A Meaningful Hyphen 有意义的人生
Dexu Xia
Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. Colossians 1:10
As I prepared for my mom’s celebration of life service, I prayed for the right words to describe her “hyphen years”—the years between her birth and death. I reflected on the good and not-so-good times in our relationship. I praised God for the day my mom accepted Jesus as her Savior after she saw Him “changing” me. I thanked Him for helping us grow in faith together and for the people who shared how my mom encouraged and prayed for them while showering them with kindness. My imperfect mom enjoyed a meaningful hyphen—a life well-lived for Jesus.
Not one believer in Jesus is perfect. However, the Holy Spirit can enable us to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way” (Colossians 1:10). According to the apostle Paul, the church of Colossae was known for their faith and love (vv. 3-6). The Holy Spirit gave them “wisdom and understanding” and empowered them to “[bear] fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (vv. 9-10). As Paul prayed for and praised those believers, he proclaimed the name of Jesus, the one “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (v. 14).
When we surrender to the Holy Spirit, we too can grow in our knowledge of God, love Him and people, spread the gospel, and enjoy a meaningful hyphen—a life well-lived for Jesus. By: Xochitl Dixon
What qualities characterized a person you know who lived a meaningful life? How can you enjoy living such a life this week?
Holy Spirit, please give me more opportunities to share Jesus with others as I enjoy a meaningful life.
好叫你们行事为人对得起主，凡事蒙祂喜悦。—歌罗西书1章10节
当我为母亲的追思礼拜作准备时，我求上帝赐给我合适的话语来描述母亲一生的年日──从出生到死亡之间的岁月。我回想与母亲之间那些美好的和不太美好的时光。我赞美上帝，因母亲看到耶稣“改变”了我，而接受耶稣成为她的救主。我感谢上帝帮助我们母女一起在信仰上成长，也感谢一些人述说我母亲是如何鼓励他们、为他们祈祷，并且竭尽所能地帮助他们。我的母亲虽不完美，但她拥有极具意义的人生──为耶稣而活的美好人生。
没有一个基督徒是完美的。然而，圣灵可以使我们“行事为人对得起主，凡事蒙祂喜悦”（歌罗西书1章10节）。根据使徒保罗所说，歌罗西教会以信心和爱心而闻名（3-6节）。圣灵赐给他们智慧和领悟力，并赋予他们能力“在一切善事上结果子，渐渐地多知道上帝”（9-10节）。保罗为这些信徒祷告并称赞他们，他宣告因着耶稣的名，众信徒“得蒙救赎，罪过得以赦免”（14节）。
当我们顺服圣灵的带领，我们也会渐渐地多知道上帝，爱祂和爱人，传扬福音，并享受有意义的人生──为耶稣而活的美好人生。作者： 邓书琪
你认为谁的生活很有意义，他有哪些特质？
这周你要如何过那样的生活呢？
天父上帝，请给我更多机会能与人分享福音，让我活出有意义的人生。