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亲爱的弟兄姊妹们，

平安！这是我在颂主堂的第一封牧函。很感恩可以藉着这封牧函，与弟兄姊妹分享和彼此勉励。

不知道弟兄姊妹有没有问过自己一个问题：「我为什么事奉？」或者「我为什么不事奉？」如果我们诚实地面对自己的内心，并写下真实的答案，相信每个人都有自己的缘由，也有不同的考虑。有人可能因为爱神、回应神的呼召、看到教会和灵魂的需要而事奉；有人可能因为时间、精力、家庭或人生阶段而暂时没有参与事奉；有人可能觉得自己没有恩赐、不知道可以做什么；也有人可能曾经热心事奉，但因为疲乏、受伤或失望等原因而慢慢停下事奉。这些答案都值得我们认真面对。

然而，神看重的究竟是什么呢？这是在我们的答案之外，一个更重要、也更值得我们思想的问题。使徒保罗说：「因为人若有愿做的心，必蒙悦纳，乃是照他所有的，并不是照他所无的。」（林后8:12）

神所看重是一颗愿做的心。或许，我们开始事奉是因为教会需要人手，我去帮忙；我懂得做，也有时间，我就参与。但是，神看重的不只是「我能做什么？」，而是「神要我做什么？」这两句话看起来很相似，却有很大的不同。「我能做什么？」是我们从自己出发，想到自己的能力、时间、经验和恩赐。这样一来，事奉很容易成为发挥自己能力和才干的地方。「神要我做什么？」却是从神的心意出发，以神国度的眼光来看自己的事奉。于是，我们开始学习谦卑、聆听、顺服，并承认：「我所有的，原本都是神所赐的」。这是事奉的起点。事奉不是证明自己有用，也不是为了得到人的肯定。我们不是因为“够好”才配事奉神，也不是因为“有能力”才被神使用。我们事奉乃是因着神的恩典和呼召。

神并没有要求我们拥有一样的恩赐、时间和能力，祂乃是邀请我们忠心地献上祂已经赐给我们的。祂使用我们是照我们所有的，并不是我们所没有的（林后8:12）。神知道我们每个人的处境。祂知道有人正忙于工作，有人正在照顾家庭的需要，有人身体软弱无力，有人正经历人生的低谷；祂也知道有人拥有多少的时间、精力、恩赐、能力和机会。因此，我们不需要彼此比较「为什么他没有事奉？」，我们也不需要因为自己没有像别人那样事奉而觉亏欠。神都知道！

祂所看重的不是事奉的多与少，乃是我们是否忠心地按着祂所赐给我们有的来事奉祂。但愿我们都能回到神的面前，寻求祂：「主啊，在我现阶段的生命和生活中，你要我做什么？」愿我们不再以自己的能力来定义事奉，也不以别人的事奉来衡量自己。但愿我们以一颗愿意的心，按着神所赐给我们的，忠心地回应祂的呼召。

在基督里，
周琦传道

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings in the Lord! This is my first pastoral letter to the Bethel Chinese Christian MB Church family. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to use this letter to share with you my reflections for our mutual encouragement.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I serve?” or perhaps, “Why am I not serving?” If we honestly examine our hearts and write down our true answers, I believe each of us would have our own reasons and considerations. Some may serve because they love God, desire to respond to His calling, or see the needs of the church and the souls around them. Others may not currently be serving because of their time, energy, family responsibilities, or the season of life they are in. Some may feel that they do not have the gifts or know what they can do. Still others may have once served faithfully but gradually stepped away because of weariness, hurt, disappointment, or other reasons. These are all answers worth taking seriously.

Yet, what is it that God truly values? Beyond our own answers, this is a more important question for us to consider. The Apostle Paul says, “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12, NIV)

What God values is a willing heart. Perhaps we began serving because the church needed help, so we stepped in. We knew how to do something and had the time, so we participated. But God is concerned not only with “What can I do?” but also with “What does God want me to do?” These two questions may sound very similar, but there is an important difference between them. “What can I do?” begins with ourselves. We naturally think about our abilities, time, experience, and spiritual gifts. When we approach serving this way, it can easily become a place where we simply exercise our own abilities and talents. But “What does God want me to do?” begins with God’s heart and seeks to view our service from the perspective of His kingdom. We begin to learn humility, to listen, and to obey, while recognizing, “Everything I have was originally given to me by God.” This is the starting point of serving. Serving is not about proving that we are useful, nor is it about gaining the affirmation of others. We do not serve God because we are “good enough,” nor are we used by God because we are “capable enough.” We serve because of God’s grace and calling.

