5月1日 对属世之物的淡然
5月1日 对属世之物的淡然
如果你的双手被属世的事务塞满，心被其重担压住，你就无法为属天的基业劳力。
基督徒在持守属世财物时，应当像当初获得它们时一样，存着一颗淡然、超脱的心。神从未将任何事物的“所有权”真正转让给我们，祂仅仅是将其托付我们，让我们作暂时的管家。当祂呼召我们回天家时，这一切都必留下。若祂看为美意，让我们暂时保有，我们就因祂的慷慨而称颂感恩；若祂提前收回，我们仍要敬拜祂。
按着神的护理，祂将摩西带入法老的宫廷，其心意绝非要让他沉溺于世上的虚荣与显赫。属肉体的心思会推想：摩西若能利用其地位和权势去影响君王，甚至觊觎王位，岂不是更能帮助那些在法老手下为奴的同胞吗？然而，当摩西甘愿放弃这一切特权时，他的信心与舍己才显得格外耀眼。正因这种顺服的信心，新约圣经才对他推崇备至（来11:24-25）。
有时，神丰丰富富地赏赐我们，并非要让我们紧紧抓牢，而是为了让我们拥有可以“放下”的东西，以此显明我们对祂的爱。马利亚将极贵的香膏浇在主身上，在全世界还能找到比这更好的用途吗？又有哪种投资，比将你所拥有的奉献在基督的事工上，能带来更永恒的回报呢？
基督徒啊，对你最看重的物质财富，请保持一份“松开的手”。要随时准备好，为了不让信心遭遇船难，宁可在一瞬间将它们“抛出船外”。如果你的双手被属世的事务塞满，心被其重担压住，你就无法为属天的基业劳力。到最后，你若能保住什么，那唯有你的灵魂，以及你在基督里的在天上的基业。即使你失去了一切属世的货财，你仍能像雅各那样宣告：“神施恩给我，我样样都有了。”（创33:11）
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：民8章，诗44章，
个人灵修：歌6章，来6章
MAY 1, FRIDAY
INDIFFERENCE TO EARTHLY THINGS
You cannot labor for heavenly possessions if your hands and heart are loaded down with earthly pursuits.
The Christian must practice the same indifference in keeping his earthly possessions as he did in getting them. God never signs the title of anything over to us, but merely gives us things to keep in trust. All will be left behind when He calls us home. If He sees fit to let us keep them until then, we bless and thank Him for His generosity; and if He takes them away sooner, we bless Him still.
God never intended, by His providence in bringing Moses to Pharaohs’ court, to leave him there in worldly pomp and grandeur. A carnal heart would have reasoned that Moses could best help his people—slaves under Pharaoh—by using his position and power to influence the king, or perhaps even by aspiring to the throne. But when Moses renounced his place of privilege, his faith and self-denial were made more eminently conspicuous. It is for this obedient faith that Moses is given such honorable mention in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:24–25).
Sometimes God lavishes us with things, not so we can hang on to them, but so we will have something to let go of to show our love for Him. Was there anything better in the whole world Mary could have done with her precious oil than to anoint her Lord? What enterprise will pay more lasting dividends than to invest what you possess in the cause of Christ?
Christian, keep a loose grip on the material possessions you value most highly. Be ready at a moment’s notice to throw them overboard, rather than risk the shipwreck of your faith. You cannot labor for heavenly possessions if your hands and heart are loaded down with earthly pursuits. In the end, if you can save anything, it will be your soul, your interest in Christ and heaven. If you should lose all your worldly goods, you should still be able to say with Jacob, “I have enough [all things)” (Genesis 33:11).