箴言20:13

不要貪睡，免致貧窮；眼要睜開，你就吃飽。

Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;
    stay awake and you will have food to spare.

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    懶惰是人的大罪，因為人的本性喜歡安逸，不喜歡勞苦。也因為這樣《箴言》作者要再次提醒：「不要貪睡，免致貧窮；眼要睜開，你就吃飽。」

    人睡覺不動依然要耗費能量，因為人還有心跳與呼吸，胃裡的東西仍然會消化，所以仍然會飢餓，會軟弱無力；所以睡醒之後，人會起來覓食，使自己飽足，增加體力！

    在真理的追求更是不可以偷懶和沉睡，要隨時保持一顆飢渴的心，就是要將真理如同食物一般來吞吃，不明白不行，不得著不行，一定要明白上帝的賞賜和應許，一定要認識上帝是怎樣一位上帝，要怎樣行才能得祂的喜悅！若不得祂的喜悅，絕對不會終止！

    讓我們勝過自己的惰性，靠主耶穌的名！因為，我們心裡願意，肉體卻是軟弱的，所以要攻克己身，叫身服我追求主的心志！

 

哥林多後書12:11-22

12:11 我成了愚妄人，是被你們強逼的。我本該被你們稱許才是。我雖算不了甚麼，卻沒有一件事在那些最大的使徒以下。
12:12 我在你們中間，用百般的忍耐，藉著神蹟、奇事、異能顯出使徒的憑據來。
12:13 除了我不累著你們這一件事，你們還有甚麼事不及別的教會呢？這不公之處，求你們饒恕我吧。
12:14 如今，我打算第三次到你們那裡去，也必不累著你們；因我所求的是你們，不是你們的財物。兒女不該為父母積財，父母該為兒女積財。
12:15 我也甘心樂意為你們的靈魂費財費力。難道我越發愛你們，就越發少得你們的愛嗎？
12:16 罷了，我自己並沒有累著你們，你們卻有人說，我是詭詐，用心計牢籠你們。
12:17 我所差到你們那裡去的人，我藉著他們一個人佔過你們的便宜嗎？
12:18 我勸了提多到你們那裡去，又差那位兄弟與他同去。提多佔過你們的便宜嗎？我們行事，不同是一個心靈（或譯：聖靈）嗎？不同是一個腳蹤嗎？
12:19 你們到如今，還想我們是向你們分訴；我們本是在基督裡當上帝面前說話。親愛的弟兄啊，一切的事都是為造就你們。
12:20 我怕我再來的時候，見你們不合我所想望的，你們見我也不合你們所想望的；又怕有紛爭、嫉妒、惱怒、結黨、毀謗、讒言、狂傲、混亂的事。
12:21 且怕我來的時候，我的上帝叫我在你們面前慚愧，又因許多人從前犯罪，行污穢、姦淫、邪蕩的事不肯悔改，我就憂愁。

¹¹ I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. ¹² I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. ¹³ How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
¹⁴ Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵ So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? ¹⁶ Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?
¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. ²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

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    保羅多麼愛哥林多教會，但是們仍然受到許多的惡徒影響，懷疑保羅的使徒職分，懷疑保羅的為人，使得保羅不得不說下這段狠話，讓人讀起來特別難過！

    保羅這樣的血讓牧會過的人，不管是擔任牧者或長執，很有感觸！處理眾人之事，真的是吃力不討好，做好沒有人獎勵，反而遭來怨懟、批評與不諒解。但是，為了上帝的緣故必須忍耐，因為我們是要得上帝的獎賞，不是人得稱讚！

    當然牧會最難的就是執行教會懲戒，做輔導性質的事工，是最看不見果效。因為人免不了還受到罪性的影響，人與人之間會有「紛爭、嫉妒、惱怒、結黨、毀謗、讒言、狂傲、混亂的事」，個人會有「犯罪，行污穢、姦淫、邪蕩的事不肯悔改」。

    做使徒和做傳道人及長執一樣，要去面對這些問題，誰都不想做壞人，但是為了主耶穌的身體之聖潔，就必須做壞人，勇敢的面對！勇敢的禱告和發聲！

哥林多後書12章

            哥林多後書12:1-10  ,    哥林多後書12:9   , 哥林多後書12:9 , 

            哥林多後書12:10 ,

            哥林多後書12:11-22   ,

哥林多後書12:1-10

12:1 我自誇固然無益，但我是不得已的。如今我要說到主的顯現和啟示。
12:2 我認得一個在基督裡的人，他前十四年被提到第三層天上去；（或在身內，我不知道；或在身外，我也不知道；只有上帝知道。）
12:3 我認得這人；（或在身內，或在身外，我都不知道，只有上帝知道。）
12:4 他被提到樂園裡，聽見隱祕的言語，是人不可說的。
12:5 為這人，我要誇口；但是為我自己，除了我的軟弱以外，我並不誇口。
12:6 我就是願意誇口也不算狂，因為我必說實話；只是我禁止不說，恐怕有人把我看高了，過於他在我身上所看見、所聽見的。
12:7 又恐怕我因所得的啟示甚大，就過於自高，所以有一根刺加在我肉體上，就是撒但的差役要攻擊我，免得我過於自高。
12:8 為這事，我三次求過主，叫這刺離開我。
12:9 他對我說：「我的恩典夠你用的，因為我的能力是在人的軟弱上顯得完全。」所以，我更喜歡誇自己的軟弱，好叫基督的能力覆庇我。
12:10 我為基督的緣故，就以軟弱、凌辱、急難、逼迫、困苦為可喜樂的；因我甚麼時候軟弱，甚麼時候就剛強了。

