11我们可以在生活的小事上经历这忍耐。有一件事我不喜欢,就是要打电话给人的时候,听见电话占线的信号。为甚么我不喜欢那个?因为我缺少忍耐。另一件小事我很讨厌,就是有人约会迟到。虽然这样的迟延对我是苦难,却帮助我得著忍耐。忍耐生老练。(4。)老练是一种蒙称许的品质或属性,是忍受并经历患难和试验的结果。因此,老练是能被称许的品质或属性。有时候,年轻弟兄很难得著别人的称许。他们需要忍耐,这忍耐产生容易被别人称许的品质。患难带进忍耐,忍耐产生蒙称许的品质。这里的老练,含经历的意思;然而这里所指的,主要不是经历本身,乃是藉著受苦的经历所得著的属性或美德。你越受苦,就越有忍耐,也越产生蒙称许的美德。蒙称许不是我们天生就有的属性。想想未经煆炼之金子的例子。虽然牠是真金,却未经煆炼,也不吸引人。牠需要煆炼的火。金越受到火烧,就越产生蒙称许的品质。在焚烧、试炼之后,金子就得著容易被人称许的品质。可能许多年轻人就像未经煆炼的金子。他们不需要磨光或上色;他们需要焚烧。有些爱主的圣徒有一些生命和亮光,他们就因此以为适合为主作工;然而,他们缺少蒙称许的品质。一面,他们无论往那里去,都能有果效;另一面,他们是未经煆炼的,缺少使人喜乐、甜美、并舒适的美德。他们有蒙称许的反面,我们可称为不蒙称许。为甚么你的情形起初很好,一段时期以后却相当差?起初的好,是因为你所得著的恩赐和亮光;后来不能一直好,是因为你未经煆炼,缺少蒙称许的品质。我们若有蒙称许的美德,就不会成为别人的难处。我们都必须祷告:『主,给我蒙称许的品质。』你若这样祷告,主会问:『你是认真的么?』你的答覆若是肯定的,主就会兴起环境,这些环境会为你产生蒙称许的品质。例如,祂也许赐你最合式的妻子,最有益于在你里面产生这品质。大多数的妻子是绝佳的帮手,帮助神为祂的仆人产生蒙称许的品质。主的仆人多半需要这样的妻子。妻子不是帮助丈夫,乃是帮助神;妻子的性情帮助神在她们的丈夫里面产生蒙称许的品质。神是主宰一切的。我们许多人领悟我们不但蒙召了,也被抓住了。我们必须作基督耶稣的奴仆─我们别无选择。我若能有别的选择,我已经选了。然而,我必须作主的奴仆。虽然我们是基督的奴仆,但我们缺少蒙称许的品质。这困扰神,也破坏我们;这也困扰圣徒们和神家里的人。我们一面帮助他们,另一面却伤了他们。因著我们的亮光和我们的恩赐,我们帮助他们;因著缺少蒙称许的品质,我们伤了他们。因此,我们需要忍耐所产生的老练、称许。
11We may experience this endurance in the small things of life. One thing I dislike is hearing a busy signal when I call on the telephone. Why do I dislike that? Because I am short of endurance. Another small thing I hate is when people are late for an appointment. Although such delays are a suffering to me, they help me gain endurance. Endurance produces approvedness (5:4). Approvedness is an approved quality resulting from the endurance of tribulation and testing. Thus, approvedness is a quality or attribute that can be approved. At times, it is difficult for young brothers to have the approval of others. They need the endurance which produces a quality that is easily approved by others. Tribulation issues in endurance, and endurance brings forth the quality of approvedness. Some versions translate the Greek word here as “experience.” This is correct, for approvedness includes experience. However, it is not primarily the experience itself, but the attribute or virtue which is acquired through the experiences of suffering. The more you suffer, the more you have endurance, and the more the virtue of approvedness will be produced. Approvedness is not an attribute we have by our natural birth. Consider the example of raw gold. Although it is genuine gold, it is raw and unattractive. It needs the purifying fire. The more the gold suffers the burning of the fire, the more an approved quality will be produced. After burning and trial, the gold acquires a quality that is easily approved by everyone. Perhaps, many of the young people are like raw gold. They do not need polishing or painting; they need burning. Some of the saints who love the Lord have an amount of life and light. Because they have these things, they think they are suitable to work for the Lord. However, they lack approvedness. On the one hand, they can be productive wherever they go; on the other hand, they are raw and lack the virtue which makes people happy, sweet, and comfortable. They have the opposite of approvedness, what we may call disapprovedness. Why was your situation so good at the beginning, but quite poor after a period of time? It was good at the beginning because of your gift and the light you had. It did not continue well because you were so raw, lacking the quality of approvedness. If we have the virtue of approvedness, we will not be a problem to others. We all must pray, “Lord, grant me approvedness.” If you pray in this way, the Lord will ask, “Do you really mean business?” If your answer is affirmative, the Lord will raise up the circumstances that will produce approvedness for you. For example, He may give you the most suitable wife, the wife most useful in producing this quality within you. Most wives are excellent helpers, assisting God in producing approvedness for His servants. Most of the Lord’s servants need such a wife. The wife does not help the husband; she helps God. The disposition of the wives helps God to bring forth approvedness in their husbands. God is sovereign. Many of us realize that we have not only been called, but also caught. We must be a slave of Christ Jesus—we have no other choice. If I could have made another choice, I would have made it. Nevertheless, I must be the Lord’s slave. Although we are the slaves of Christ, we lack approvedness. This troubles God and damages us. It also bothers the saints and the household of God. We help them on the one hand and hurt them on the other. By our light and our gift we help them; by our lack of approvedness we hurt them. Thus, we need the approvedness which comes out of endurance.