Life doesn’t always go as planned | 生活不会总是如人所愿

Have you ever had to let go of your own personal plan in order to step into God’s awesome plan for your life?
你是否曾经为了进入神对你生命的伟大计划而放弃自己的计划?

Life doesn’t always go as we planned.
生活不会总是如人所愿

The Biblical Christmas story is full of people whose life didn’t go as they planned.
在圣经的圣诞故事里，有很多人的生活并不如所愿。

This year as I have reflected on the Biblical Christmas story, I see that this beloved story is absolutely full of interruptions. Things not going as planned. Dreams crushed or altered. Maybe it is my own interrupted Christmas – this year and last year – that has caused me to see the hard side of the Christmas story and identify with the characters of this treasured story in their interrupted lives. My heart aches with Zechariah and Elizabeth as they year after year ask God for a child only to live in a home empty of the laughter of children. I can feel the pain and shock of Joseph learning that his beloved and godly fiancé is pregnant. I wonder at the resolve of Mary to forgo her wedding plans to carry the Christ child. I chuckle at the shepherds having their work plans totally messed up by an army of angels.

今年，当我回顾圣经里这些和圣诞相关的故事时，我发现这些深受爱戴的故事里充满了干扰。事情没有按计划进行，梦想被粉碎或改变了。也许是因为我自己今年和去年的圣诞节被打断，所以才看到了圣经故事里曲折的一面，并与故事中生活被打断的人物感同身受。撒迦利亚和伊利沙白的家里没有孩子笑声，他们年复一年地祈求神赐给他们一个孩子，这让我心痛。当约瑟得知他所深爱的敬虔的未婚妻怀了孕，我能感受到他的痛苦和震惊。对于马利亚怀着圣子基督，放弃筹备婚礼的决心感到惊讶。我欣喜地看到报佳音的天使打乱了牧羊人按部就班的工作安排。
When God’s plan crossed the plans of each of these people, their lives were turned upside down. At first it might have been painful, frightening, disappointing or just plain frustrating. But in the end, God’s plan was the best plan and as each person surrendered to God the result was simply glorious.

当神的计划打乱他们每个人的计划时，他们的生活被彻底颠覆了。一开始，这可能让人感到痛苦、惊慌、失望或是沮丧。但最终，神的计划却是最好的，因着他们都顺服了神的计划，最终带来了荣耀的结果。

You may be able to empathize with these characters – life isn’t going exactly how you planned. Family, friends, travel, profession, life-mission. I can certainly empathize. There are parts of my life that I did not plan on. But there are also parts that are exactly what I had dreamed of.

你或许会与这些圣经人物感同身受–生活并不完全如其所愿，包括家庭、朋友、旅行、工作、使命。我当然也有同感，我生活中有些地方不如愿，也有些地方却正是我梦寐以求的。

When God’s plan crossed the Biblical characters’ life plan – and life was interrupted and sent in an unexpected direction – it sent each person on a trajectory to reach their destiny. What if our interruptions and not-quite-as-we-planned situations in life did the same?

当神的计划与圣经中这些人物的生命计划相冲突时，生活被打断了，要差派去向意想不到的方向，这其实是把每个人都带到一个轨道，以成就神的旨意。如果我们被打断的生活和不如愿的情况也是如此该怎么办？

Mary the servant who let go
放手的使女马利亚

Mary was young. She had her whole life before her, about to embark on a marriage with a righteous, honorable man with royal lineage. Her personal plan was interrupted by God’s epic plan for humankind that God Himself invited her in on.

马利亚当时很年轻。她有大好的前程，就要嫁给一位正直、尊荣并有皇室血统的男人。但她的个人计划被神赐予人类的超然计划所打断，神还亲自邀请她参与其中。

Mary let go of her own personal life plan yet held on to her greatest desire: to be a humble servant of the Most High God. As she relinquished her will for her personal plan to her master, His will for her life – which superseded her own dreams – shaped her destiny into something more glorious than she could ever imagine. How was Mary able to in an instant relinquish her will? Her life-long preparation was evidenced in the first words that she uttered after learning of her unplanned (to her) pregnancy:

马利亚放弃了个人计划却坚守着自己最大的心愿：成为至高神谦卑的使女。当她把个人计划的意愿奉献给主人，她的梦想被神对她生命的计划所取代，她的命运远超出她的想象。马利亚是如何在瞬间放弃她个人意愿的呢？她在得知自己将未婚先孕后说的第一句话就证明了她一生都在时刻准备好为主摆上：

“I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38 NIV

马利亚说：“我是主的使女，情愿照你的话成就在我身上。路加福音1:38

As a servant, she let go of her natural life plans to gain what her master had to offer. The hard but freeing truth is that when we let go of our own personal hopes, dreams and will and let them go into the capable Master’s hand, things happen that we could never imagine.

身为使女，她放弃了自己的人生计划，顺服了主给她的计划。艰难而又自由的真理是：当我们放下自己的希望、梦想和意愿，把它们放到大能主之手时，我们无法想象的事就会发生。

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

神能照着运行在我们心里的大力，充充足足地成就一切，超过我们所求所想的。但愿他在教会中，并在基督耶稣里，得着荣耀，直到世世代代，永永远远。阿们！以弗所书3:20-21

Are you holding on tightly to something that you believe you must have, yet in your heart of hearts you recognize that holding tightly to it is only anchoring you to something that is quite possibly not yours to be anchored to? How can you let go?

