Fountains or Drains?泉源还是排水沟？

[Dexu Xia]

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Philippians 2:3

Today's Scripture   Philippians 2:1-4, 14-20

Today's Insights  Paul sets the context for his theme of humility early in this letter. Writing while imprisoned, he says, “All of you share in God’s grace with me” (Philippians 1:7). Being equal recipients of His grace ought to have motivated the Philippian church to “value others above [themselves]” (2:3). Key to this is the way they were to live before a watching world. By living blamelessly, they’d be “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” (v. 15). As they lived lives of humble service to the world, they’d “shine among them like stars in the sky” (v. 15) and be fountains of encouragement.

Today's Devotional  Sometimes a bit of wisdom drops in when we least expect it. That happened recently as I was reading an article about American football player Travis Kelce. A frustrated coach once told him, “Everybody you meet in this world is either a fountain or a drain.” You can probably figure out which one Kelce was being!

Perhaps all of us have a bit of both elements in us. But at any given moment, we’re likely behaving one way or the other. And our call to follow Jesus means becoming more fountain, less drain.

I hear a similar idea in Philippians 2, where Paul challenges us to imitate Jesus’ humility and focus on others. Paul contrasts what drains life from others with what fills them up: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (vv. 3-4). A bit later in this chapter, he adds bluntly, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing” (v. 14).

What does it look like to be a drain? Being self-focused and arrogant; complaining and arguing. And being a fountain? Paul says of Timothy, “I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare” (v. 20).  Are we being more like a fountain or a drain? That’s a question worth pondering as we seek to bless others.  

Reflect & Pray

What can cause you to be more like a drain than a fountain in your relationships? How can you be more of a fountain to others?

Dear Father, please help me to be a fountain of life who pours encouragement and hope into everyone I encounter.  

By Adam Holz

“凡事不可结党，不可贪图虚荣；只要存心谦卑，各人看别人比自己强。（腓立比书 2:3）

今日经文：腓立比书 2:1-4, 14-20

今日洞见： 保罗在这封信的开头就为谦卑的主题奠定了基础。他在狱中写道：“你们都与我一同领受神的恩典”（腓立比书 1:7）。作为神恩典平等的接受者，腓立比教会应当“看别人比自己强”（2:3）。关键在于他们应当如何在世人面前生活。他们若能活得无可指摘，就能“在这弯曲悖谬的世代作神无瑕疵的儿女”（15节）。当他们谦卑地服侍世人时，他们就会“好像明光照耀”（15节），成为激励人心的泉源。

今日灵修 有时候，智慧会在我们最意想不到的时候悄然而至。最近我在读一篇关于美式橄榄球运动员特拉维斯凯尔西的文章时突然有了领悟。一位沮丧的教练曾对他说：“在这个世界上你遇到的每个人，要么是泉源，要么是排水沟。”你大概能猜到那时候的凯尔西被看作泉源、还是排水沟吧！或许我们每个人身上都兼具这两种特质。但在任何时刻，我们都可能都在朝着其中的一个方向发展。

而当我们追随耶稣的呼召时，我们指定更可能成为泉源，而不是排水沟。我在腓立比书2章中也听到了类似的观点。保罗在本章中挑战我们效法耶稣的谦卑，关注他人。保罗对比了消耗他人生命的事物，以及使他人生命丰满的事物：“凡事不可结党，不可贪图虚荣；只要存心谦卑，各人看别人比自己强。各人不要单顾自己的事，也要顾别人的事。”（3-4节）在本章稍后，他直截了当地补充道：“凡事都不要发怨言，起争论”（14节）。成为“排水沟”的人是什么样的呢？就是以自我为中心，傲慢自大；抱怨和争论。而成为“泉源”又是什么样的呢？保罗论到提摩太说：“我没有别人像他那样，真心地关心你们”（20节）。我们更像“泉源”还是“排水沟”呢？当我们为他人着想时，这是一个值得深思的问题。

反思与祷告 怎样与人相处，会让你更像“排水沟”而不是“泉源”呢？你如何才能成为他人的“泉源”呢？

亲爱的天父，请帮助我成为他人生命的泉源，使我遇到的每一个人都能从我得到鼓励和希望。作者亚当·霍尔兹