“What We Do for Christ Should Be out of Proper Gratitude and Duty 我們為基督所作的一切，理應是出於恰當的感激和本分“（Luke 路加福音 17:7-10）
Suppose one of you has a servant ploughing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, “Come along now and sit down to eat”? Won’t he rather say, “Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink”? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”
你們中間誰有僕人去耕地或是放羊，從田裡回來，你就對他說：‘快過來坐下吃飯’；而不對他說：‘給我預備晚餐，束起腰來服事我，等我吃喝完了，你才吃喝’呢？僕人作了所吩咐的事，主人還謝謝他嗎？你們也是這樣，作完一切吩咐你們的事，應該說：‘我們是無用的僕人，我們只作了應分作的。’
In general, ploughing or looking after the sheep is really a hard work in practice or even in spiritual ministry. Lord Jesus has given us the right attitude: His pleasure before our own, His people preferred before ourselves and His name before our own name. “We are unworthy servants” or “We’re no good at anything” is not an admission that we do nothing good or pleasing to God. It simply recognizes that He has done so much more for us than we could ever do for Him. What He did for us was out of pure love; what we do for Him should be out of proper gratitude and duty.
一般來說，耕地或放羊在實行上是真正艱苦的工作，或甚至在屬靈的事工上也是如此。主耶穌已給了我們正確的態度：祂的滿足先於我們自己的；祂的子民先於我們自己，並祂的名先於我們自己的名。「我們是無用的僕人」或「我們什麼都不擅長」並不是承認自己什麼都做不好或不能討神喜悅。它只不過是確認祂為我們作了的，遠比我們可以為祂作的更多。祂為我們所作的一切，都是出於純粹的愛；我們為祂所作的一切，理應是出於恰當的感激和本分。
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, many today often want to project a ‘super-Christian’ image that makes them seem to be anything but unprofitable servants. Indeed, we only think that we are better than others are when we look to man, not you. Thank you for reminding us that when our hearts are right, we live and act as if we are happy to have the privilege of being allowed to serve you. Amen.
禱告: 親愛的主耶穌，今天許多人往往想要表現出一種「超級基督徒」的形象，讓他們看起來絕不是無用的僕人。確實，我們只自以為比別人更好，就是當我們面向人，而不是面向你的時候。感謝你提醒我們，若我們的心是正確的，我們就好似自己樂意帶著蒙準許去服侍你的特權地生活和行事為人。阿們。
