5月12日 不为习惯所束缚

你们若充充足足的有这几样，就必使你们在认识我们的主耶稣基督上，不至于闲懒不结果子了。（彼后一8）

习惯开始形成时，我们是知道的。好些时候，我们自觉在德行、忍耐、虔诚上有了长进，但这不过是生命的初阶。但若老是停留在这地步，在灵性上必定趾高气扬，夜郎自大。而正确的做法是把习惯溶在主的生命里，直至每一种习惯，都不再是自觉的表现。属灵的生命需要经常自省，因为还有好些品质未加上去。到了最终，与主的关系就极为单纯了。

神可能只是你的一套信徒习惯，在指定的时间内祈祷读经。假若你崇拜的是这些习惯，而不是习惯所象征的意义－－“我现在没空，我正在祷告，这是我亲近神的时间。”天父可能会把那些时间颠倒。这只是你习惯的时间，你身上仍缺少一些品质。要找出缺点，然后在需要加上去的品质上多多操练。

爱不是习惯，是到了忘掉习惯的地步，达到不自觉的境地。你若自觉圣洁，那么必然有些事你认为是干不来的，在某些关系上你也未够单纯；那就是说你还要加上的品质。只有耶稣所过的生活，才是超人的生活，他随时随地都与神同在，没有丝毫隔膜。你有没有什么地方与神有隙，不能与他契合无间？让神在特别的环境下施以压力，知道你得着他。那时，你的生命就如婴孩一般单纯。

祈祷◆噢，主啊，求你向我们解明真理，让我们明白，并使我们在你里面得以刚强。

May 12 Make A Habit Of Having No Habits

“For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful.” 2 Peter 1:8 (R.V.)

When we begin to form a habit we are conscious of it. There are times when we are conscious of becoming virtuous and patient and godly, but it is only a stage; if we stop there we shall get the strut of the spiritual prig. The right thing to do with habits is to lose them in the life of the Lord, until every habit is so practised that there is no conscious habit at all. Our spiritual life continually resolves into introspection because there are some qualities we have not added as yet. Ultimately the relationship is to be a completely simple one.

Your god may be your little Christian habit, the habit of prayer at stated times, or the habit of Bible reading. Watch how your Father will upset those times if you begin to worship your habit instead of what the habit symbolizes – I can't do that just now, I am praying; it is my hour with God. No, it is your hour with your habit. There is a quality that is lacking in you. Recognize the defect and then look for the opportunity of exercising yourself along the line of the quality to be added.

Love means that there is no habit visible, you have come to the place where the habit is lost, and by practice you do the thing unconsciously. If you are consciously holy, there are certain things you imagine you cannot do, certain relationships in which you are far from simple; that means there is something to be added. The only supernatural life is the life the Lord Jesus lived, and He was at home with God anywhere. Is there anywhere where you are not at home with God? Let God press through in that particular circumstance until you gain Him, and life becomes the simple life of a child.