Don’t Conform. Be Transformed!
不要效法!要更新!
Sep 27, 2017
“Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God”(Romans 12:2a GNT).
“不要效法这个世界,只要心意更新而变化,叫你们察验何为神的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意。”(罗12:2 和修)
You have two choices in life. You’ll either be conformed or transformed. There’s no middle ground. Just ask Daniel.
在生命中,你有两个选择。你要么选择效法,或者更新。这没有中间的选项。就像但以理一样。
Daniel faced a choice. Either he could take the king’s food and be conformed to the ways of the Babylonian Empire, or he could refuse to defile his body and stay true to his values.
但以理面对这个选择。他也可以选择接受国王的食物,并且遵照巴比伦国王的吩咐去做,或者他选择拒绝污秽自己的身体,持守他的价值观。
Daniel stayed strong. He never forgot who he was. He said, “You can change my address. You can change my clothing. You can change my name. But you’re not going to change my heart. I won’t be conformed to the ways of this society.”
但以理很坚强。他永远忘不了他曾经的身份。他说:“你可以改变我所处的地点;你可以改变我的穿着;你可以改变我的名字。但是你永不会改变我的心志。我不会效法这个社会的道路。”
Too many of us choose differently than Daniel did. Instead of sticking to our values, we live like everyone else. We conform.
我们大多数人的选择不同于但以理。我们与其他人一样生活,而不是持守我们的价值观。我们效法。
But the Bible reminds us,“Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God”(Romans 12:2a GNT).
但是圣经提醒我们:“不要效法这个世界,只要心意更新而变化,叫你们察验何为神的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意。”(罗12:2 和修)
I talk to people all the time who can’t figure out what God wants them to do with their lives because they’re conformed to the world. They’re more interested in being like everyone else than in being the unique person that God made them to be. As long as you’re worried about conforming, you won’t worry about God transforming you. And in that case, you won’t know the will of God.
我一直在和人们交流,因为他们效法这个世界,所以我们不知道上帝希望他们与自己的生活有怎样的关系。他们更感兴趣的是如何与其他人一样,而不是上帝希望他们做的独一无二的人。只要你为效法世界而担心,你就不会对上帝更新你而担心。在这种情况下,你不会知道上帝的旨意。
But if you make Daniel’s choice and choose God’s best for your life, he’ll transform you. Then you’ll know the will of God.
但是,如果你做了与但以理同样的选择,并且选择上帝为你生命所预备的最好的,他会更新你。那么你就会知道上帝的旨意。
Talk It Over:
讨论问题:
Where in your life are you most likely to conform to the world around you, and why?
在你生命中哪些方面,更像在效法身边的世界?这是为什么?
What practices in your life help you work with God to transform your mind so you don’t conform to the world?
你生命中有怎样的操练,可以使你与神同工,来更新你的心意,帮助你不去效法这个世界?
How are you more clearly understanding God’s will for your life as you let him transform your mind?
你如何更清楚的知道上帝在你生命中的旨意,就像他更新你的心志一样?
写在后面,译者的话:
在现在人人都是低头族的社会中,我们是否也效法了呢?在现在肤浅、快餐文化盛行的社会中,我们是否也跟随了呢?愿我们能够常常思想上帝的话,在别人低头看手机的时候,但愿我们可以每天少开几次微信,少看几次手机,多思想一下今天的读经。圣经不仅仅是一些文字构成的一本书而已,是上帝的话,我们怎样对待上帝的话,就是怎样对待我们的上帝。如果我读经仅仅读了,读完就完了,没有任何思考的话,那么我的属灵生命一定会停滞不前。但愿看到信息的每一个人都能够常常思想神的话。