你现在是否正紧抓着你认为必须要拥有的东西，但在内心深处，你意识到抓紧它只是把你锚定在一些很可能不属于你的东西？你该如何放手？

Letting go begins with knowing who you are, what you were called to and having faith in the One who holds your life in His hands. It begins with the correct perspective on your life.

放手的第一步是要知道你是谁，神对你的呼召是什么，要对那位把你的生命握在手中的主有信心。从如何正确看待你的生命开始。

Mary’s perspective enabled her to relinquish her rights. She saw herself as a humble servant, and she had faith that God would do what He said He would do. Twice in the Nativity narrative Mary refers to herself as a servant. First in response to the angel and second to Elizabeth.

马利亚的观点使她放弃了自己的权利，她认为自己是谦卑的仆人，她信靠神会成就祂所说的。在耶稣诞生的故事中，马利亚两次称自己是仆人。第一次是回应天使，第二次是对伊利沙白说的。

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.” Luke 1:46-49 NIV

马利亚说：“我心尊主为大，我灵以神我的救主为乐。因为他顾念他使女的卑微，从今以后，万代要称我有福。那有权能的，为我成就了大事，他的名为圣。路加福音1:46-49

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you too are a servant of the Most High God. The extent to which you are willing to lay down your own personal plans is the extent to which you are available for the King to enlist you in His glorious service. The surrendered life is the life available for God to use in His amazing work to reach the world.

如果你是耶稣基督的信徒，也是至高神的仆人，你越是愿意放下自己个人计划，就越能被王呼召去做衪荣耀的服事。降服的生命可以被神用于衪奇妙的工。

There is a letting go that is required by Jesus to follow Him. Yet, there is also a holding on.

听耶稣吩咐来跟随衪也是一种放手。然而，还有一种需要紧守。

Simeon the servant who held on
紧守的仆人西面

Simeon also considered himself a servant of God. He was holding on to a promise that he would not die before his eyes beheld the Messiah. He eagerly awaited the realization of this promise. In his eagerness, he was prompted by the Spirit to go to the temple on the right date at the right time to behold Jesus.

西面也认为自己是神的仆人，他坚守着一个承诺：亲眼见到弥赛亚才会死去。他热切地等待着这个诺言的实现，在他的渴望中，圣灵促使他在正确的日子正确的时间去圣殿看耶稣。

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32 NIV

“主啊，如今可以照你的话，释放仆人安然去世，因为我的眼睛已经看见你的救恩，就是你在万民面前所预备的，是照亮外邦人的光，又是你民以色列的荣耀。” 路加福音2:29-32

Simeon held tightly to a promise and eagerly awaited its fulfillment. His eagerness enabled him to be easily prompted by the Holy Spirit. He had been given a vision of salvation for Israel and the Gentile world. He held on to that vision and never let go.

西面紧守着这份应许，热切地等待着它的实现。他的这份渴慕让他很容易被圣灵感动。他得到了救恩临到以色列人和外邦人的异象。他坚持自己的梦想，绝不放弃。

Has God given you a vision for His work in your life, family or community? Has he given you dreams and mission for your hands to join in, for your eyes to see? Maybe you have not yet realized that vision, but eagerly look forward to it as Simeon did. Be so eager for what God has for you that you are easily prompted by the Spirit to get up and go to where God is moving to behold His glory and the effective work in your life and the world.

神有没有给你一个异象，让你在生活、家庭或社区里做衪的工？衪有没有给你梦想和使命，让你亲手去做，亲眼去看？也许你还没有意识到这一愿景，但你要像西面一样热切地期待它。切切渴望神为你所做的一切，你就会很容易被圣灵激励，去到神所到的地方，去见证衪的荣耀，看到衪在你的生命和这世界有效的作工。

The tension of letting go and holding on

放手和坚守的矛盾

This is the tension of the Christian life. As servants, we are called let go of dreams, plans, and even hopes. At the same time we are called to hold tightly to God’s dreams plans and hopes.

这就是基督徒生命的矛盾。作为仆人，我们被呼召要放手梦想、计划甚至希望。与此同时，我们又被呼召要紧抓神的梦想、计划和希望。

How do we manage this dichotomy?
该如何处理这种分歧？

The key is to know what are the dreams, plans and hopes that come from our own desires and inspiration and what come from God’s heart. We hold our own lives loosely before the Lord and purpose to be flexible in His hand. And we hold tightly to His promises and the call on our lives.

关键是要知道这个梦想、计划和希望到底是什么？它们是出于我们自己的欲望和灵感，还是出于神的心愿。我们在主面前要轻看自己生命的计划，为的是在主手中被灵活使用。我们应紧紧抓住衪的应许和对我们生命的呼召。

This Christmas know that you are not alone. Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth and Simeon faced uncertainty, longings and waiting. Dreams let go of, dreams held on to. All of those longings and dreams were met in the Savior Jesus Christ.

要知道，这个圣诞节你并不孤单。马利亚、约瑟、撒迦利亚、伊利沙白和西面都面临着不确定、渴望和等待。放弃自己的梦想，坚守神的梦想。所有这些渴望和梦想都将在救主耶稣基督里实现。

Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

噢，伯利恒小镇，我们仍看见你躺在那里
在你深沉无梦的睡眠上方，静悄悄地星星在你身旁走过
然而在你黑暗的街道上，却闪耀着永恒的光
多年来的希望和恐惧今晚在你身上实现了‬‬‬‬‬‬