Ripple Effect涟漪效应
Dexu Xia
Ripple Effect
Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me. Ezra 7:28
The little Bible college in northern Ghana didn’t look impressive—just a tin-roofed cinder-block building and a handful of students. Yet Bob Hayes poured his life into those students. He gave them leadership roles and encouraged them to preach and teach, despite their occasional reluctance. Bob passed away years ago, but dozens of thriving churches, schools, and two additional Bible institutes have sprung up across Ghana—all started by graduates of that humble school.
During the reign of King Artaxerxes (465–424 bc), Ezra the scribe assembled a band of Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem. But Ezra found no Levites among them (Ezra 8:15). He needed Levites to serve as priests. So he commissioned leaders to “bring attendants to us for the house of our God” (v. 17). They did so (vv. 18–20), and Ezra led them all in fasting and prayer (v. 21).
Ezra’s name means “helper,” a characteristic that resides at the heart of good leadership. Under Ezra’s prayerful guidance, he and his protégés would lead a spiritual awakening in Jerusalem (see chapters 9–10). All they had needed was a little encouragement and wise direction.
That’s how God’s church works too. As good mentors encourage and build us up, we learn to do the same for others. Such an influence will reach far beyond our lifetime. Work done faithfully for God stretches into eternity. Who is your primary spiritual mentor? (If you don’t have one, who might you ask to mentor you?) Why is mentoring in Christ something vital for you to receive and extend to others?
Father, show me someone I can mentor.
涟漪效应
因耶和华我上帝的手帮助我，我就得以坚强，从以色列中招聚首领，与我一同上来。—以斯拉记7章28节
加纳北部有间又小又不起眼的圣经学院，学生寥寥无几，但美国宣教士鲍伯 · 海斯（Bob Hayes）却用一生的时间，在这由铁皮屋顶和空心砖搭建的建筑物里，致力栽培学生。尽管学生偶尔会退缩不愿，但鲍伯仍赋予他们领袖的角色，鼓励他们讲道及教导圣经。鲍伯几年前去世了，但加纳各地却涌现了几十间蓬勃发展的教会、学校，以及另外两所圣经学院，而这些都是由那间不起眼的学院毕业生所建立的。
在亚达薛西王统治期间（公元前465-424年），文士以斯拉招聚一群被掳的犹太人返回耶路撒冷，但他发现其中并无利未人（以斯拉记8章15节）。因他需要利未人担任祭司，所以嘱咐首领们为“上帝的殿带使用的人来”（17节），他们就照着去做（18-20节），而以斯拉则带领众人禁食祷告（21节）。
以斯拉这名字的意思是“帮助者”，是优秀的领导者需具备的特性。在以斯拉虔诚祷告的指引下，他和他的跟随者带领耶路撒冷的众人经历了属灵的觉醒（9-10章），这些跟随者所需的只是一些鼓励及明智的引导。
上帝的教会也是如此。好的导师可以鼓励和造就我们，而我们也可学习用这样的方式带领别人，这影响将超出我们一生的年日。忠心为上帝所行的事具有永恒的意义。
你的属灵导师是谁？（若没有，你会找谁来指导你？）
你在基督里接受教导进而教导别人，为何重要呢？
天父，请让我知道，有谁需要我的指导和帮助。