Most things worth doing are difficult.

许多值得去做的事都非易事。

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，天天背起他的十字架来跟从我。-路加福音9章23节

Sipping her tea, Nancy gazed out her friend’s window and sighed. Spring rains and sunshine had coaxed a riotous expanse of color from a well-groomed flowerbed of lilies, phlox, irises, and evening primrose.

“I want that look,” she said wistfully, “without all the work.”

兰熙坐在朋友家的窗边饮茶，窗外是美丽的花圃。春雨和阳光让百合、绣球花、鸢尾花和月见草恣意地争奇斗艳，她看了不禁轻叹：“如果能享受这美景，但不须每天浇花除草，那该多好啊！”

Some shortcuts are fine—even practical. Others short-circuit our spirit and deaden our lives. We want romance without the difficulties and messiness of committing to someone so different from ourselves. We want “greatness” without the risks and failures necessary in the adventure of real life. We desire to please God, but not when it inconveniences us.

有时选择轻松省力的方法的确比较合乎实际。但有时只追求轻松省力却会使人停滞不前，意志消沉。我们期盼拥有爱情，却不愿克服彼此间的差异所带来的困难和冲击。我们希望功成名就，却不愿接受生活中必经的风险与失败。我们渴望讨上帝的喜悦，却又不愿面对各种挑战。

Jesus made clear to His followers that there is no shortcut that avoids the hard choice of surrendering our lives to Him. He warned a prospective disciple, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). To follow Christ requires a radical altering of our loyalties.

耶稣清楚地让祂的跟随者明白，除了将自己的生命降服于祂，此外并无捷径。祂也训诫那个想要跟从祂的人，说：“手扶着犁向后看的，不配进上帝的国”（路加福音9章62节）。要跟随耶稣基督，就不要三心二意。

When we turn in faith to Jesus, the work just begins. But it is oh-so-worth-it, for He also told us that no one who sacrifices “for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age . . . and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29–30). The work of following Christ is difficult, but He’s given us His Spirit and the reward is a full, joyful life now and forever.

当我们相信耶稣时，便要一心跟随祂。这是绝对值得的！因祂也告诉我们：“人为我和福音撇下??没有不在今世得百倍的??在来世必得永生”（马可福音10章29-30节）。跟随基督虽不容易，但祂已赐下圣灵与我们同在，而且还让我们今世和来世都能享有丰盛、喜乐的生命。

Father, I will find the strength to do the work You have for me to do, only as I rely on Your Holy Spirit. Help me, please, to be sensitive to that today.

天父，当我全心倚靠祢的圣灵时，
才有能力完成祢要我做的一切事。
求祢帮助我，今天就明白并顺服圣灵的带领。

Luke 9:57-62New International Version (NIV)

The Cost of Following Jesus

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

路加福音 9:57-62Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

57 他们走路的时候，有一人对耶稣说：“你无论往哪里去，我要跟从你。” 58 耶稣说：“狐狸有洞，天空的飞鸟有窝，只是人子没有枕头的地方。” 59 又对一个人说：“跟从我来！”那人说：“主，容我先回去埋葬我的父亲。” 60 耶稣说：“任凭死人埋葬他们的死人，你只管去传扬神国的道。” 61 又有一人说：“主，我要跟从你，但容我先去辞别我家里的人。” 62 耶稣说：“手扶着犁向后看的，不配进神的国。”

整理：于姊妹