 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. ³ And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴ was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. ⁶ Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

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    保羅在此說到自己有神祕的經驗，但是這經驗並不是給他有很榮耀的感覺，也沒有到處向人誇口，為什麼會這樣呢？因為這樣的經驗之後，他遇見魔鬼的攻擊，讓他自己快受不了！求主讓他免去這樣的攻擊，但是主並沒有挪去！

    保羅要說的就是，不要拿自己的神祕經驗來誇耀，這反而是讓自己落入更大的攻擊，要面對更大的試探，讓我們覺得像刺一般，使我們認識到自己是軟弱無能的，是靠己力無法應付的，必須靠主的恩典才可以來面對。既然是主的能力覆庇，就當誇耀主不是誇耀自己！

    保羅的經驗是不是讓你覺得吃驚，在信仰上越有經歷，不是越好嗎？越是剛強嗎？卻反而覺得自己軟弱呢？這是正常的反應，因為越有這樣感覺的人，越會倚靠主的恩典，不是倚靠自己的才能和恩賜！

    然而保羅也讓我們看見，惟有承認自己的軟弱，我們才會倚靠基督的大能，基督的大能才會藉我們展現出來！因為主說：「我的恩典夠你用的，因為我的能力是在人的軟弱上顯得完全。」

哥林多後書11:16-33

11:16 我再說，人不可把我看作愚妄的。縱然如此，也要把我當作愚妄人接納，叫我可以略略自誇。
11:17 我說的話不是奉主命說的，乃是像愚妄人放膽自誇；
11:18 既有好些人憑著血氣自誇，我也要自誇了。
11:19 你們既是精明人，就能甘心忍耐愚妄人。
11:20 假若有人強你們作奴僕，或侵吞你們，或擄掠你們，或侮慢你們，或打你們的臉，你們都能忍耐他。
11:21 我說這話是羞辱自己，好像我們從前是軟弱的。然而，人在何事上勇敢，（我說句愚妄話，）我也勇敢。
11:22 他們是希伯來人嗎？我也是。他們是以色列人嗎？我也是。他們是亞伯拉罕的後裔嗎？我也是。
11:23 他們是基督的僕人嗎？（我說句狂話，）我更是。我比他們多受勞苦，多下監牢，受鞭打是過重的，冒死是屢次有的。
11:24 被猶太人鞭打五次，每次四十減去一下；
11:25 被棍打了三次；被石頭打了一次；遇著船壞三次，一晝一夜在深海裡。
11:26 又屢次行遠路，遭江河的危險、盜賊的危險、同族的危險、外邦人的危險、城裡的危險、曠野的危險、海中的危險、假弟兄的危險。
11:27 受勞碌、受困苦，多次不得睡，又飢又渴，多次不得食，受寒冷，赤身露體。
11:28 除了這外面的事，還有為眾教會掛心的事，天天壓在我身上。
11:29 有誰軟弱，我不軟弱呢？有誰跌倒，我不焦急呢？
11:30 我若必須自誇，就誇那關乎我軟弱的事便了。
11:31 那永遠可稱頌之主耶穌的父上帝知道我不說謊。
11:32 在大馬士革的亞哩達王手下的提督把守大馬士革城，要捉拿我，
11:33 我就從窗戶中，在筐子裡，從城牆上被人縋下去，脫離了他的手。

¹⁶ I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. ¹⁷ In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. ¹⁸ Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. ¹⁹ You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! ²⁰ In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. ²¹ To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. ³³ But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.

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    保羅將自己所遭的經歷向哥林多教會信徒表達，他沒有說上帝用神蹟拯救他，反而老老實實說到自己為信仰所受的苦，一五一十地說出來。他不怕人說自己是受到咒詛，反倒勇敢的說：「我若必須自誇，就誇那關乎我軟弱的事便了。那永遠可稱頌之主耶穌的父上帝知道我不說謊。」

    從保羅的見證中我們可以認識真正上帝的僕人是怎樣的！是不說誇大的話，也不高抬自己的成就，不說到自己多麼厲害、多麼有辦法！不像許多高抬自己，自以為是的「成功神學」牧者，說到上帝多麼賜福給他，讓他的事工多麼順利，多麼有果效，多麼造就人！

    因此，當你覺得事工推動得不順利，阻力很多、很困難做，不見得不是上帝的旨意！反而覺得很困難做、沒有什麼果效，但是內心卻不願意放棄的事工，才真得是上帝的旨意，才是真的上帝要我們做的，因為這樣的情況我們會更倚靠上帝，把榮耀歸給上帝！正如保羅為了服事上帝，反而遇到更多苦難一般！

    我不會為上帝說好話，正如保羅也不為上帝說好話，因為事奉上帝本來就是不容易的事，本來就是看不到明顯的果效，需要耐心等候與投入的事情！甚至是吃力不討好，也因為這樣有呼召很重要！