No Loss 已获至宝

[Dexu Xia]

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure.  Matthew 13:44

My friend Ruel attended a high school reunion held in a former classmate’s home. The waterfront mansion near Manila Bay could accommodate two hundred attendees, and it made Ruel feel small. 

“I’ve had many happy years of pastoring remote rural churches,” Ruel told me, “and even though I know I shouldn’t, I couldn’t help but feel envious of my classmate’s material wealth. My thoughts strayed to how different life might be if I’d used my degree to become a businessman instead.”

“But I later reminded myself there’s nothing to feel envious about,” Ruel continued with a smile. “I invested my life in serving God, and the results will last for eternity.” I’ll always remember the peaceful look on his face as he said those words.

Ruel drew peace from Jesus’ parables in Matthew 13:44−46. He knew that God’s kingdom is the ultimate treasure. Seeking and living for His kingdom might take various forms. For some, it might mean full-time ministry, while for others, it may be living out the gospel in a secular workplace. Regardless of how God chooses to use us, we can continue to trust and obey His leading, knowing, like the men in Jesus’ parables, the value of the imperishable treasure we’ve been given. Everything in this world has infinitely less worth than all we gain by following God (1 Peter 1:4−5).

Our life, when placed in His hands, can bear eternal fruit.

By:  Karen Huang

What have you had to live without for the sake of following God? How does Matthew 13:44–46 encourage you? 

Father, let each day of my life be a celebration of the treasure I’ve found in You.

天国好像宝贝。—马太福音13章44节

朋友瑞尔出席了在老同学家里举办的高中同学会。这位老同学的海滨豪宅座落在菲律宾马尼拉湾附近，足以容纳两百位宾客，这让身处其中的瑞尔不禁自惭形秽。

瑞尔告诉我：“多年来，我一直开心地在偏远的农村教会牧会。虽然我知道不应该，但我还是忍不住羡慕老同学的富裕生活，心想若我大学毕业后从商，人生会多么不同！”

接着，瑞尔又笑着说：“但后来我提醒自己，这没什么好羡慕的。我将一生投入于事奉上帝，而我所得的将会存到永恒。”我永远记得瑞尔说这句话时，脸上平静的表情。

耶稣在马太福音所说天国的比喻（13章44-46节），让瑞尔可以如此平静。他知道上帝的国度才是终极至宝，人们能以各种方式去寻求这至宝，并为此而活。对某些人来说，这也许意味着全职事奉，而对另一些人而言，可能是在职场上传福音。无论上帝如何使用我们，我们都可以持续信靠并顺服祂的带领。正如在耶稣的比喻里所提到的那个人一样，我们也能确信，你我已拥有永不朽坏的无价至宝。我们跟随上帝所得到的，远比世上一切事物更加宝贵（彼得前书1章4-5节）。

若我们把生命交给上帝，就能结出永恒的果子。

作者：  黃嘉仁

你曾为了跟随上帝而放弃些什么？马太福音13章44-46节如何带给你鼓励？

天父，愿我生命中的每一天，都因在祢里面寻获至宝而欢喜快乐。