Romans 8:18 (NKJV) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
We should have the same attitude as the Apostle Paul regarding suffering. Despite his tremendous suffering for the Gospel, he still maintained the right attitude and a resilient faith. He encouraged us to have the perspective that our suffering in this life is nothing compared to the joy of being in God’s presence in eternity. We are merely sojourners on earth because there is a destiny that awaits us in heaven. The finishing line for all of us is where we spend eternity in the presence of God.
Luke 6:48-49 (NKJV) He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.
Both houses in this passage were subjected to the stream that beat vehemently on them. The water level of the flood rose and started to beat on them for a prolonged period—it is a real test of the foundation of a house. As expected, the house that was built without a foundation collapsed and the ruin was great.
What are some of the possible “streams that beat vehemently” in our lives that might cause us to “collapse” and give up? To some Christians, it might be an unanswered prayer, such as not getting a promotion or the job we want, or not witnessing a physical healing. These minor disappointments in life will affect those Christians without a proper foundation in their lives. However, we must not have the attitude of the “strawberries generation” that is driven entirely by feelings. Wanting to give up on God simply because we don’t feel good about the outcome of our prayers is very shallow faith indeed!
Some of us might have gone through experiences which we are still hurting from and questioning God about. Pain, grief, and suffering are very real and there are experiences in our lives that can rock our conviction and love for the Lord. At such times, we are faced with the two choices of either being shattered by the ordeal or be resilient in our faith.
So how do we deal with a situation that comes upon us and we don’t understand what is going on? How do we react when our confidence in God is shaken? What do we do when our theology and conviction are called into question? Jesus has already given us the answer, which is to build the foundation well for ourselves and our children.
Sermon Series: Resilience (Part 1)
稳固的根基
罗马书 8:18 我想，现在的苦楚若比起将来要显于在我们的荣耀相比，就不足以介意了。
我们对待苦难的态度，应该和使徒保罗一样。使徒保罗为福音经历了极大的痛苦，但他仍然保持了正确的态度和坚韧的信心。保罗鼓励我们要有这样的观点：我们所经历的苦难，相比于将来在永恒中有祂同在的喜乐，实在算不了什么。我们是地球上的寄居者，因为我们的最终归属是天堂，那是我们的命运。对于我们每一个人，终点就是我们在神的同在中度过永恒的地方。
路加福音6：48-49他像建造房屋的人。很深地挖地，把根基建在磐石上。到发大水的时候，水冲击那房子，房子总不能动摇，因为根基建在磐石上。若那听见而不去行的，就像人在地上建造房屋，没有根基，以致水一冲来。它随即倒塌了。那座房子坏的很严重。”
经文中的两栋房子都受到水流的冲击，水流猛烈地拍打着房子。洪水水位上涨，开始长时间冲击房屋。这是对房屋地基的真正考验。果不其然，没有地基的房子轰然倒塌，损失巨大。
在我们的生活中，有哪些可能会导致我们崩溃和放弃的”强烈冲击的水流”？老实说，对一些基督徒来说，可能是一个没有得到回应的祷告，例如没有得到晋升或者想要的工作，或是没有看到身体的医治。这些生活中的小失望确实会影响那些生命中没有稳固根基的基督徒。然而，我们千万不要使自己完全受情感的驱动，如同“草莓族世代”那样。仅仅因为我们对祷告的结果感觉不好就想放弃神，这诚然是非常肤浅的信心！
我们当中一些人可能经历了某些事，至今仍耿耿于怀，并且以此质疑上帝。痛苦、悲伤和苦难是真实存在的，我们生命中的一些经历可能动摇我们对主的信念和爱。在这样的时刻，我们面临着两种选择：要么被折磨的支离破碎，要么在信心中变得坚韧。
那么，该如何处理某个临到而我们又无法理解的状况呢？当我们对神的信心动摇时，应当如何反应？当我们的神学和信念受到质疑时，该怎么办？耶稣已经给了我们答案，那就是为我们自己和我们的孩子打好扎实的根基。
讲章系列：韧性（反弹、恢复能力）（第一部分）