Your Life’s Passion 热衷的事
Dexu Xia
The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. . . . Flee from all this, and pursue righteousness. 1 Timothy 6:10–11
One evening years ago, my wife and I were making our way down a mountain trail, accompanied by two friends. The trail was narrow and wound around a slope with a steep drop on one side and an unclimbable bank on the other.
As we came around a bend, I saw a large bear moseying along, swinging his head from side to side, and quietly huffing. We were downwind, and he hadn’t detected our presence, but he would soon.
Our friend began to rummage around in her jacket for a camera. “Oh, I must take a picture!” she said. I, being less comfortable with our odds, said, “No, we must get out of here.” So we backed up quietly until we were out of sight—and ran.
That’s how we should feel about the dangerous passion to get rich. There’s nothing wrong with money; it’s just a medium of exchange. But those who desire to get rich “fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction,” Paul wrote (1 Timothy 6:9). Wealth is only a goad to get more.
Instead, we should “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (v. 11). These traits grow in us as we pursue them and ask God to form them within us. This is how we secure the deep satisfaction we seek in God.
What’s your passion in life? How might you pursue traits that will make you more like Jesus?
God, I want to grow to become more Christlike. Help me cooperate with what You’re trying to teach me.
贪财是万恶之根！⋯⋯要逃避这些事，追求公义。—提摩太前书6章10-11节
几年前的一个傍晚，我和妻子在两位朋友的陪同下走下山路。这条绕着斜坡的山路蜿蜒狭窄，一边是陡坡，另一边是无法攀爬的堤岸。
就在我们绕到一个拐弯处时，我看见一只徘徊在山间的大熊，它正摇着头，静静地喘着气。我们站在下风的位置，它尚未察觉到我们的存在，但它一定很快就会发现我们。
友人一边掏着外套里的相机一边说：“哦！我得赶紧拍张照片！”但我察觉到危险而惴惴不安。我说：“别照了！我们赶快离开吧！”于是，我们悄悄地后退，退到其视线以外，然后立刻拔腿逃跑。
对于追求财富，我们也应觉察到这样的危险。金钱本身并没有问题，不过是一种交易的媒介。但值得注意的是，保罗的警戒：“那些想要发财的人，就陷在迷惑、落在网罗和许多无知有害的私欲里，叫人沉在败坏和灭亡中”（提摩太前书6章9节）。所谓欲壑难填，财富越多只会使人还想得到更多。
反之，我们应该“追求公义、敬虔、信心、爱心、忍耐、温柔”（11节）。当我们追求、培养这些特质，并祈求上帝塑造我们时，这些特质就会在我们里面萌芽长大。这就是我们热衷寻求上帝，在祂里面能深感满足的确据。
你的生命热衷于哪些事物呢？
你要如何追求那些使你能更像耶稣的特质呢？
上帝啊，我想要变得更像基督。
求祢帮助我愿意学习祢要教导我的功课。