双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：5月10日 母亲的影响

5月10日

母亲的影响

“并且他们所做的，不但照我们所想望的，更照神的旨意先把自己献给主，又归附了我们。”

哥林多后书8:5

在家里有效地活出基督，对于基督徒来说是一个严峻的考验。当我们和朋友相处时更容易活出美好，因为我们竭力注重公众形象和评价，却不容易在家里活出基督的样式。我们自己的家庭成员最能看出基督是否在我们里面活着。

如果我是一个真的基督徒，我在家里就不应该发脾气、急躁、挑剔、讽刺、刻薄、多疑、自私或懒堕。相反，我会通过日常生活显示出圣灵所结的果子，就是仁爱、喜乐、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信实、温柔、节制，以及所有其他方面的基督徒的美德，活出基督的品格。

只有上帝自己才完全明白一个基督徒母亲对孩子性格塑造的影响。圣经中记载了一些对孩子产生坏影响的妇人。历史上很多大恶人都是因为他们有坏母亲。另一方面，历史上多数高尚的人物和优秀的领袖们也都有善良和敬虔的母亲。

据说乔治华盛顿的母亲非常虔敬。沃尔特·司各特爵士的母亲是诗歌和音乐的爱好者。但是尼禄的母亲却是个杀人犯。放荡的拜伦他的母亲是个傲慢又暴力的女人。

沙夫茨伯里勋爵(Shaftesbury)的名言说得好：“给我一代基督徒母亲，我可以保证在十二个月内改变整个社会面貌。”

如果我们有更多的基督徒母亲，我们就会减少犯罪、减少道德败坏、减少不敬虔、减少破碎的家庭。每一个母亲都有义务接受基督做她个人的救主，这样她就可以对她的孩子产生良好的影响，她的孩子是基督所恩赐的。

今日祷告：

天父，为我的母亲向祢献上感恩。感谢祢让我们的母亲爱我们。求祢让更多的母亲和其他人归向基督，从而改变我们的社会；奉耶稣的名祷告，阿门。

May 10

A MESSAGE FOR MOTHER…AND OTHERS

They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.2 Corinthians 8:5 NIV

Living creatively for Christ in the home is the acid test for any Christian man or woman.It is far easier to live an excellent life among our friends,when we are putting our best foot forward and are conscious of public opinion,than it is to live for Christ in our home.Our own family circle knows whether Christ lives in and through us.

If I am a true Christian,I will not give way at home to bad temper,impatience,faultfinding,sarcasm,unkindness,suspicion,selfishness,or laziness.Instead,I will reveal through my daily life the fruit of the Spirit,which is love,joy,peace,long-suffering,and all the other Christian virtues which round out a Christlike personality.

Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.The Bible relates the stories of some women who have had an evil influence on their children.Some of the greatest criminals of history have had bad mothers.

On the other hand,most of the noble characters and fine leaders of history have had good,God-fearing mothers.

We are told that George Washington’s mother was pious,and that Sir Walter Scott’s mother was a lover of poetry and music.But Nero’s mother was a murderess,and the dissolute Lord Byron’s mother was a proud and violent woman.

Lord Shaftesbury was correct in his famous utterance,“Give me a generation of Christian mothers,and I will undertake to change the whole face of society in twelve months.”

If we had more Christian mothers,we would have less delinquency,less immorality,less ungodliness,and fewer broken homes.Every mother owes it to her children to accept Christ as her personal Savior,that she may be the influence for good in the lives of those whom Christ has graciously given to her.

Pray for the Day:

Father,thank You for my mother.Thank You for our mothers who have loved us.I pray that you will transform our society by winning more mothers—and others—to Christ;in Jesus’Name I pray,Amen.