八福
偉大的榜樣!
經文
馬太福音十一28-30
28凡勞苦擔重擔的人可以到我這裡來,我就使你們得安息。
29我心裡柔和謙卑,你們當負我的軛,學我的樣式;這樣,你們心裡就必得享安息。
30因為我的軛是容易的,我的擔子是輕省的。
信息分享
今天的經文是耶穌的一句名言,相信幾乎每一位基督徒都知道。到底,這句說話當中的真理如何能給我們帶來良好的心理健康?心理健康畢竟不只是一個醫學名詞,它是一個超越醫院的圍牆、醫生的診所,適用於家庭、教會以及日常生活的觀念。
心理健康是關於人際關係的力量和其中的調整,即是我們處理焦慮、敵視和挫折等問題的方式。一位權威人士指出:「心理健康與平凡人的日常問題有關,可以幫助他們解決困難,或者在不能解除時勇敢地面對。」耶穌所說的話能夠給我們帶來良好的心理健康,那是因為它鼓勵我們脫離強求的態度,如:「事情應該按照我的意思進行」,「我應該有考慮的空間」,「別人應該尊重我的權利」等等。
有一位心理學家甚至說,如果我們可以從自己的詞彙和內在態度中刪除「應該」與「會」這些字眼,我們便可以在一夜之間蛻變。當然,他不是指神放在我們心裡、要求我們順服正確事情的道德準則,如「我不應該說謊」,「我應該做正確的事情」等等,而是指強求的態度,例如堅持自己的權利,漠視其他的顧慮。精神和情緒疾病的其中一個最大成因是強求和過分關注的態度。說到這裡我們還會不會提問說,為甚麼基督要恭喜那些溫柔的人,並應許他們能夠承受地土?
「脫離強求的態度」
進深研究
林後十1-18,十一18-21;腓四11-12
1. 保羅為甚麼能夠剛強壯膽?
2. 保羅怎樣強調軟弱和溫柔之間的分別?
祈禱
親愛的主耶穌,我祈求您釋放我,讓我能脫離強求的靈,這靈指使我堅持自己的權利,不願意為人放棄自己的利益。求您幫助我背起你的軛,專心向您學習。阿們。
The Beatitudes
What an example!
Bible reading:
Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Message
Today we ask ourselves: What is there about this famous saying of Jesus which engenders good mental health? Mental health after all, is more than a medical term. It is a concept that goes beyond the walls of a hospital or a doctor's clinic and applies also to the home, the church and the world of everyday living.
Mental health is concerned with the dynamics of relationship and adjustment - the way we handle such things as anxiety, hostility and frustration. "Mental health," says one authority, "concerns itself with the everyday troubles of everyday people - helping them to solve their problems or face them bravely when they cannot be warded off." The statement of Jesus we are focusing on at the moment contributes to good mental health because it encourages us to be free from the attitude of demandingness – the attitude that says: "Things must go my way", "I ought to have some consideration", "People should respect my rights."
One psychologist goes as far as to say that if we could eliminate the shoulds and the woulds from our vocabulary and our inner attitudes, we could become transformed people overnight. He was not referring, of course, to the moral compass which God has placed within us that cries out for obedience to that which is right ("I ought not to lie", "I should always do right", and so on) but to the attitude of demandingness that insists on having one's rights irrespective of any other considerations. One of the biggest causes of mental and emotional illness is the attitude of demandingness and over-concern. Do we wonder any longer why Christ congratulates the meek and promises them the earth?
"Be free from the attitude of demandingness"
Prayer
Blessed Lord Jesus, deliver me, I pray, from a spirit of demandingness that insists on having my rights rather than being willing to give them up for the sake of others. Help me to take Your yoke upon me and learn from You. Amen.
Further study
2 Corinthians 10:1-18; 11:18-21
Philippians 4:11-12
1. Why could Paul be bold?
2. How did Paul highlight the difference between weakness and meekness?
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背景音樂版權屬 讚美之泉音樂事工 所有,承蒙允准使用。

