帮助孩子明白跟从耶稣的代价Helping Children Understand the Costof Following Jesus
作者: Jill Nelson 译者/校对者: 香柏/雅斤
许多年前我的儿子踏进了征兵办公室。那里的人向他描绘了一番精彩光荣的军旅生活——不只经济待遇好，还有令人兴奋的冒险。不加入简直是疯了。但是征兵工作人员并不知情的是，在此之前我们的儿子已经和一位从军20年（其中有两年在战区的经历）的好友和导师有过一番交谈。他给我们的儿子描绘了一幅更加客观且真实的画面。我们的儿子是从他那里了解了真实的军旅生活之后才报名应征的。他是在计算了代价之后才决定参军，因为他愿意投身于一项他所相信的事业，知道等着自己的会有辛劳、舍己、受苦和战争。
Years ago my son stepped through the
doors of an Army recruitment office. He was given a wonderful and glorious picture
of army life—one filled with financial benefits and exciting adventures. You’d
be crazy NOT to join up. But, unbeknownst to the recruiter, our son had been
given a prior “recruitment” talk by a good friend and mentor who had been in
the army for 20 years (including two, year-long deployments into war zones). He
gave our son a much more realistic and truthful picture. It was with this
latter understanding that our son signed up. He counted the cost and joined
because he was committed to a cause he believed in, knowing that hard work,
self-sacrifice, suffering, and war was ahead.
有时我会想，在我们向孩子传讲福音的时候，是否也容易带有一种微妙的“征兵心理”。请不要误会我的意思——福音无疑是最荣耀的消息，我们也非常乐意与孩子和学生分享，信靠和跟从耶稣确实能够带来无与伦比的益处和全然满足的喜乐。唯有耶稣是“道路、真理和生命”。但是，我们是否曾帮助他们了解到跟从耶稣需要付代价呢？
I wonder sometimes if we are prone to
a subtle type of recruitment mentality when we present the Gospel to children.
Please don’t get me wrong—the Gospel IS the most glorious news of all, and we
should be gladly sharing with our children and students the truth of the
incomparable benefits and all-satisfying joy of trusting in Jesus and following
Him. Jesus alone is “the way and the true and the life.” But, do we also help
them understand that there is a cost in following Jesus?
耶稣又对众人说：“若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，天天背起他的十字架来跟从我。因为凡要救自己生命的，必丧掉生命；凡为我丧掉生命的，必救了生命。”（路9:23-24）
And he said to all, “If anyone would
come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for
my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24, ESV)
最近，贾里德•威尔森（Jared Wilson）在一篇题为《寻人：前来赴死》的文章中写道：
Recently, Jared Wilson wrote an
article titled, “Men Wanted: Come and Die.”
In it he states:
你可曾在征兵海报或电视广告上看到过负伤的士兵？可曾看到过中枪的士兵、为鲜血直流的战友注射吗啡的军医以及在战场上成片倒下的伤员？
Have you ever seen a military
recruitment poster or TV ad that showed wounded soldiers? Ever seen one that
showed soldiers taking bullets, medics administering morphine to blood-gushing
comrades, or an array of battle-hardened quadriplegics?
不，你没有见过。我们招兵的时候会展示锃亮的武器、技术先进的机器和系统、惊险刺激的驻地，还有强健的男男女女手持武器、积极投入并且勇敢无畏地乐在其中。
No, you have not. We recruit soldiers
by showing shiny weapons, technologically advanced machines and systems,
adventurous locales, and strong, healthy men and women using them, engaging in
them, and bravely enjoying them.
但保罗不会这样。他不会美化福音使命。正如基督所说的：要“计算代价”，“背起你的十字架”；而保罗的征兵口号是：同担苦难！
But not Paul. He will not whitewash
the mission. As Christ says, “Count the cost” and “Take up your cross” and “Die
to self,” Paul’s recruitment slogan is: Share in suffering.
在提摩太后书2:7中，他写道：“我所说的话你要思想，因为凡事主必给你聪明。”他希望耶稣的门徒能够仔细考虑神为他们预先做好的安排，告诉他们基督要求门徒像士兵一样受苦、像运动员一样训练、像农夫一样劳力。这三个例子的共同之处在于为了一个当前不能很快实现的回报，坚持日复一日地刻苦操练。
In 2 Timothy 2:7, he writes, “Think
over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” He
wants disciples of Jesus to consider what he’s just laid out for them, which is
that Christianity is about suffering like a soldier, training like an athlete,
and working hard like a farmer. One thing these three examples have in common
is a stubborn commitment to a diligent daily grind for a payoff that is not
instant or immediate.
这并不是说每当我们在向孩子阐明福音的时候都要用很长时间并且很病态地描述受苦。但是，我们应当使用适合他们年龄的方式，帮助孩子和学生意识到，跟从耶稣需要付上代价。
This is not to say that we include a
prolonged or overly morbid description about suffering whenever we present the
Gospel to children. However, we should help our children and students
recognize, in age-appropriate ways, that there is a cost involved in following
Jesus. What might this look like?
