Stick-Figure Lesson / 诚实无伪

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Dexu Xia

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Jun 18, 2019, 3:09:19 AM6/18/19

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Stick-Figure Lesson

What we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. 2 Corinthians 10:11

A friend of mine—okay, it was my counselor—drew a stick figure on a sheet of paper. She labeled this the “private” self. Then she drew an outline around the figure, about a half-inch larger, and named it the “public” self. The difference between the two figures, between the private and public selves, represents the degree to which we have integrity.

I paused at her lesson and wondered, Am I the same person in public that I am in private? Do I have integrity?

Paul wrote letters to the church in Corinth, weaving love and discipline into his teachings to be like Jesus. As he neared the end of this letter (2 Corinthians), he addressed accusers who challenged his integrity by saying he was bold in his letters but weak in person (10:10). These critics used professional oratory to take money from their listeners. While Paul possessed academic prowess, he spoke simply and plainly. “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,” he had written in an earlier letter, “but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:4). His later letter revealed his integrity: “Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present” (2 Corinthians 10:11).

Paul presented himself as the same person in public that he was in private. How about us?

Reflect & Pray

In what ways are you integrating your private and public life? How might you honor God even more fully with complete integrity?

Dear God, help me to be myself first to You in private, that I might present myself with integrity as the same person in public.

诚实无伪

我们不在那里的时候，信上的言语如何，见面的时候，行事也必如何。-哥林多后书10章11节

我的谘商师也可说是我的朋友，她在纸上画了一个火柴人，把这个火柴人标注为“私我”。接着，她沿着火柴人的周围约1公分宽的部分，又描出另一个较大的火柴人，并标注为“公我”。她说，这“私我”和“公我”两者之间的差距，代表了我们诚信的程度。

她的话让我不禁思想：我在公开场合和在私底下是一样的吗？我是个诚实无伪的人吗？

保罗写信给哥林多教会时，以爱和训诫来教导信徒要效法耶稣。在哥林多后书接近收尾的部分，他提到有些人质疑他的诚信，说他所写的书信严厉有力，但本人其实是软弱无能（10章10节）。这些批评保罗的人常用专业深奥的言语对众人演讲，以赚取金钱。但反观保罗，他虽在学术上有深厚造诣，话语却简单明了。正如他在哥林多前书2章4节写道：“我说的话，讲的道，不是用智慧委婉的言语，乃是用圣灵和大能的明证。”在哥林多后书10章11节，更展现他的纯全正直：“这等人当想，我们不在那里的时候，信上的言语如何，见面的时候，行事也必如何。”

无论是在私底下或在公开场合，保罗都是言行一致的人。我们呢？

亲爱的上帝，帮助我先私底下做祢喜悦的人，
好使我在众人面前能诚实无伪。