作者林立豐弟兄 (平信徒分享) Have you ever felt burned out? Burn out is a state of complete mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. Maybe you just pulled 2 all-nighters in a row; or your kids refused to go to bed; or your partner never listens. Burn Out might also apply to our spiritual lives. Some say: “Ugh, going to church is like working an extra shift on Sunday!” From “Burning for God” to “Burning Out”, some can no longer serve their usual roles in their community, or even have to take a break from church life. Maybe some of us here had similar experiences or worry that we may have lost our first love for God, that our fire no longer burns. How do we keep the fire in our hearts burning? Let’s see if the “Fire Triangle” can inspire us! The Fire Triangle refers to 3 key elements of fire, fuel, heat and oxygen – I’m sure we all know. We might need just the same elements to keep the fire in our hearts burning. Fuel is like the promises, provision, and creation of God the Father, as our everlasting rock in this everchanging world. Heat is like the love and salvation of Jesus Christ – As Jesus’ cross made God’s creation and laws meaningful, that we can break through the shackles of sin, and enjoy fully the beauty of creation. Oxygen is like the breath of God when Adam was made. The Holy Spirit help us understand the truth from the bible, intercedes for us, and allow us to learn more about God’s loving nature. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit being in relationship with each another, like the fire triangle, is trinity. This fire represents the presence of God, just like the burning bush in front of Moses. However, something is off… A fire can be put out, but will God’s presence be “put out”? Will there be a shortage for fuel, heat or oxygen for God’s love? Jesus said it himself “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” How come there are times when our fire is weak, lukewarm, or simply not lit? Indeed, as we live through life’s challenges and struggles, we may fall into the trap of seeing the fuel, heat and oxygen as a limited resource. In the Bible, there are 3 lively examples of men burning out, to the extent they ask God to take their lives. Elijah thought the fuel is running out, and he was blind to the see the 7000 people God has prepared who had never bow to Baal. Jonah despises the repentance of the Ninevites, and he was blind to see how God love those who repent more than how he love the leafy plant. If not for the Holy Spirit rested on the 70 elders in the desert, Moses could not have been able to continue leading his people to Canaan. But if you look closely at the examples above, none of them is the result of shortages in any of the Fire Triangle, but that the people in plight was blind to see God’s provision. Let’s dig a little deeper, back to the terms “Burn for God” and “Burn Out”. In fact, in the beginning, it was