八福
和睦不等於甚麼？
經文
提多書二1-15
1但你所講的總要合乎那純正的道理。
2勸老年人要有節制、端莊、自守，在信心、愛心、忍耐上都要純全無疵。
3又勸老年婦人，舉止行動要恭敬，不說讒言，不給酒作奴僕，用善道教訓人，
4好指教少年婦人，愛丈夫，愛兒女，
5謹守，貞潔，料理家務，待人有恩，順服自己的丈夫，免得神的道理被毀謗。
6又勸少年人要謹守。
7你自己凡事要顯出善行的榜樣；在教訓上要正直、端莊，
8言語純全，無可指責，叫那反對的人，既無處可說我們的不是，便自覺羞愧。
9勸僕人要順服自己的主人，凡事討他的喜歡，不可頂撞他，
10不可私拿東西；要顯為忠誠，以致凡事尊榮我們救主神的道。
11因為神救眾人的恩典已經顯明出來，
12教訓我們除去不敬虔的心和世俗的情慾，在今世自守、公義、敬虔度日，
13等候所盼望的福，並等候至大的神和我們（或作：神─我們）救主耶穌基督的榮耀顯現。
14他為我們捨了自己，要贖我們脫離一切罪惡，又潔淨我們，特作自己的子民，熱心為善。
15這些事你要講明，勸戒人，用各等權柄責備人；不可叫人輕看你。
信息分享
今天我們繼續對和睦這題目作進一步的探討，我們肯定一個人除非體會內心平安的意思，否則他們不能在屬靈和心理上得到健康。一位心理學家說：「要是我們可以量度人類性情中因為缺乏和平而消失的情感能量，就會驚訝地發現，我們在身體、心理和情感上的損失是人類經濟的最大虧損。」他是在說，內在的衝突無論在身體、心理和靈性上，都使我們支離破碎。
但令人嚮往的是，我們與神和好時，生命便會經歷改變，而這也會在別人的生命中反映出來。我們不單得著平安，有了平安的表現，我們甚至能夠成為和平的使者。簡單地說，成為和平的使者代表我們成為使人和睦的人──使別人與神和好、彼此和好。
我們需要小心，不要誤解「使人和睦的人」這句話的意思。讓我們花點時間來瞭解使人和睦不等於甚麼。使人和睦不等於維持和平。有些人致力維持和平，因為他們不想在糾正事情時遇到不快。他們藉著表面的和諧避免衝突，但這不是和平。真正使人和睦的人有時需要成為勇士。這似乎有點矛盾，但事實上，他們蒙召不是要過被動的生活，而是過積極的生活。那些追求這事奉的人必須明白，使人和睦不是修補事情，而是去到問題的根源。使人和睦的人有時需要先引起麻煩，然後才能夠解決麻煩。
「我們要成為使人和睦的人」
進深研究
弗六1-15；詩一一九165；腓四7
1.福音的本質是什麼？
2.是什麼保守了我們的心思和意念？
祈禱
天父，感謝您提醒我，使人和睦不是懦弱或隻是喜歡寧靜。求您給我所需的勇氣，使我無懼於在糾正問題時遇到不快。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。
The Beatitudes
What peacemaking is not
Bible reading:
Titus 2:1-15
1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,
5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness
8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,
10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Message
Today we go a step further and affirm that no one can be spiritually or mentally healthy until they know what it means to have peace in their inner beings. A psychologist says: "If we could only measure the amount of emotional energy that is dissipated within the human personality by lack of peace, we would be surprised to find that physical, mental and emotional loss would represent our greatest deficit within the human economy." He is simply saying that inner conflict tears us apart - physically, mentally and spiritually.
The intriguing thing is that as we make peace with God, a change comes about in our own lives and this, in turn, is reflected in the lives of others. We are not only at peace - we become peaceable. But even more - we become peacemakers. To be a peacemaker means, quite simply, that we become reconcilers. We reconcile people to God and to each other.
We should be careful not to misunderstand the meaning of the word "peacemaker", so let's examine for a moment what it is not. Peacemaking is not just keeping the peace. Some strive to keep the peace because they do not wish to risk any unpleasantness that might be involved in trying to put matters right. They avoid a conflict by smoothing over the surface, but this is not peace. The true peacemaker sometimes has to be a fighter. Paradoxically, he or she is called, not to a passive life, but an active one. Those who pursue this ministry must realise that peacemaking is not patching things up, but getting to the roots of the problem. Peacemakers sometimes have to stir up trouble before they can resolve it.
"We become reconcilers"
Prayer
Father, thank You for reminding me that peacemaking is not cowardice or the love of quiet. Give me the courage I need to risk any unpleasantness that may be involved in the cause of putting matters right. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
Ephesians 6:1-15
Psalm 119:165
Philippians 4:7
1. What is the essence of the gospel?
2. What keeps our hearts and minds?
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