are you guilty of not caring for it as the temple of the Holy Spirit in eating and exercise habits? Do you defile your body with unholy sex acts?
• Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth (Ephesians 4:29, NKJ). Do you ever use filthy language, tell slightly off-color jokes? Do you condone others doing so in your presence, in your home?
• Do not…give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:26,27, NKJ). Do you fail to see that you are a “landing strip” for Satan when you open your mind to him through Transcendental Meditation, yoga, psychic predictions, occult literature, and violent, sex-driven movies? Do you get advice for daily living from horoscopes rather than from God? Do you let Satan use you to thwart the cause of Christ in your church through criticism, gossip, and non-support?
• Not slothful in business (Romans 12:11, NKJ). Do not fail to pay your debts on time? Avoid paying them altogether? Do you charge more on credit cards than you can pay when due? Do you neglect to keep honest income tax records? Do you engage in any shady business deals?
• Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25, NKJ). Are you irregular or spasmodic in church attendance? Do you attend preaching services in the body only, whispering, reading, or planning while God’s Word is being preached? Are you skipping prayer meetings? Have you neglected family devotions? Do you allow any other Christians the chance to hole you accountable and pray with you on a regular basis (small groups)? Is your faith journey too isolated from others?
• Beloved…abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul (1Peter 2:11, NKJ). Are you guilty of a lustful eye toward the opposite sex? Do you fill your mind with sex-oriented TV programs, movies, books, magazines? Their covers? Centerfolds? Do you indulge in any lustful activity that God’s Word condemns-fornication, adultery, perversion?
• By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35, NKJ). Are you guilty of being a part of factions and divisions in your church? Would you rather add fuel to a misunderstanding than help correct it? Have you loved only the ones in your own church, feeling those of other denominations are not of the body of Christ? Have you loved only the ones of your own race or socio-economic group, wishing that some people would not attend your church? Are you secretly pleased over the misfortunes of another? Annoyed by their successes?
• No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and (money) (Matthew 6:24, NKJ). Is your goal in life to make as much money as possible? Accumulate things? Have you withheld God’s share of your income from Him? Is money your God?
• Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do (Colossians 3:13, NKJ). Have you failed to forgive anybody anything they might have said or done against you? Have you turned certain people off? Are you holding grudges?
• Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor (Ephesians 4:28, NKJ). Do you steal from your employer by doing less work, staying on the job less time than you are paid for? Do you “pad” your expense account? Are there any others you cheat and then justify because you think they somehow cheat you?
• You outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Matthew 23:28, NKJ). Do you know in your heart that you are a fake, just pretending to be a real Christian? Are you hiding behind church membership to cover a life still full of sin? Are you faking Christianity for social status, acceptance in your church, community? Do you smile piously during the Sunday sermon, but live in your sin all week? Are you the person in your home that you are trying to impress people you are?
• Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8, NKJ). Do you enjoy listening to gossip? Passing it on? Do you believe rumors or partial truths, especially about an enemy or your competitor? Do you fail to spend time every day reading the Bible and praying? Do you fail to think on the things of God – only good and true and pure things – always?