八福
生活的重要原則
經文
歌羅西書一1-14
1奉神旨意，作基督耶穌使徒的保羅和兄弟提摩太,
2寫信給歌羅西的聖徒，在基督裡有忠心的弟兄。願恩惠、平安從神我們的父歸與你們！
3我們感謝神、我們主耶穌基督的父，常常為你們禱告；
4因聽見你們在基督耶穌裡的信心，並向眾聖徒的愛心，
5是為那給你們存在天上的盼望；這盼望就是你們從前在福音真理的道上所聽見的。
6這福音傳到你們那裡，也傳到普天之下，並且結果，增長，如同在你們中間，自從你們聽見福音，真知道神恩惠的日子一樣。
7正如你們從我們所親愛、一同作僕人的以巴弗所學的。他為我們（有古卷：你們）作了基督忠心的執事，
8也把你們因聖靈所存的愛心告訴了我們。
9因此，我們自從聽見的日子，也就為你們不住的禱告祈求，願你們在一切屬靈的智慧悟性上，滿心知道神的旨意；
10好叫你們行事為人對得起主，凡事蒙他喜悅，在一切善事上結果子，漸漸的多知道神；
11照他榮耀的權能，得以在各樣的力上加力，好叫你們凡事歡歡喜喜的忍耐寬容；
12又感謝父，叫我們能與眾聖徒在光明中同得基業。
13他救了我們脫離黑暗的權勢，把我們遷到他愛子的國裡；
14我們在愛子裡得蒙救贖，罪過得以赦免。
信息分享
昨天我們看到，我們若以渴求快樂為目標的話，我們將會一無所得；但是當我們以渴求公義為目標的時候，我們的道路就會亨通。
當耶穌透過這些話教導我們當專注於正確的目標時，他亦教了我們得到心理健康的另一個途徑。研究人類行為的人告訴我們，我們所做的一切都有目標。一位心理學家說：「我們不是條件反射的動物，所以不會按照預設的反應做出自動化和不經思考的行動。我們也不是被內在力量驅動的受害者，被推向我們不想去的地方。」有時我們可能感到自己在做不想做的事情，但事實上我們所做的一切，都表示我們為要達到某個目標而努力，有些目標雖然在無意識的層面，但對我們來說還是具有某種意思。事實上，要能夠清楚自己為甚麼會做某些事情，其中一個方法是問自己：我的目標是甚麼？
我曾經輔導過一位女士，她當時感到十分沮喪，因為她丈夫不肯改變自己來滿足她的要求。那位女士對我說：「我丈夫是那麼頑固和固執，我看不到我們在一起還有甚麼將來。」我告訴她我們所做的一切都有目標的這個觀念，並要求她說出她對婚姻所釐定的目標是甚麼。她毫不猶疑地回答：「改變我丈夫。」她每天的禱告是：「主啊，請您愛我的丈夫，我要改變他。」我提議她將目標改為：「主啊，請您改變我的丈夫，因為我愛他。」她照做，立刻找到了新的自由，她的婚姻也有了新的快樂。
「我們所做的一切都有目標」
進深研究
弗五1-16；羅六4；林後五7；加五16
1. 我們應該怎樣生活？
2. 你有沒有盡量利用每一個機會？
祈禱
天父，我明白我需要甚麼──我需要使我的目標配合您的目標。當我在未來幾天繼續尋求的時候，求您向我更多地揭示這重要的真理。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。
The Beatitudes
An important key to living
Bible reading:
Colossians 1:1-14
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To God's holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters[a] in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.[b]
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people—
5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel
6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.
7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[d] behalf,
8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e]
10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Yesterday we saw that when we make it a goal to hunger and thirst after happiness, we get nowhere, but when we make it our goal to hunger and thirst after righteousness, we get everywhere.
Message
Once again Jesus touches on an aspect of good mental health when He teaches us through these words to focus on right goals. Those who study human behaviour tell us that everything we do has a goal. "We are not conditioned animals that act automatically and unthinkingly in programmed response," says a psychologist, "...neither are we the hapless victims of internal forces that drive us relentlessly in unwanted directions." It may sometimes feel as if we do things we don't want to do, but the truth is that everything we do represents an effort to reach a goal that somehow, albeit at an unconscious level, makes sense. In fact, one of the ways in which you can better understand why you do the things you do is to ask yourself: What's my goal?
A woman I once counselled and who was extremely frustrated because her husband would not change to meet her requirements said to me: "My husband is so stubborn and obstinate that I just can't see any future for us together." I shared with her the concept that everything we do represents a goal, and asked her to put into words what she thought her goal might be in her marriage. Without a moment's hesitation she replied: "To change my husband." Her daily prayer was: "Lord, You love my husband and I'll change him." I suggested she altered her goal to: "Lord, You change my husband and I'll love him." She did, and instantly found a new freedom - and a new happiness in her marriage.
"Everything we do has a goal"
Prayer
O Father, I see what I need - I need to bring my goals in line with Your goals. Unfold more of this important truth to me as I pursue it over the next few days. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
Further study
Ephesians 5:1-16
Romans 6:4
2 Corinthians 5:7
Galatians 5:16
1. How are we to live?
2. Do you make the most of every opportunity?
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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。