被影響或者被汙染?
By Luis Cervino
被影響或者被汙染?
幾天前，我去油漆行買了一加侖的油漆，希望能買到跟幾天前我拿到油漆顏色的樣本一樣的顏色。店員拿出一桶白色的油漆，開始滴其他的顏色進去，想要調出我要求的顏色。他很仔細地依照電腦所指示的比例以便能調出我期待的顏色。
在他調色的過程中，我一直在想這樣的事是不是也在發生在我們每天的日常生活中？我們都很容易被環境影響，無論是好的方面或是壞的方面。影響，就像是白油漆中滴入的幾滴顏色，可能帶給我們很大的改變，它的後果無論好壞都很可能會一輩子跟著我們。就像油漆被染色之後，永遠無法再回到之前的狀況一樣，被環境影響或被汙染的後果也可能影響我們一輩子。
要謹記在心，也許只是一點小小的改變，我們就無法回到以前的樣子。
那麼，我們要如何分辨影響是好是壞？我們如何察覺哪些影響是好的，哪些是不好的?我們應該避免的？我想告訴大家：禱告，能幫助我們分辨好的影響和壞的影響；此外，當我們發現自己被汙染的時候，我們要悔改。我們應該遵守聖經中神告訴我們的話。當我們回應和順服祂，我們會有恩典。以下是來自聖經的話：
察覺汙染的危險。 每一件事都有可能會影響我們，可能是好的影響或是不好的影響，我們應該尋求那些對我們有益的和能幫助我們成長的影響。「不要效法這個世界，只要心意更新而變化，叫你們察驗何為 神的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。」 (羅馬書12章2節)
禱告給我們確據。當我們向神禱告時，我們會發現確據來自遵守祂的旨意。「在你一切所行的事上都要認定他，他必指引你的路。不要自以為有智慧；要敬畏耶和華，遠離惡事。」(箴言3章6-7節)
透過禱告，神要我們順服祂。順服神，以及堅定地尋求服事祂，我們會成功。「只要剛強，大大壯膽，謹守遵行我僕人摩西所吩咐你的一切律法，不可偏離左右，使你無論往哪裏去，都可以順利。」 (約書亞記1章7節).
禱告和悔改帶來復興。轉向神並且向祂承認我們被負面影響了，我們能經歷祂復活的大能以及醫治。「這稱為我名下的子民，若是自卑、禱告，尋求我的面，轉離他們的惡行，我必從天上垂聽，赦免他們的罪，醫治他們的地。」(歷代志下7章14節)
Luis Cervino是一位在墨西哥托雷翁市(Torreon, Coahuila)的口腔顎面外科醫生。他和他的太太Rocio以及他的兩個兒子同住。自1997年，他就是CBMC/CPEC在墨西哥的會員，並且自1999年開始就負責將週一嗎哪由英文翻譯成西班牙文，藉著翻譯他將神國訊息傳達給墨西哥和世界其他西語國家。
省思／討論題目
你買過油漆或顏料因為被染色而變成不對的顏色嗎？當時，你是怎麼處理的？你仍然保留那桶油漆繼續使用它嗎?或者你把它丟了，另外買一桶想要的顏色呢？ 作者用顏料被染色的例子告訴我們，當我們發現自己已經負面的環境所影響，該如何反應呢？ 我們要如何察覺周遭環境帶給我們的是好的影響或是負面的影響呢？ 向負面影響低頭會有甚麼後果呢？是否有彌補的方法？請解釋你的答案。
備註：如果你手上有聖經，希望閱讀更多關於這個主題的經文，請參考：詩篇18章25-26節；箴言27章17節；羅馬書12章1節；腓立比書4章8-9節；提摩太後書2章2節；提多書1章15-16節
INFLUENCE – OR CONTAMINATION?
By Luis Cervino
A few days ago, I went to a paint store to purchase a gallon of paint to match a paint sample that I had taken earlier. The clerk took a gallon can of white paint and began mixing in drops of other colors to achieve the specific paint color that I had requested. He was following the computer specifications that tell the clerks how to blend the correct proportions or amounts of different paint hues necessary to create the desired color.
Observing this process in action, I began thinking about how something like this happens to us on a daily basis. We all are subject to the influences or contamination from the environment around us, for our good or for our detriment. A little bit of influence, like a few drops of paint, can result in big changes in each one of us. The consequences – positive or negative – can follow us forever. Like the example of the paint that has been blended with other colors, never to return to its former state, influence or contamination from our surroundings can permanently affect us.
Having this in mind, we can see that it takes only a very little influence from the environment to change us, and that can be good or bad. As many of us have discovered, sometimes painfully, by ourselves, we cannot return to our previous state.
But how can we go about identifying what are the right and wrong influences? How are we to discern which ones are the best, and which we should avoid? I would suggest two important steps are the power of prayer, for discerning good and bad influences, and repentance, when we realize we have become contaminated by wrong influences. Through prayer we can receive wisdom and guidance from God. We also must follow what the Lord has told us through His Word, the Bible. As we respond in obedience to Him, we will find blessings. Here are suggestions from the Scriptures:
Recognize the danger of contamination. Everything around us can affect us, for better or worse, so we should seek what benefits us and builds us up. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That you may prove what the will of God, good, acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2)
Prayer gives us certainty. As we pray to God we find the conviction that what we present to the Lord must be according to His will. "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; rather, fear the Lord and shun evil" (Proverbs 3:6-7).
Through prayer, God calls us to obedience. By obeying God and being tenacious in seeking to serve Him, we find success. "I only ask you to be very strong and courageous to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you. do not turn from it all; only be successful wherever you go" (Joshua 1: 7).
Prayer and repentance bring restoration. Turning to God and acknowledging when we have fallen to negative influences, we can experience His restoration and healing. "If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Luis Cervino is a maxillofacial surgeon in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, where he resides with his wife, Rocio, and their two sons. He has been a CBMC/CPEC member in Mexico since 1997, and has been translating Monday Manna from English into Spanish since 1999. His translations reach readers in Mexico and many other parts of the world.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
Have you ever had a can of paint tinted, and then found it had been turned into the wrong color? If so, what did you do with it? Did you keep the paint and use it, or did you discard it and purchase a new can of the desired color? Using the paint analogy, how are we to respond when we discover we have become tinted – or tainted – by undesirable influences? How can we go about discerning when we have been influenced in positive ways by the environment around us, and when it has contaminated us in detrimental ways? What about the consequences of yielding to bad influences that contaminate us and our behavior? Is there a way to undo the wrong that has been done? Explain your answer.
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Psalm 18:25-26; Proverbs 27:17; Romans 12:1; Philippians 4:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:15-16
