「Jabez(小鴿子,我家的自閉兒)可能永遠不會知道,自己到底哪一點吸引著我們,讓我們這麼愛他。」
「很多人看見 Jabez 時,也被 Jabez 吸引,覺得 Jabez 很可愛。」
這是剛剛家人聊天時的兩句對話。我腦海突然閃過一節經文:
「古時耶和華向以色列顯現,說:我以永遠的愛愛你,因此我以慈愛吸引你。」( 耶利米書 31:3 和合本 )
神愛人是出於本質。若要透過「神做了什麼」來證明神的愛,那麼就會因為「神沒有做什麼」來否定神的愛。如此,我們離神就會非常遠了。
能看得見 Jabez 吸引人之處,我相信,我也會看得見神吸引我的地方。
“Jabez may never know what it is about him that draws us so deeply, that makes us love him so much.”
“When people see Jabez, many of them are also drawn to him, thinking Jabez is adorable.”
These were two lines from a family conversation we had just now. Then a verse suddenly came to mind:
> “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’”— Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)
God’s love for people comes from His very nature. If we try to prove God’s love only through what He has done, then we will also begin to deny His love when He seems not to act. And when that happens, our hearts will drift far from Him.
To be able to see what makes Jabez so lovable—I believe I can also see what draws me to God.
***
神再次透過Jabez ,讓我更認識他了。這次我的領受是「吸引」二字。
在信仰的路上,以前我總定睛在「尋求」「認識」「經歷」等動詞,這些不是不對,但我忽略了「吸引」––我們能愛神,是因為神主動吸引我們,讓我們知道他的存在,進一步建立/恢復了彼此的關係。
Through Jabez, God once again helped me know Him more deeply.
This time, what I received was centered on the word “draw” or “attraction.”
On my journey of faith, I used to focus on verbs like “seeking,” “knowing,” and “experiencing.” These are not wrong, but I had overlooked “being drawn.” — We are able to love God because He first draws us to Himself, making us aware of His presence and leading us to build—or restore—our relationship with Him.
附:
一、楊中生牧師的回應
對的,神和愛不能分開,神就是愛的本質本體,把神和愛分開,就會掉入神做的事,而不是神自己。
格林多書信裡面提到。希臘人求智慧,猶太人求神跡,猶太求的就是從看得見的神跡,來尋找神。結局是他們錯了。
二、Stephen Grewar 牧師的回應
Hi Jorman, thanks for this lovely message. I love taking note of what God has done and have a grateful heart. But you are right, if we only respond when we observe what God has done we will surely drift.
I appreciate how you make sense of things. You are a deep thinker. The way God had made you and gifted you is surely a huge blessing to the the church.
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