Philippians 4:4-7 (NKJV) Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

While we can survive without water for a time before dying of thirst, it is difficult to live without hope and God in this world. Some people take their own lives because they see no hope in their situation. Taking one’s own life is a sin. What leads a person to attempt or contemplate suicide has to do with their predominant thoughts. Therefore, we must guard against negative and destructive thoughts. Christians should not entertain the thought of suicide or engage in self-harm, because our bodies are bought with the blood of Jesus Christ and belong to God. We have hope, faith, and love in Him. Nonetheless, as Christians, we need to grow from spiritual infancy to maturity over time so that we will not think like the world but experience peace in our lives. 

All of us would like our problems and challenges to be resolved quickly. We will naturally try to use our abilities to resolve them, but often they are simply beyond our reach, especially when they require others to change, because everyone is given the authority to make decisions. While we can pray for them, ultimately everyone must decide for themselves. Therefore, we should not beat ourselves up over the choices other people make. There is no point being anxious about matters that are beyond our control. 

The Serenity Prayer* reads: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

While we cannot change other people or certain situations, we can change ourselves in our attitude, character, and personality, and in our submission to the Lordship of Christ and to the authorities placed above us. It takes courage and humility to make the necessary, and at times painful, changes. For example, if we are always upset with others or feel they have offended us, we should learn to be more gracious, merciful, and forgiving. In this way, we grow to be more like Christ, less critical of others, and less inclined to need the last word, the limelight, and constant affirmation from men. We will also be happier, healthier, and stronger. When we allow the fruit of the Spirit to flow through us, we will be known for our gentleness rather than for aggressiveness, irrationality, and rudeness when we are under stress. The joy of the Lord and the constant ability to rejoice in all circumstances should be the hallmark of every Christian. 

Reflection: What challenges or problems are beyond your control, and how can you respond in thought and action to experience God’s peace?

*Commonly attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr

Sermon Script： 2026 CG Campaign — Up Part 3

在无法掌控的事情中寻得平安

腓立比书 4:4-7 你们要靠主常常喜乐；我再说，你们要喜乐。当叫众人知道你们谦让的心。主已经近了。应当一无挂虑，只要凡事借着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。神所赐那超越人所能理解的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。

虽然人在缺水的情况下还能维持一段时间，但若失去了盼望、离开了神，就很难真正活在这个世界上。有些人之所以选择结束自己的生命，是因为他们在处境中看不到任何希望。自杀是一种罪，而一个人之所以会产生自杀或轻生的念头，往往与他长期持有和反复思想的内容有关。因此，我们必须谨慎防范那些消极和具有毁灭性的思想。基督徒不应容许自杀或自残的念头在心中扎根，因为我们的身体是主耶稣用宝血重价买赎回来的，是属于神的。我们在祂里面拥有盼望、信心和爱。然而，作为基督徒，我们也需要从属灵的婴孩逐渐成长为成熟的人，不再按世界的思维方式生活，而是在日常生活中经历神所赐的平安。

我们都希望自己的问题和挑战能够尽快得到解决。面对困难时，我们自然会尽力运用自己的能力去处理，但许多事情往往超出了我们的掌控范围，尤其是那些需要别人改变的情况。因为神赋予每个人作出选择和决定的权利。我们固然可以为他们祷告，但最终每个人都必须为自己的决定负责。因此，我们不必因他人的选择而不断责备自己。对于那些超出我们控制范围的事情，焦虑并不能带来任何益处。

著名的“宁静祷文”（Serenity Prayer）这样说道：

神啊，求祢赐给我平静的心，
去接受我无法改变的事；
赐给我勇气，去改变我能够改变的事；
并赐给我智慧，能够分辨两者的不同。

虽然我们无法改变别人，也无法改变某些环境，但我们可以改变自己——包括我们的态度、品格、性情，以及对基督主权和神所设立权柄的顺服。这样的改变需要勇气，也需要谦卑，而且有时会伴随着痛苦。例如，当我们常常因别人而生气，或觉得自己受到冒犯时，我们应当学习以更多的恩慈、怜悯和饶恕来回应。这样，我们便会越来越像基督，不再总是批评别人，也不再执着于争最后一句话、成为众人焦点，或不断寻求人的肯定与赞赏。当我们如此成长时，我们会变得更加喜乐、健康和刚强。当圣灵的果子自然流露在我们生命中时，人们认识我们的，不会是咄咄逼人、情绪失控或粗鲁无礼，而是在压力之下依然显出温柔与节制。主里的喜乐，以及无论环境如何都能持续欢喜快乐的生命态度，应当成为每一位基督徒鲜明的标志。

默想：在你的生命中，有哪些挑战或问题是你无法掌控的？你可以如何调整自己的思想和行动，以至于在这些处境中经历神所赐、超越环境的平安？

* “宁静祷文”（Serenity Prayer）一般被认为出自美国神学家 Reinhold Niebuhr（莱因霍尔德·尼布尔）。

讲章系列：UP! 细胞小组活动 2026 第三部分