never us who was burning, but our God, Holy Spirit living in our hearts who was burning the whole time. As we felt the heat in our hearts fading; As we felt like we can no longer practice the commandment of loving our neighbours as ourselves, it is not that we have burned out, or have used up our mind, soul, and body. It is because we are walking further away from God, and that we are not being in relationship with God, such that we are blind to God’s provision, salvation, mercy, precedence, and abundance. How then can we “See” God’s provision, and be in closer relationship with God? I have 3 suggestions. First, refill the fuel, take a chance to appreciate and be in relation with the nature, savour the authenticity, goodness and beauty of creation, and from it, God’s revelation. Second, deep-breathe of oxygen, keep up with on your practice of bible study and prayers, and focus on listening to God’s voice. God will give you comfort, encouragement and a mission that only you, can take on. Third, share the heat, adjourn with others in Christ, and practice our faith in loving our neighbours as ourselves. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams once said, “if the fire isn’t burning for you, go and spend time with someone for whom it is burning – and the chances are, they’ll be among the most disadvantaged people in our society”. May the fiery love of our God keep on burning in our Spirits, such that we can warm and brighten our neighbours souls, till the dawn comes again. Amen. 你有無試過Burn Out呢? Burn Out 指嘅係體力同精神上完全耗盡嘅狀態。可能你工作忙碌通完兩晚頂,又或者細路玩極唔訓;大細路又講極唔聽。都有人用Burn Out 呢個字嚟形容自己嘅屬靈生命。有啲人可能會話:「唉,返教會好似打多份工咁」,由開初「為主燃燒」,去到Burn Out「燃燒殆盡」,無辦法繼續投入事奉,甚至需要暫別教會生活。可能在座弟兄姊妹都有過類似嘅經歷,或者擔心自己無左起初嘅愛心,唔再火熱。
點樣先自keep到心裡面個團火呢? 不如等我地用Fire Triangle 「火三角」來試唸下可唔可以觸類旁通啦。「火三角」指緊嘅係火三個嘅必要元素: 燃料,熱能,氧氣 -相信大家都知道。要保持我地心裡面個團火,可能同樣需要「火三角」。 燃料-就好似天父嘅應許,供應同創造;作為我地活係萬變世界中永恆,穩固嘅基石。 熱能 - 就好似主耶穌基督嘅救贖。耶穌嘅十字架成全左天父嘅創造同律法,使我們能夠擺脫罪嘅枷鎖,享受創造嘅甜美。 氧氣 - 好似亞當被造嘅時候,天父吹嘅個一口氣。聖靈教導我地明白聖經真理,又憑己意為我地代求禱告,使你同我能夠更加貼近主嘅心意。 聖父,聖子,聖靈 - 三位一體嘅神就好似「火三角」一樣,好似摩西面前燃燒嘅荊棘,象徵住神嘅同在。 但係問題來啦,火會熄滅,唔通神嘅愛都會熄滅,短缺咩?明明耶穌話自己係生命嘅糧,食完不再餓嘅糧,賜飲完不再渴嘅水,點解有時候好似我地硬係撻唔著,或者火勢式微不冷不熱呢? 的確,係我地生活中面對困難挑戰時,我地難免將燃料(上帝嘅供應),熱能(耶穌嘅救贖),氧氣(聖靈嘅帶領),睇作有限嘅資源。聖經中都有三個burn out嘅,甚至要去到向神求死嘅例子。 以利亞以為燃料耗盡,睇唔到神預備7000人未曾向巴力屈膝。 約拿睇小尼尼微人嘅悔改,睇唔到神比佢愛惜蓖麻更加愛惜回轉嘅罪人 摩西如果唔係有70位長老領受聖靈,佢都無辦法繼續肩負帶領百姓前進嘅責任。 但如果你仔細分辨以上嘅例子,其實通通都唔係「火三角」任何一方面嘅短缺,而係係難關當中嘅人睇唔到神嘅供應,救贖,同帶領。 不如我地再唸深一層,返到來 「為主燃燒」 同 Burn Out 「燃燒殆盡」呢兩個詞。其實從頭到尾,係到燃燒緊嘅,並唔係我地,而係係我地心中的聖靈,同我地同在嘅神。當我地感受到嘅火熱逐漸減退;當我地自覺無辦法實踐愛鄰如己嘅誡命;實際上並唔係我地用盡,用曬我地嘅力氣,而係我地漸漸行離開左我地嘅神,我地同神嘅關係漸行漸遠,以致我地睇唔見神嘅供應,拯救,憐憫,帶領,同豐盛。 我地點先可以「睇見」神嘅供應,重新拉近我地同神嘅關係呢? 我係呢到有三個建議: 第一-補充燃料;有機會多親親大自然,領略上帝創造嘅美善,並蘊含其中嘅普遍啟示 第二-深呼吸氧氣;繼續持守讀經禱告嘅操守,專注聆聽神嘅聲音,領受神比你個人嘅安慰,鼓勵同召命。 第三-薪火相傳,分享熱能;係基督裏面同其他人建立關係同行,互相鼓勵,一齊關懷鄰舍,實踐活出基督嘅樣式。前肯特伯利大主教,盧雲.威廉斯曾經咁講:「如果你嘅靈火無燃燒緊,咁你就去同個啲靈火緊燃燒嘅人相處啦。你就會發現,佢地服侍緊社會中最困苦卑微嘅人。」 願神嘅靈火係我地嘅心靈中繼續燃燒,讓我地能夠溫暖以及照亮友鄰嘅心靈,直至天明。 阿們。
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