We Need Jesus’ Help 需要祂的帮助

[Dexu Xia]

Apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

The day finally came—the day I realized my father wasn’t indestructible. As a boy, I knew his strength and determination. But in my early adult years, he injured his back, and I realized that my father was mortal after all. I stayed with my parents to help my dad to the bathroom, assisting him in dressing, even guiding a glass of water to his mouth—it was humbling to him. He made some initial attempts to accomplish small tasks, but admitted, “I can’t do anything without your help.” He eventually recovered to his strong self, but that experience taught both of us an important lesson. We need each other.

And while we need each other, we need Jesus even more. In John 15, the imagery of the vine and the branches continues to be one we cling to. Yet one of the other phrases, while comforting, can also strike at our self-reliance. The thought that can easily creep into our minds is, I don’t need help. Jesus is clear—“apart from me you can do nothing” (v. 5). Christ is talking about bearing fruit, like “love, joy, peace” (Galatians 5:22), those core features of a disciple. To bear fruit is the life Jesus calls us to, and our total reliance on Him yields a fruitful life, a life lived to the Father’s glory (John 15:8).

The prayer “I can do nothing apart from You” is simple and powerful. What situations are you facing today that need prayer? How can you rest assured that God is with you and loves you?

Father, I can do nothing apart from You.

离了我，你们就不能做什么。—约翰福音15章5节

从小，爸爸在我心目中一直是个身体健壮、勇敢坚定的人。但终于有这么一天，我发现爸爸并不是铁打的。记得我刚成年不久，爸爸背部受了伤，我才发现原来他并不是超人。当时我跟爸妈住在一起，以便照顾爸爸的日常起居，服侍他上厕所、穿衣服，甚至需要把水端到他嘴边给他喝，这一切让他的自尊心深受打击。起初，他也试着自己做些简单的事，但后来还是不得不承认：“没有你的帮助，我什么都做不到。”后来，他终于痊愈恢复了健康，但那次的经历让我们俩学到重要的一课，那就是我们需要彼此。

虽然我们需要彼此，但我们更需要耶稣。在约翰福音15章中葡萄树和枝子的比喻，一直是我们坚信的教导。其中一节经文虽使人得安慰，但似乎也会打击我们的自信心。我们常觉得靠自己就行了，我不需要帮助，但耶稣清楚地告诉我们：“离了我，你们就不能做什么”（5节）。这是指我们无法靠自己结出圣灵的的果子，例如“仁爱、喜乐、和平”（加拉太书5章22节），这些都是门徒应具备的主要特质。耶稣要你我活出多结果子的生命，当我们全然倚靠祂，生命就必能多结果子，并且荣耀我们的天父（约翰福音15章8节）。

“离了祢，我就不能做什么”，这样的祷告简洁有力。
今天，你面对哪些情况需要这样的祷告呢？
你如何确信上帝爱你且与你同在？

天父啊，我要紧紧倚靠祢，因为离了祢，我就不能做什么。