A Disciplined Life in God 克制自己
Dexu Xia
I discipline my body and keep it under control. 1 Corinthians 9:27 esv
It was June 2016 during the official celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s ninetieth birthday. From her carriage, the monarch waved to the crowds, passing in front of long lines of red-coated soldiers standing at perfect, unflinching attention. It was a warm day in England, and the guards were dressed in their traditional dark wool pants, wool jackets buttoned to the chin, and massive bear-fur hats. As the soldiers stood in rigid rows under the sun, one guard began to faint. Remarkably, he maintained his strict control and simply fell forward, his body remaining straight as a board as he planted his face in the sandy gravel. There he lay—somehow still at attention.
It took years of practice and discipline for this guard to learn such self-control, to hold his body in place even as he was falling unconscious. The apostle Paul describes such training: “I discipline my body and keep it under control,” he wrote (1 Corinthians 9:27 esv). Paul recognized that “everyone who competes . . . goes into strict training” (v. 25).
While God’s grace (not our efforts) undergirds all we do, our spiritual life deserves rigorous discipline. As God helps us discipline our mind, heart, and body, we learn to keep our attention fixed on Him, even amid trials or distractions. By: Winn Collier
Where is it most difficult for you to discipline your heart, mind, or body? How do you sense God inviting you into deeper discipline?
Dear God, please teach me how to be more disciplined for You. I want to grow my love for You and keep my heart close to You.
我攻克己身，叫身服我。—哥林多前书9章27节
这件事发生在2016年6月，英国女王伊莉莎白二世的九十岁诞辰当天。那时，女王在马车上向人群挥手致意，经过一长排身穿红色外衣的士兵，他们个个站得笔直，保持立正的姿势。那天英国的天气相当热，士兵们穿着传统的黑色羊毛裤，红色羊毛外衣的钮扣一直扣到下巴，还戴着巨大的熊皮帽。正当士兵们在阳光下动也不动地站成一排，其中一位士兵开始晕眩。令人惊讶的是，他仍控制自己身体，只是向前倒下，当他的脸埋在砂砾中时，身体依然挺直如木板。他倒在那里，在某种程度上仍然保持立正的姿势。
这位士兵经过多年的训练和实践才学会这种自制力，即使在意识不清的情况下，还能维持笔直的身型。使徒保罗也描述了此类的训练，说：“我严格训练自己，克服自身的软弱”（哥林多前书9章27节，当代译本修订版）。保罗也深刻体认到“参加比赛的选手要接受严格的训练”（25节，同上）。
虽然我们所做的一切是靠上帝的恩典（而非我们的努力），但你我的属灵生命仍应受严格的训练。当上帝帮助我们约束、控制自己的心思意念和行为，我们便能学习专注于上帝，即使受到考验或干扰时，亦是如此。
作者： 郭惟恩
克制情感、心思或身体，你认为最困难的是什么呢？
你要如何按上帝的旨意接受更深的属灵操练呢？
想在信仰中有所成长，属灵生命迈向成熟？一个成熟的属灵生命又是怎样的呢？
亲爱的上帝，我要更爱祢，更亲近祢，求祢教导我如何为祢更加自我克制