Lower Deck People 甲板底下

[Dexu Xia]

Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. 1 Corinthians 12:22

comment

A friend of mine works on a hospital ship called Africa Mercy, which takes free healthcare to developing countries. The staff daily serve hundreds of patients whose ailments would otherwise go untreated.

TV crews who periodically board the ship, point their cameras on its amazing medical staff, who fix cleft palates and reset club feet. Sometimes they go below deck to interview other crew members, but the work Mick does typically goes unnoticed.

Mick, an engineer, admits being surprised about where he’d been assigned to work—in the ship’s sewage plant. With up to forty thousand liters of waste produced each day, managing this toxic material is serious business. Without Mick tending its pipes and pumps, Africa Mercy’s life-giving operations would stop.

It’s easy to applaud those on the “top deck” of Christian ministry while overlooking those in the galleys below. When the Corinthians elevated those with extraordinary gifts above others, Paul reminded them that every believer has a role in Christ’s work (1 Corinthians 12:7–20), and every gift is important, whether it’s miraculous healing or helping others (vv. 27–31). In fact, the less prominent the role, the greater honor it deserves (vv. 22–24).

Are you a “lower deck” person? Then lift your head high. Your work is honored by God and indispensable to us all.

By:  Sheridan Voysey

What happens when you compare your gifts with others? Which “lower deck” person can you affirm the efforts of today?

I’m important to You, God. Thank You for noticing me whether others do or not. 

身上肢体，人以为软弱的，更是不可少的。—哥林多前书12章22节

我朋友米克在一艘医疗船（Africa Mercy）上工作，这艘船主要是为发展中国家提供免费医疗服务。每天都有数百名病患登船就医，否则他们的疾病将无法获得治疗。

电视台的工作人员会定期登船，拍摄医护人员如何为腭裂和畸型足患者进行治疗矫正。偶尔他们也会到甲板底下采访其他船务人员，但很少人会注意到米克负责的工作。

米克是一名工程师，对于自己被分配的工作是处理船上的污水，他承认有点惊讶。医疗船每天都会产生多达四万公升的废水，因此处理有毒物质是一项重要的任务。如果米克没管理好船上的水管和水泵，船上的生命救援行动将无法进行。

人们很容易为那些在福音事工中“甲板上”的人鼓掌，却忽略了在甲板底下辛勤工作的人。当哥林多教会的信徒高举那些拥有特殊恩赐的人时，保罗提醒他们，在福音事工里，每个信徒都有各自的角色（哥林多前书12章7-20节），而且无论是医治人或帮助人，每个恩赐都举足轻重（27-31节）。其实，越不起眼的角色，就越应当得到尊荣（22-24节）。

你是处于“甲板底下”的人吗？你不必觉得自己无足轻重，因为你的工作不仅受上帝的认可，对所有人来说也是不可或缺的。

作者：  霍薛顿

你若将自己的恩赐与他人比较会如何？
今天，你能肯定哪个“甲板底下”的信徒所付出的努力？

上帝，谢谢祢看重我。无论别人是否注意到我，谢谢祢总是看见我