Nothing is really lost by a life of sacrifice.  Henry Liddon

献给主的生命，一无所失。

Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:39

得着生命的，将要失丧生命；为我失丧生命的，将要得着生命。-马太福音10章39节

In the midday heat of summer, while traveling in the American South, my wife and I stopped for ice cream. On the wall behind the counter we saw a sign reading, “Absolutely No Snowmobiling.” The humor worked because it was so unexpected.

我和妻子在美国南部旅行，在一个盛夏的中午，我们去买冰淇淋。那时，我们看到柜台后面的墙上挂着一块告示牌，上面写着：“禁止雪上摩托车”。在夏日炎炎之下看到这样的告示真是出人意料，但效果奇佳。

Sometimes saying the unexpected has the most effect. Think of this in regard to a statement by Jesus: “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 10:39). In a kingdom where the King is a servant (Mark 10:45), losing your life becomes the only way to find it. This is a startling message to a world focused on self-promotion and self-protection.

有时，不合常理的格言谚语，会令人印象深刻。正如耶稣说：“得着生命的，将要失丧生命；为我失丧生命的，将要得着生命” (马太福音10章39节) 。在上帝的国度里，尊贵的君王成为卑微的奴仆(马可福音10章45节) ，若我们要得着生命，唯一的方法就是要先失去生命。在我们这个高举自己和自我保护意识强烈的世代中，这样的信息真是令人惊讶。

In practical terms, how can we “lose our life”? The answer is summed up in the word sacrifice. When we sacrifice, we put into practice Jesus’s way of living. Instead of grasping for our own wants and needs, we esteem the needs and well-being of others.

实际上，我们如何才能“失丧生命”呢？答案可以总括为一句话：牺牲。当我们肯牺牲，就能活出基督的样式，不再追寻自己的欲望和需求，乃是看重他人的需要和福祉。

Jesus not only taught about sacrifice but He also lived it by giving Himself for us. His death on the cross became the ultimate expression of the heart of the King who lived up to His own words: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

耶稣不仅教导牺牲的真理，祂还亲自为我们流血舍命。耶稣这位君王被钉死在十架上，将祂的心意做了最美的诠释，正如祂所说：“人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。”(约翰福音15章13节)

Loving Father, teach me the heart of Christ, that I might more fully appreciate the sacrifice He has made for me and be willing to sacrifice myself for others.

亲爱的天父，教导我以基督的心为心。

对于主为我所做的牺牲，我心存感恩，
让我愿意学习主的样式，甘心为他人付出。

Matthew 10:35-42NIV

35 For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[a]

37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

整理：于姊妹