A Goal and a Purpose /目标与目的

[Dexu Xia]

A Goal and a Purpose

My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. Acts 20:24

In 2018, endurance athlete Colin O’Brady took a walk that had never been taken before. Pulling a supply sled behind him, O’Brady trekked across Antarctica entirely alone—a total of 932 miles in 54 days. It was a momentous journey of dedication and courage.

Commenting on his time alone with the ice, the cold, and the daunting distance, O’Brady said, “I was locked in a deep flow state [fully immersed in the endeavor] the entire time, equally focused on the end goal, while allowing my mind to recount the profound lessons of this journey.”

For those of us who have put our faith in Jesus, that statement might strike a familiar chord. It sounds a lot like our calling as believers: focused on the goal of walking through life in a way that glorifies (honors) God and reveals Him to others. In Acts 20:24, Paul, no stranger to dangerous journeys, said, “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

As we walk on in our relationship with Jesus, may we recognize what we know about the purpose for our journey and press on to the day we’ll see our Savior face to face.

目标与目的

只要行完我的路程，成就我从主耶稣所领受的职事。—使徒行传20章24节

在2018年，耐力运动员科林 · 奥布拉迪（Colin O’Brady）尝试了一个前所未有的徒步之旅。他拉着一个雪橇，上面装满所有的行李和必需品，在54天内独自徒步跋涉1,500公里穿越南极洲。这实在是个挑战耐力极限和勇气的壮举。

奥布拉迪回忆起在那段日子里，他独自在冰雪酷寒中长时间步行，前路似乎漫无尽头，他说：“我像是处于完全投入的状态，只一心一意专注着最后的目标，同时也思想这趟旅程带给我的宝贵功课。”

对于我们这些相信耶稣的人来说，这种说法似乎能让我们产生共鸣。这听起来就像对我们这些信徒的呼召，我们的目标就是专注于尊荣上帝，并让人认识上帝。保罗对危险的旅程并不陌生，他说：“但我并不珍惜自己的性命，只求跑完我的路程，完成我从主耶稣所领受的职分，为上帝恩惠的福音作见证。”（使徒行传20章24节，新译本）

当我们与耶稣建立了关系，继续行走天路时，愿我们能真正明白这趟信仰之旅的目的，并且努力前行，直到我们与救主面对面的那一天。

亲爱的天父，当我们走在这人生的道路上，帮助我们所做的一切都能荣耀祢。
愿我们可以鼓励其他人和祢同行。

你与耶稣的关系如何影响你的人生？
今天你能做些什么来向别人表明你对祂的爱？