God Talk / 谈论上帝

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Dexu Xia

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Dec 1, 2019, 10:28:14 PM12/1/19

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God Talk

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Deuteronomy 11:18

A study conducted by the Barna Group in 2018 found that most Americans don’t like to talk about God. Only seven percent of Americans say they talk about spiritual matters regularly—and practicing believers in Jesus in America aren’t that different. Only thirteen percent of regular churchgoers say they have a spiritual conversation about once a week.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that spiritual conversations are on the decline. Talking about God can be dangerous. Whether because of a polarized political climate, because disagreement might cause a rift in a relationship, or because a spiritual conversation might cause you to realize a change you need to make in your life—these can feel like high-stakes conversations.

But in the instructions given to God’s people, the Israelites, in the book of Deuteronomy, talking about God can be a normal, natural part of everyday life. God’s people were to memorize His words and to display them in places where they’d often be seen. The law said to talk about God’s instructions for life with your children “when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (11:19).

God calls us to conversation. Take a chance, rely on the Spirit, and try turning your small talk toward something deeper. God will bless our communities as we talk about His words and practice them.

What challenges have come to you as a result of spiritual conversations with friends? What blessings?

There’s so much about You, God, that can be shared with others in my life. Lead me as I interact with them.

谈论上帝

所以你们要把我这些话放在心里，存在意念中；要系在手上作记号，戴在额上作头带。-申命记11章18节，-新译本

美国巴拿研究中心（Barna Group）于2018年进行了一项调查，结果显示大部分的美国人并不喜欢谈论上帝。只有7%的美国人表示会常常谈论属灵方面的事，即使是固定参加教会聚会的基督徒也是如此。在这些人当中，只有13%的人表示每星期都会谈论一次与信仰有关的事。

愈来愈少人谈论与信仰相关的话题，这应该并不让人感到意外，因为谈论上帝或许会有风险。无论是由于两极化的政治气候，担心意见不合会破坏关系，或者因为讲到信仰可能需要你改变生活方式，都会让人感到谈论上帝是个高风险的话题。

但申命记记载，在上帝的子民所领受的命令中，谈论上帝是每日生活的一部分，是正常不过的话题。以色列民要背诵上帝的话语，并放在他们容易看到的地方，还要与儿女们谈论上帝所赐使人得生命的律例典章。“无论坐在家里，行在路上，躺下，起来，都要谈论”（11章19节）。

上帝要我们谈论信仰，现在就让我们把握机会，倚赖圣灵将闲聊转变为更有意义的谈话。当我们谈论并遵行上帝的话语时，相信上帝必会赐福！

上帝啊，我愿与人分享祢在我生命中奇妙的作为，
求祢带领我与别人之间的谈话。