作者: Donald Whitney 譯者: Maria Marta
你一直相信，你應該擁有福音派人士所通稱的「安靜時間」，「安靜時間」有時也被稱為「每日靈修」，一般包括讀聖經和禱告兩部分。此外，就時間安排、持續時間、地點，和內容等方面來說，靈修活動可以是高度個人化的。一些人在讀聖經之余加上默想聖經，另一些人會把某些日記形式列為靈修的一部分，還有一些人會加添另一本書的簡短靈修閱讀。一般來說，每日靈修的目標是餵養靈魂和與上帝溝通。
但最近，你對靈修習慣感到怠倦。由於爭紮，私底下你對靈修計劃做了一些屬靈成本/效益的分析。
別緊張。為什麽要強調爭紮呢？誰希望自己的屬靈生活是一場爭戰？請讓我幫你分析一下，為什麽你有可能不需要安靜時間。
首先，你忙碌不休。事實上，你從未這樣忙過。上帝賦予你許多責任，你竭力盡忠職守。如果你每天花時間讀經和祈禱，你會失去寶貴的時間，而你可以將這些時間投入到其他上帝賦予的重要的任務之中。
第二，你不能同時出現在兩個地方。有這麽多的需求要去滿足，有這麽多的人要去幫助，與上帝獨處不是有點自私，不是可以將浪費的時間用於服事別人？這是事實，甚至連耶穌也經常從那些尋求祂的，祂正在教導和服事的人中退出來,為的是在禱告中堅固祂的靈魂。但這是否意味著，在這方面祂是我們的榜樣？
第三，你的屬靈生命已經邁向成熟。想想你一生中讀過的所有基督教書籍和部落格。這些書籍和部落格不是大量引用聖經嗎？想想你聽過多少講道和聖經課程。到現在為止，你還沒有達到你在每日靈修中只重複你已經知道的材料的這種屬靈的水平？你認為上帝期望你晝夜默想祂的說話嗎？
第四，你不希望成為一個模仿者。僅僅因為過去基督教的偉大英雄委身禱告與默想聖經，並不意味著你也應該去做。畢竟，你有學習資源幫助你，而他們從未有過這類的資源。況且你有智能手機和互聯網。
第五，你不想變成為法律主義者。認為你的靈魂需要上帝的話語餵養，和尋求每天與上帝交流，幾乎等於說你的身體每天都要有食物供應。誰希望陷入每天填飽自己的身體這樣的法律主義的陷阱？當談到上帝的事情時，默想是多麽的重要，不是嗎？正如傳道書七章16節的警告：「不要過分公義」。
對不一致的靈修生活仍然感覺懊悔？別擔心，當生活節奏放慢，總有一天你會重新開始。
相信嗎？好吧，在你完全放棄你每日靈修的時間之前，你也許會考慮以下這些事情。
首先，確定與上帝相處的時間為優先時間是恩典的標志。在這裏和很難與愛德華茲爭論：
「真基督徒........有時也喜愛遠離眾人，在私下獨自與上帝談話........真信仰使人喜歡在僻靜的地方獨處，花時間進行聖潔的默想和禱告........真恩典的本質，即無論恩典使人多麽喜愛參與基督徒群體，但恩典也會特別使人喜愛獨自與上帝私密地交通。」「1」
其次，耶穌的確是個人敬虔的典範。是的，如果你放棄你的靈修生活，你可以服事更多的人。但同樣也可以說，你把這些時間用於吃飯和睡覺。你放棄靈修生活去滿足人們的需求嗎？補充你的靈魂或身體的時間被服事人取代，長期這樣下去，既不明智也不結果子。耶穌能滿足幾乎每一個呈現在祂面前的需求。但有時祂也會離開有需要的人群，禱告。在一切良善的事上，耶穌是我們的榜樣，包括與父親相處的優先權。
第三、使徒保羅希望自己靈魂浸透於聖經之中，甚至直到死為止。在他寫的最後一封激勵信中，保羅懇求提摩太：「你來的時候, 要帶……那些書卷，特別是那些羊皮卷。」（提後四13）。這些著作幾乎肯定包括舊約的副本。基督徒的靈命若要象使徒保羅那樣成熟，就需要定期攝入聖經，直到死為止，我們敢認為，我們已經「長大」，不再需要它嗎？
第四、我們被吩咐要模仿屬靈英雄。在希伯來書十三章7節，上帝命令我們要記念，觀察，並效法過去的基督教領袖。我們被告知：「要記念那些領導過你們，把 神的道傳給你們的人；你們要觀察他們一生的成果，要效法他們的信心」。基督教歷史上的屬靈偉人的共識，證明了信徒的靈修生活不可缺少，不應被忘記，也不應遺忘他們的榜樣。
第五、靈修習慣的正確動機從來都不是為了墨守律法。如果你的動機正確，無論是對上帝的話語的嚴格遵從，還是對聖潔的熱切追求，都不是律法主義。律法主義不是以個人靈修的連貫性，而是以個人這樣做的內心原由作標準來衡量。
最後，你可能從來都不那麽忙。如果你現在不能花時間，透過聖經與上帝相處和祈禱，那麽當------如果------生活節奏慢下來，你是不太可能會與上帝相處和祈禱的。
你的生命的確需要重大改變。但是想想：少花時間與上帝相處怎麽可能是答案呢？
註「1」: 摘錄自《屬靈情感》Religious
Affections, p.341-342, 約拿單．愛德華茲（Jonathan Edwards）著/彭彥華、楊基譯/台北改革宗出版社 , 2016
Dr.
