Obedience Is a Choice 选择顺服
Dexu Xia
Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. John 14:23
Winters in the Netherlands seldom bring a lot of snow, but it can get cold enough to freeze over the canals. When my husband, Tom, was growing up there, his parents had a family rule: “Stay off the ice until it is thick enough to hold the weight of a horse.” Because horses would leave evidence of their presence behind, Tom and his buddies decided to get some manure off the road. They threw it on the thin ice and ventured out onto the surface. No harm came to them, nor were they discovered, but they knew in their hearts they’d been disobedient.
Obedience doesn’t always come naturally. The choice to obey or not to obey can spring from a sense of duty or fear of punishment. But we can also choose to obey out of love and respect for those in authority over us.
In John 14, Jesus challenged His disciples by saying, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. . . . Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching” (vv. 23-24). It’s not always an easy choice to obey, but the power of the Spirit living within us gives us the desire and ability to obey Him (vv. 15-17). With His enablement, we can continue to follow the commands of the one who loves us most—not out of fear of punishment, but out of love.
In what ways have you been willfully disobedient? Why is it important for you to obey God even when it’s difficult or inconvenient?
Loving God, please soften my stubborn heart to listen to Your instructions. Help me to set aside my own agenda and to faithfully obey You.
人若爱我，就必遵守我的道。—约翰福音14章23节
荷兰的冬天虽不常下大雪，但寒冷的天气仍会使河面结冰。我丈夫汤姆自幼在荷兰长大，当他年幼时，父母就订下家规：“在河面冰层厚到足以让一匹马行走之前，不准踩在冰面上。”那时，路上常常会有马匹走过时留下的马粪，某一天，汤姆和他的几个玩伴就决定从路上取些马粪，将马粪投掷到薄冰上，一边探路一边冒险走到河面上。虽然最后他们平安归来，此事也没被人发现，但他们都心知肚明，自己不听话，没有遵守父母的规定。
顺服并非人的本性，有时选择要不要顺服、遵守规定，可能是出于责任感或害怕受罚。但我们也可以因为爱和尊重长辈或上位者，而选择顺服。
约翰福音14章记载，耶稣告诉众门徒：“人若爱我，就必遵守我的道，⋯⋯不爱我的人就不遵守我的道”（23-24节）。顺服并不总是一个容易的选择，但内住在你我心中的圣灵，祂的大能会使我们渴望，并有能力去遵行上帝的话语（15-17节）。因着圣灵的帮助，我们就能继续顺服这位最爱我们的上帝，遵守祂的命令──不是因为害怕受罚，而是出于爱。
作者： 凯辛蒂
你曾在何事上任意妄为，故意不顺服上帝？
有时顺服上帝既困难又麻烦，但为何对你依然重要？
慈爱的上帝，请软化我刚硬的心，愿意听从祢的教导。
帮助我能将自己的计划放在一旁，忠心顺服祢