在我们的小册子《帮助孩子理解福音》[2]中，我们列举了十条需要孩子知道并领受的重要真理，其中第十条是：
In our booklet “Helping Children to
Understand the Gospel,” we present 10 essential truths for children to know and
embrace. Here is essential truth 10:
信靠耶稣的人会为讨他喜悦而活，也会得到永生的应许——在天上永远以神为乐。（路9:23；约11:25；约一2:15；诗16:11）
Those who trust in Jesus will live to
please Him and will receive the promise of eternal life-enjoying God forever in
heaven. (Luke 9:23; John 11:25; 1 John 2:15; Psalm 16:11)
我们建议你这样讲解这条真理：
Here is how we suggest you could
explain this truth:
如果你想弹钢琴或成为棒球队队员，你会想到你需要为此花时间练习吗？有必要在上钢琴课或加入棒球队之前好好考虑一下吗？为什么？因为我们要为自己作出的选择付上代价。如果你想要把钢琴弹好，你需要花很多时间去练习。为了练琴和上课你需要放弃其他一些事情。为了弹好钢琴你可能需要放弃什么呢？为了成为一名优秀的棒球运动员你需要做出哪些改变呢？
If you want to play the piano or be
on a baseball team, would you expect it would take a certain amount of time and
practice? Would it be a good thing to think about this before you started piano
lessons or joined the baseball team? Why? Because there is a “cost” involved to
the choices we make. If you want to play the piano well, it will demand your
time because you will have to practice. You will need to give up other things
in order to practice and to go to lessons. What might you have to give up in
order to play the piano well? What will you need to change in order to be a
good baseball player?
救恩是神白白赐给你的礼物，而且每一位真正悔改和信靠耶稣的人都能得到这份礼物。但是这个免费的礼物需要你付上一生的代价!这是什么意思呢？意思是你必须按照耶稣的旨意而活，而不是听凭己意。意思是在余生的每一天你都应该相信和跟从耶稣——在你十岁、二十岁、五十岁、甚至九十岁的时候。要做到这一点，有些事你需要放弃，有些事你需要改变。
Salvation is a free gift offered to
you by God and it is given to everyone who truly repents and is trusting in
Jesus. But this free gift will cost you your whole life! What does that mean?
It means you must do things Jesus’ way instead of your own way. It means every
day you must trust and follow Jesus for the rest of your life—when you’re 10,
20, 50, and even 90 years old. In order to do this, there are things you will
have to give up and things you will need to change.
比如说，你需要花时间祷告，而不是随心玩耍；你需要花时间阅读圣经，而不是沉迷于电视；你需要花时间默想上帝，而不是只顾想着朋友，这都是很难的功课！你曾想过信耶稣的代价吗？你已经准备好真心悔改、信靠耶稣并且在余生按他的心意行事，即使当你老去的时候也依然如此吗？
For example, you will need to spend
time praying instead of just playing. You will need to spend time reading your
Bible instead of just watching television. You will need to spend time thinking
about God instead of just thinking about friends. That is hard work! Have you
thought about the “cost” of trusting in Jesus? Are you ready to truly repent
and trust Jesus, and then do things His way for the rest of your life? Even when
you get old?
神对每一个信靠耶稣的人都有应许：他会赐你一位特殊的帮助者，即圣灵。圣灵是神，他住在每一位信靠耶稣的人里面。圣灵是全能的，他能够帮助你完成遵行耶稣旨意这一艰难的功课。圣灵会开始改变你，因此你会越来越爱神、信靠神、顺服神并且以神为乐。
God has a promise for everyone who is
trusting in Jesus: He will give you a special Helper, the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit is God, and He lives inside every person who trusts in Jesus. The Holy
Spirit is all-powerful, and He is there to help you with the hard work of doing
things Jesus’ way. The Holy Spirit will begin to change you, so you love,
trust, obey, and enjoy God more and more.
跟从耶稣需要付代价，但是神应许每一个信靠耶稣的人都会得到丰厚的奖赏——这份奖赏又大又激动人心，比我们想象的还要美好。是什么样的奖赏呢？是永生！永生是指在天堂与神永远同住。天堂是一个真实的地方，每一个信靠耶稣的人有一天都会去那里居住。神的百姓再也不会犯罪。我们的身体是不朽坏的。不再会有疾病、衰残、伤害和孤单。天堂是全然无暇的，一切都洁净、完好而且美丽，但这还不是天堂最吸引人之处。我们终于能亲眼见到耶稣！没有什么人和事比耶稣更惊人、伟大、奇妙、美丽和令人心驰神往了。和耶稣在一起会让我们永远幸福。
There is a cost to following Jesus,
but God has promised a huge reward for everyone who trusts in Jesus—a reward
that is so great and exciting that it is better than anything we can even
imagine. What is it? Eternal life! Eternal life is living forever with God in heaven.
Heaven is a real place where everyone who is trusting in Jesus will someday go
to live. God’s people will not sin anymore. Our bodies will be perfect. No more
being sick, or dying, or feeling hurt or lonely. There will be no bad things in
heaven. Everything will be clean and perfect and beautiful, but those things
aren’t even the best part of heaven. The best part of heaven is that God will
live there with His people. We will finally get to really see Jesus! There is
nothing and no one who is more amazing, great, wonderful, beautiful, and
exciting than Jesus. Being with Jesus will make us happy forever.