Donald S. Whitney is professor of biblical spirituality and associate dean at
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and founder and
president of the Center for Biblical Spirituality.
本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌2017年一月號 。
Why
You Probably Don’t Need a Quiet Time
by
Donald Whitney
You’ve
always believed you should have what evangelicals commonly call a “quiet time.”
Sometimes called “daily devotions,” a quiet time typically consists of Bible
reading and prayer. Beyond these, the event can be highly individualized in
terms of timing, duration, location, and content. Many add meditation on
Scripture to their reading of it. Others will include some form of journaling.
Some will append a brief devotional reading from another book. Generally, the
goal is to feed the soul and commune with God.
Lately,
however, your devotional habits have languished. In light of the struggle,
privately you’ve been doing a little spiritual cost/benefit analysis about the
whole enterprise.
Relax.
Why stress about it? Who wants their spiritual life to be a struggle? Let me
help you see why you probably don’t need a quiet time anyway.
For
starters, you’re incredibly busy. In fact, you’ve never been busier. God has
given you many responsibilities, and you try to be faithful with them. If you
take time for Bible intake and prayer every day, you’ll lose valuable time you
could devote to other important God-given tasks.
Second,
you can’t be in two places at once. With so many needs to meet and people to
help, isn’t it a bit selfish to get alone with God and sacrifice time you could
use in ministering to others? True, even Jesus frequently withdrew from
teaching and ministering to the crowds who sought Him in order to strengthen
His soul in prayer. But does that mean He’s an example to us in this?
Third,
you’re already spiritually mature. Think of all the Christian books and blogs
you’ve read in your life. Didn’t they draw a lot from Scripture? Think of how
many sermons and Bible lessons you’ve heard. By now, haven’t you reached a
level of spiritual maturity where daily devotions simply repeat material you
already know? Do you think God expects you to meditate on His Word day and
night?
Fourth,
you don’t want to be a copycat. Just because the great Christian heroes of the
past had a regular commitment to prayer and meditation on Scripture doesn’t
mean you should. After all, you’re helped by resources they never had. You have
a smartphone and the Internet.
Fifth,
you don’t want to become legalistic. To think that your soul needs to feed on
God’s Word and seek communion with Him every day would almost be tantamount to
saying that your body should have food virtually every day. And who would want
to fall into the legalistic trap of feeding one’s body daily? Moderation is so
important when it comes to the things of God, isn’t it? As Ecclesiastes 7:16
warns, “Do not be overly righteous.”
Still
feeling remorse about an inconsistent devotional life? Don’t worry; you can
always start again someday when life slows down.
Convinced?
Well, before you completely forsake your daily devotional time, you might
consider a few things.
First,
making a priority of time with God is a mark of grace. It’s hard to argue with
Jonathan Edwards here:
A
true Christian. . . delights at times to retire from all mankind, to converse
with God in solitary places. . . . True religion disposes persons to be much
alone in solitary places, for holy meditation and prayer. . . . It is the
nature of true grace, that however it loves Christian society in its place, yet
it in a peculiar manner delights in retirement, and secret converse with God.
Next,
Jesus is indeed the great example of personal piety. Yes, you could serve
others more if you abandoned your devotional life. But the same could be said
for the time you spend eating and sleeping. Would you discard them to meet
people’s needs? While there are times to minister to others instead of
replenishing your soul or body, as a long-term practice this is neither wise
nor fruitful. Jesus could have met literally every need presented to Him. But
even He sometimes walked away from needy crowds to pray. Jesus is our example
of all things good, including the priority of meeting with the Father.
Third,
even until death, the Apostle Paul wanted to saturate his soul in Scripture. In
the last inspired letter he wrote, Paul pleaded with Timothy, “When you come,
bring . . . the books, and above all the parchments” (2 Tim. 4:13). These
writings almost certainly included a copy of the Old Testament. If a Christian
as spiritually mature as the Apostle Paul required the regular intake of
Scripture until death, dare we ever think we’ve “outgrown” the need for it?
Fourth,
we are called to imitate spiritual heroes. In Hebrews 13:7, God commands us to
remember, consider, and imitate Christian leaders of the past. We’re told,
“Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God. Consider the outcome
of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” The consensus of the spiritual
giants of Christian history that testifies to the indispensability of a
believer’s devotional life should not be forgotten nor their example forsaken.
Fifth,
rightly motivated devotional habits are never legalistic. Neither the strictest
obedience to the Word of God nor the most zealous pursuit of holiness is ever
legalistic if one’s motives are right. The measurement of legalism is not the
consistency of one’s devotional practices but the heart’s reason for doing
them.
Finally,
you’ll likely never be less busy. If you can’t make time to meet God through
the Bible and prayer now, it’s very unlikely you will when—if—life does slow
down.
Significant
changes in your life may indeed be needed. But think: How can less time with
God be the answer?