給上帝的禮物 (5)

送給上帝的禮物 (5)
聖經閱讀：馬太福音22:34-40 現代中譯本|合和本
2013年12月25日(三)

今天我們要來談最後一個，也是最重要的一個，可以送給上帝的禮物。你可在聖誕節或是一年當中的任何一天將這個禮物送給上帝。這個重要禮物就是你的愛。 　我還記得我的孩子小時候送給我的一些禮物──一顆從我們最愛去的湖邊撿來的石頭、一幅親手畫的全家福、一張他們在爬山路上撿回來的東西所作的拼貼。用世界的眼光來看，這些禮物都沒什麼價值，但對我來說，它們卻是無價之寶。為什麼呢？因為我知道我的孩子不只是送一份禮物給我──他們是在將他們愛送給我。 　在今天的經文中，耶穌告訴我們那最重要的誡命：「你要全心、全情、全意愛主─你的上帝。這是第一條最重要的誡命」(第37-38節)。我們要如何才能這樣子愛上帝呢？藉著將生命專注在做討主喜悅的事上，我們就可以辦得到。 　也許今天你會送禮物給家人和朋友，但不要忘記耶穌，要將你的愛當作禮物送給祂！ －JK 「我們愛，因為上帝先愛了我們。」 約翰一書4:19 禱告：親愛的天父，我將我所有的愛都獻給祢。奉耶穌的名，阿們！ (陳萍萍譯)

Gifts for God (5)
Bible Reading: Matthew 22:34-40
Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Today we will talk about the last — and most important — gift that we can give God. You can give this gift to God on Christmas Day or any day of the year. This important gift is your love. 　I remember some of the gifts my children gave me when they were young — a rock from the shore of our favorite lake, a hand-painted picture of our family, a collage of things they picked up on their mountain hike. These gifts were not valuable according to the world. But to me, they were priceless. Why? Because I knew that my children were not just giving me a gift — they were giving me their love. 　In our Bible Reading, Jesus tells us about the most important command. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and most important command” (verse 37-38). How can we love God this way? We can do this by focusing our lives on doing things that please Him. 　Maybe you are giving gifts today to your family and friends. Don’t forget about God. Give Him the gift of your love! —JK “We love because God first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I give You all my love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.