成長 ... growth

(English at the bottom)
近年生活空間擴闊了，
看聖經經文或靈修書，
不單消化文字的意思，
亦多了思考怎樣應用於個人情況。
例如今天閱讀《每日經歷神》8月23日的文章《一步步得勝利》，
指出神會一步步改變我的性格？
如果將文章中的『你』字變為『我』字，有更切身的感受：
『當神帶領你(我)在屬靈的生命上成長，
衪給你(我)的挑戰，
是合適於你(我)的性格及你(我)與神的關係。
當你(我)成為基督徒時，
神不會一次就改變你(我)的性格。
祂會引導你(我)經歷一段過程，
讓你(我)變得更像衪的兒子。』

啊！要使我變得更像主耶穌？
主有那麼多優點，
就好像聖靈的九種果子，我都缺乏，
與主的距離太遠了，神的期望是否太大？
但作者布克比牧師說，
『衪(神)會不斷地在你(我)生命某方面作工，
直到你(我)生命的那個部分，
被聖靈完全掌管才罷休。』

其實近期不斷有新體會，
就是神造人有各種不同的性格或特質，必有其意；
例如結合不同性格與能力的人，
互相配搭，如聖經所說的：人有不同恩賜。
各種性格，雖各有長處，但同時也各有短處，
例如因應工作需要，近期閱讀一本有關資優的書(註1)，
始知資優兒童的種種優勢，
同時也可能引起一些待人處事上的問題，需要注意。

上天看來很公平，沒有一種特質或強項，是十全十美的。
世上沒有人是完美如主耶穌的，
聖經不是說世上連一個義人都沒有嗎？
但信主的人會經歷持續的過程，
讓主不斷幫助我們改變、更新。
不過，常言道『江山易改，本性難移』，
要改變自己的性格 (大概指性格上的弱點吧？)，一定困難。

《一步步得勝利》這篇文章的作者布克比牧師，分析非常仔細，
期望事情快快完成的我，看完這句只好鍛鍊耐性了：
『你可能非常渴望在自己性格上的每個方面都能成熟，
……讓你體會必要的經歷，好幫助你靈性的成長。
當神要培養你擁有像耶穌一樣的生命時，不要沒耐性。
不要擔負超過衪要給你的責任。
順服衪所有的旨意，衪會照著目前最合適你的性格，
及合於衪在你身上的計畫之步調，領你前進。』
這令我想起工作上時常聽到的六個字：照顧個別差異！
原來天父也會因應我的差異而領我前進。

人容易當局者迷，
縱然知道自己的缺點，
可能也逃避，難以改變；
就算改變，也需長期作戰。
但文章指出：信徒靈性成長的過程，
神一定會要求我們不斷更新自己的生命，
例如改變性格上某些不似主耶穌的特質；
差距太遠，就只有一步步來。 
像路邊野草枯樹及園中灌木，
在近期充足雨水滋潤下，
不斷長出新葉，日益茂密。
新葉嫩綠，層層葉色不同，
葉子的顏色會隨成長而變。
葉子尚且如此，何況是人？
後記：
《一步步得勝利》這篇文章重點不是講解神會怎樣使我改變。
改變自己實困難，需靠神的能力及自己有決心，兩者缺一不可吧！
性格既是神所賜，神不是要我完全改變性格，而是改善性格上的缺點……？

22.8.2018

23.8.2018

21.8.2018

註1：《資優兒童親職教育》，J.T.Webb, J.L.Gore, E.R.Amend, & A.R.DeVries 著，盧雪梅譯，台北心理出版社。

鳴謝：感謝一位朋友送贈此書。
也感謝另一位朋友送贈《每日經歷神》這本靈修書。

Growth

In recent years, I have renewed my understanding about character. I think God has intentionally created people with different characters or qualities so that people could work together and pursue goals that require different types of abilities or interests, just as the Bible says that people have different gifts. For each type of character, there are strengths accompanied by weaknesses. For example, according to a book about giftedness, although gifted children have various strengths, their strengths might be accompanied by problems. How contradictory this sounds!

The Creator is fair. No qualities or strengths are perfect.

Nobody is perfect like Jesus Christ. However, those who believe in the Lord would go through a perpetual process of changes initiated by the Lord.

But just as there’s a Chinese saying that it is difficult to change one’s own character, it sounds like an impossible mission to change one’s character (probably the weaknesses). Would the process be painful ? If it is a lifelong process, doesn’t it mean that we are living in this process everyday?

I think God has His aim in making me think of this issue more at my age.

So as I read the article ‘Victory one step at a time’ today (23 Aug) in ‘Experiencing God day by day’, I could quite understand the ideas in it:

“As God leads you in your Christian growth, He will allow challenges that match your character and relationship to Him. God will not totally change your character at once when you become a Christian. Rather, He will lead you through a process to become more like His Son. He will keep working in an area in your life until it is controlled by the Holy Spirit. You may eagerly desire maturity in every area of your character, but steady, gradual growth is more lasting. God will not take shortcuts in His process of making you like Christ. He sees your life from eternity and will take as long as necessary to produce lasting spiritual growth in you.”

For impatient character like me, the author has also provided a detailed reminder:

“Do not become impatient while God is producing Christ-likeness in you. Do not seek more responsibilities than those He has given you. Obey all that you know He has asked, and He will lead you at a pace that fits your present character and His purposes for you.”

This has reminded me of the expression that I often heard at work: 'catering for diversity'. Oh, our Father would also work according to my individuality. It is very difficult to change or improve on our own character. Yet, the article has pointed out that in the process of spiritual growth, God would surely require us to renew our life and improve on those qualities that don’t resemble the Lord. If the difference is too great, He will work step by step. 

This makes me think of plants growing new leaves after sufficient moisture is absorbed after lots of rain recently, and the color of the leaves would change from light green to dark green as time goes by, so is our life – gradual changes as time goes by.

P.S.: The focus of the article ‘Victory one step at a time’ is probably not how changes take place. As changing one’s character is so difficult, we need the power of God as well as our own determination, we can’t rely on ourselves nor putting all the responsibility in God’s hand. As God has given me a particular type of character, maybe God is not asking me to change my character, but to improve on the weaknesses?

P.B.: Thanks to the friend who has given me the book (Chinese translation) 'A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children' by J.T. Webb, J.L. Gore, E.R. Amend, & A.R. DeVries.

Thanks also to the friend who has given me the book (Chinese translation) 'Experiencing God day by day'.