God does not require all of us to have the same gifts, the same amount of time, or the same abilities. Rather, He invites us to faithfully offer what He has already given us. He uses us according to what we have, not according to what we do not have (2 Corinthians 8:12). God knows the circumstances of each of our lives. He knows those who are busy with work, those who are caring for the needs of their families, those who are physically weak and weary, and those who are going through difficult seasons of life. He also knows the amount of time, energy, gifts, abilities, and opportunities each of us has. Therefore, we do not need to compare ourselves with one another or ask, “Why is he or she not serving?” Nor do we need to feel guilty because we are not serving in the same way or to the same extent as others. God knows!

What He values is not how much we do, but whether we are faithfully serving Him with what He has entrusted to us. May we all return to the presence of God and seek Him, asking: “Lord, in this season of my life and in the circumstances I am in, what do You want me to do?” May we no longer define serving by our own abilities, nor measure ourselves by the service of others. Instead, may we have a willing heart and, according to what God has given us, faithfully respond to His calling.

In Christ,
Pastor Joy Zhou

 

親愛的弟兄姊妹們，

平安！這是我在頌主堂的第一封牧函。很感恩可以藉著這封牧函，與弟兄姊妹分享和彼此勉勵。

我不知道弟兄姊妹有沒有問過自己一個問題：「我為什麼事奉？」或「我為什麼不事奉？」如果我們誠實地面對自己的內心，並寫下真實的答案，相信每個人都有自己的緣由，也有不同的考慮。有人可能因為愛神、回應神的呼召、看見教會和靈魂的需要而事奉；有人可能因為時間、精力、家庭或人生階段而暫時沒有參與事奉；有人可能覺得自己沒有恩賜、不知道可以做什麼；也有人可能曾經熱心事奉，但因為疲乏、受傷或失望等原因而慢慢停下事奉。這些答案都值得我們認真面對。

然而，神看重的究竟是什麼呢？這是在我們的答案之外，一個更重要、更值得我們思想的問題。使徒保羅說：「因為人若有願做的心，必蒙悅納，乃是照他所有的，並不是照他所無的。」（林後8:12）

神所看重是一顆願做的心。或許，我們開始事奉是因為教會需要人手，我去幫忙；我懂得做，也有時間，我就參與。但是，神看重的不只是「我能做什麼？」，而是「神要我做什麼？」這兩句話看起來很相似，卻有很大的不同。 「我能做什麼？」是我們從自己出發，想到自己的能力、時間、經驗和恩賜。這樣一來，事奉很容易成為發揮自己能力、才幹的地方。 「神要我做什麼？」卻是從神的心意出發，以神國的眼光來看自己的事奉。於是，我們開始學習謙卑、聆聽、順服，並承認：「我所有的，原本都是神所賜的」。這是事奉的起點。事奉不是證明自己有用，也不是為了得到人的肯定。我們不是因為「夠好」才配事奉神，也不是因為「有能力」才被神使用。我們事奉乃是因著神的恩典和呼召。

神並沒有要求我們擁有一樣的恩賜、時間和能力，祂乃是邀請我們忠心地獻上祂已經賜給我們的。祂使用我們是照我們所有的，不是我們所沒有的（林後8:12）。神知道我們每個人的處境。祂知道有人正忙於工作，有人正在照顧家庭的需要，有人身體軟弱無力，有人正經歷人生的低谷；祂也知道有人擁有多少的時間、精力、恩賜、能力和機會。因此，我們不需要彼此比較「為什麼祂沒有事奉？」，我們也不需要因為自己沒有像別人那樣事奉而覺虧欠。神都知道！

祂所看重的不是事奉的多與少，乃是我們是否忠心地按著祂所賜給我們有的來事奉祂。但願我們都能回到神的面前，尋求祂：「主啊，在我現階段的生命和生活中，你要我做什麼？」願我們不再以自己的能力來定義事奉，也不以別人的事奉來衡量自己。但願我們以一顆願意的心，按著神所賜給我們的，忠心地回應祂的呼召。

在基督裡，
周琦傳道