The Lord Has done this / 主角
Dexu Xia
The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 118:23
I once heard about a student taking a class in preaching at a prominent seminary. The student, a young man who was a bit full of himself, delivered his sermon with eloquence and evident passion. He sat down self-satisfied, and the professor paused a moment before responding. “That was a powerful sermon,” he said. “It was well organized and moving. The only problem is that God was not the subject of a single one of your sentences.”
The professor highlighted a problem all of us struggle with at times: We can talk as if we’re the primary actor (emphasizing what we do, what we say) when in truth God is the primary actor in life. We often profess that God is somehow generally “in charge,” but we act as if all the outcomes depend on us.
The Scriptures insist that God is the true subject of our lives, the true force. Even our necessary acts of faith are done “in the name of the Lord”—in the Lord’s power (Psalm 118:10–11). God enacts our salvation. God rescues us. God tends to our needs. “The Lord has done this” (v. 23).
So the pressure’s off. We don’t need to fret, compare, work with compulsive energy, or feed our many anxieties. God is in charge. We need only trust and follow His lead in obedience.
When are you most tempted to think you’re the main actor of your life? How has God invited you to let Him be the center of your life?
God, I’ve been paying lip service to You being in charge of my world. It’s exhausting, and I want to stop doing that. Help me trust You.
主角
这是耶和华所做的,在我们眼中堪为稀奇。-诗篇118篇23节
我曾听说有个学生在一所著名的神学院修读讲道学。这年轻人有点自命不凡，在一次讲道练习时，他以雄辩的口才、铿锵有力的声调，充满激情地讲完他所预备的信息。过后，他洋洋得意地走下台，但教授顿了一顿才作出回应：“讲道很有力，条理分明，动之以情。只有一个问题，那就是整篇讲道中，没有一句话是以上帝为主语。”
这位教授指出我们经常会面对的一个问题：我们说话总以自己为主角（强调我们做了什么，说了什么），但诚然上帝才是我们生命中的主角。我们虽不时宣告生命是由“上帝掌权”，但我们所做的却似乎是自己要掌握一切。
圣经强调上帝才是我们生命中真正的主角，祂才有真正的能力。我们所有出于信心的行动，也都是倚靠上帝的名和祂的能力（诗篇118篇10-11节）。上帝制定救赎计划，祂拯救我们，并供应我们所需，“这是耶和华所做的”（23节）。
所以，一切的压力都消除了。我们不必烦躁苦恼、与人比较、拼命工作，或为了各种挂虑疲于奔命。当谨记“上帝掌权”，我们只须信靠并顺服地跟随祂的引领。
上帝啊，我口里宣称生命乃由祢掌管，
但自己仍疲于奔命，以致疲惫不堪。
我不想再继续依靠自己，求祢帮助我全然信靠祢！
何时最容易让你觉得自己是生命中的主角？
你要如何让上帝成为你生命的中心？