2月18日 抗拒绝望的动力

起来，我们走吧。（太二十六46）

门徒该儆醒的时候，却睡着了。当我们发现自己这个样子，就失望灰心。事情既无可追悔，就很容易沮丧说：“事到如今，再无挽回的余地了。”我们若认为这样的沮丧是不经常的，那就错了，这实在是司空见惯的人生经历。当我们醒觉自己错过了大好的行事机会，势必沉溺在失望之中，耶稣基督说：“安睡吧，机会失去不再回来，也无法挽回。但起来吧，百尺竿头，更进一步。”

让过去的事消逝吧！只要消逝在主的胸怀里；然后与他一同迎接不可抗拒的未来。在各自的人生中，我们都有这样的经验——陷在颓唐沮丧中。这种沮丧是从现实而来，我们无法自拔。这里门徒做了无可饶恕的事，就是没有与耶稣一同警醒，反而睡着了。但他却给予他们对抗沮丧的动力——“起来，行下一步吧。”我们有了神的感动，下一步该是什么？完全信靠他，在他救赎的凭据上祷告。

千万别让失败的意识阻碍你新的行动。

祈祷◆主啊，一份茫然的孤寂感似乎围绕着我的生命，它是那样的模糊不清，令我难以将它说明。我没有下过错误的决定，因为我已经按照你所指示的去行，但那种不肯定的感觉却挥之不去。求你抹去这片迷蒙的云雾，将它变成带着秩序和形式的青天。

February 18 The Initiative Against Despair

“Rise, let us be going.” Matthew 26:46

The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of the irreparable is apt to make us despair, and we say – “It is all up now, it is no use trying any more.” If we imagine that this kind of despair is exceptional, we are mistaken, it is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink into despair; and Jesus Christ comes and says – “Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing.” Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with Him.

There are experiences like this in each of our lives. We are in despair, the despair that comes from actualities, and we cannot lift ourselves out of it. The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said – “Arise and do the next thing.” If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption.

Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.