在日常生活中見證基督
雅各書一章19至27節
19我親愛的弟兄們,這是你們所知道的,但你們各人要快快的聽,慢慢的說,慢慢的動怒,
20因為人的怒氣並不成就神的義。
21所以,你們要脫去一切的污穢和盈餘的邪惡,存溫柔的心領受那所栽種的道,就是能救你們靈魂的道。
22只是你們要行道,不要單單聽道,自己欺哄自己。
23因為聽道而不行道的,就像人對著鏡子看自己本來的面目,
24看見,走後,隨即忘了他的相貌如何。
25惟有詳細察看那全備、使人自由之律法的,並且時常如此,這人既不是聽了就忘,乃是實在行出來,就在他所行的事上必然得福。
26若有人自以為虔誠,卻不勒住他的舌頭,反欺哄自己的心,這人的虔誠是虛的。
27在神我們的父面前,那清潔沒有玷污的虔誠,就是看顧在患難中的孤兒寡婦,並且保守自己不沾染世俗。
信息分享
基督徒經常遇到一個難題,就是不懂得如何在日常生活的言行舉止中,活出基督的樣式。我們很容易因一時衝動或憤激,說出不該說的話,以致傷害別人。但正如雅各在一章20節所說,我們的怒氣,不能見證神的愛和義,所以,我們必須謹慎說話,不要口沒遮攔地說出傷害別人的話。
雅各在19節還教導我們要「快快的聽」。今天許多人都渴望有人聆聽他們,可是,我們卻總是過於忙碌,無暇坐下來,聆聽別人與我們分享他的喜樂或憂愁。而且,我們也總是喜歡別人聽我們傾訴,勝於做一位聆聽者。
也許,我們必須聽從聖經的教導,學習「多聽少說」,避免言多必失,說出讓自己後悔的話。
雅各還教導我們作為信徒的,在生活中該做哪些事,和不該做哪些事。總括來說,就是要遵行聖經的教導,要知行合一。
當我們從鏡子看到臉上有一塊污漬,或頭髮不整齊,但看完之後,卻不去清理污漬或梳理頭髮,那麼,照鏡子又有甚麼用處呢?
同樣道理,我們從聖經看到做人的道理,可是,放下聖經之後,卻繼續我行我素,不遵照聖經的教導而行,那麼,讀聖經又有甚麼用處呢?
別人能否從我們日常生活中的所言所行,知道我們是基督徒呢?雅各很想知道答案。請再讀這段經文一遍。倘若你的內心認同當中的教訓,就行出來吧!這就是你的蒙福之道。
LIVING DAILY FOR CHRIST
James 1:19-27
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Message
One of our daily problems as a Christian is how to always speak to people in a Christlike way. It is so easy to let slip a few words we never intended to say. Yet as James says in verse 20 our anger does not let people see the love and holiness of God in our lives.
James also said in verse 19 that we should be 'quick to hear'. So many people today want someone to listen to them. Many of us are just too busy to sit and listen to someone else's troubles or even their joys. We want to talk about ourselves more than we want to hear their voices.
Perhaps it would be right to say that if we listen more, we should speak less. Then we might not say some of the things we afterwards regret.
James mentions a number of other things too which should or should not be seen in the life of a Christian. Possibly it is all summed up in his words about the Bible and the fact that we ought to be doing what it says we should do.
What would be the use of a mirror telling us that our face is dirty or our hair untidy if we don't take any notice of what the mirror tells us?
In the same way we need to remember what the Bible says to us as we read it. Then we must do exactly what it tells us we should do. It is as simple as that.
What does the world see and hear in our lives as Christians? That's what James wants to know. Read this section again. If it speaks to your heart, then do exactly what it tells you to do. That is the way of blessing.

