Serving at the Pleasure 乐于事奉
Dexu Xia
Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15
Andrew Card was the Chief of Staff to American president George W. Bush. In an interview regarding his role in the White House he explained, “In each staff member’s office hangs a framed statement of purpose: ‘We serve at the pleasure of the President.’ But that does not mean that we serve to please the President or to win his or her pleasure. Rather, we serve to tell him what he needs to know to do his job.” That job is to govern the United States of America.
In so many of our roles and relationships, we slip into people-pleasing mode rather than building up each other in unity, as the apostle Paul often urged. In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote, “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith” (vv. 11-13). In verses 15-16, Paul cut through our people-pleasing tendencies, stressing that these gifts should be expressed by “speaking the truth in love” so that “the whole body . . . grows and builds itself up in love.”
As believers in Jesus, we serve people to build them up and to accomplish God’s purposes. Whether or not we please others, we’ll please God as He works through us to create unity in His church.
By: Elisa Morgan
Who do you serve to please? How might God’s higher presence direct your words?
Dear God, I want to please You by speaking the truth in love to my brothers and sisters.
惟用爱心说诚实话，凡事长进，连于元首基督。—以弗所书4章15节
安德鲁‧卡德（Andrew Card）曾是美国前总统小布希的白宫幕僚长。在一次采访中，他谈到自己在白宫扮演的角色：“每个工作人员的办公室里都挂着一幅裱框的使命宣言：‘我们乐于为总统服务，听候差遣。’但我们为总统服务，并不是为了取悦或赢得总统的欢心。相反地，我们的职责是告诉总统他所需要知道的资讯，好让他能完成他的工作。”美国总统的工作就是治理美利坚合众国。
很多时候，我们在生活中担任的角色和人际关系中，也会落入取悦他人的模式，而不是照使徒保罗所教导的，在合一中互相造就、彼此建立。在以弗所书4章，他写道：“[基督]所赐的有使徒，有先知，有传福音的，有牧师和教师。为要成全圣徒，各尽其职，建立基督的身体，直等到我们众人在真道上同归于一”（11-13节）。在15到16节，保罗虽然没有直接指出我们取悦他人的倾向，但强调运用这些恩赐时要“用爱心说诚实话”，好让“身体渐渐增长，在爱中建立自己”。
作为基督徒，我们服事人是为了要建立他们，并完成上帝的旨意。我们这样的服事，不一定会讨别人的喜悦，但却会讨上帝的喜悦，因为祂透过我们动工，在祂的教会中建立合一。作者： 莫丽莎
你的事奉是为了讨谁的喜悦？上帝至高的同在如何引导你的言语？
上帝赐下的恩典是如此多样、广泛和丰富，祂用许多管道和各样恩赐帮助我们在基督里长大成熟。
亲爱的上帝，我要讨祢的喜悦，求祢帮助我能凭着爱心向主内弟兄姐妹说诚实话。