The giver is the greatest recipient.

施比受更为有福。

Encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

勉励灰心的人，扶助软弱的人，也要向众人忍耐。-帖撒罗尼迦前书5章14节

It was a dreary week. I had been feeling lethargic and listless, although I couldn’t figure out why.

那是沉闷的一周。不知道为什么我对每件事都提不起劲，整天无精打采。

Near the end of the week, I found out that an aunt had kidney failure. I knew I had to visit her—but to be honest, I felt like postponing the visit. Still, I made my way to her place, where we had dinner, chatted, and prayed together. An hour later, I left her home feeling upbeat for the first time in days. Focusing on someone else rather than myself had somehow improved my mood.

接近周末时，我听说我的一位阿姨肾功能衰竭。我知道应该去探望她，但说实话，我很想拖延。尽管如此，我还是去了她的住处，与她共进晚餐、闲话家常，并同心祷告。一个小时后，我带着这一周从未有的好心情离开。不知怎地，把焦点放在他人而非自己身上，转变了我的心情。

Psychologists have found that the act of giving can produce satisfaction, which comes when the giver sees the recipient’s gratitude. Some experts even believe that humans are wired to be generous!

心理学家发现，“给予”能带来满足感，因为给予者会得到接受者的感谢。有些专家甚至相信，人类天生慷慨！

Perhaps that’s why Paul, when encouraging the church in Thessalonica to build up their faith community, urged them to “help the weak” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Earlier, he had also cited Jesus’s words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). While this was said in the context of giving financially, it applies as well to the giving of time and effort.

也许正因如此，保罗在写信鼓励帖撒罗尼迦教会建立他们的信徒群体时，也激励他们要“扶助软弱的人”（帖撒罗尼迦前书5章14节）。先前，他也曾引述耶稣所说：“施比受更为有福”（使徒行传20章35节） 。虽然这节经文指的是给予人经济方面的援助，但也同样适用于为人付出时间与精力。

When we give, we get an insight into how God feels. We understand why He’s so delighted to give us His love, and we share in His joy and the satisfaction of blessing others. I think I’ll be visiting my aunt again soon.

当我们给予他人时，便能开始明白上帝的心意。明白上帝为何乐意将祂的爱赐给我们，让我们与祂一同喜乐，并从祝福他人中得着满足。我想我很快会再去探望这位阿姨。

Father, You have made us to give to others just as You have given to us. Teach us to give so that we can truly reflect Your character and be more like You today.

天父啊，祢如何赏赐我们，祢也要我们同样给予别人。求祢教导我们懂得给予，好让我们能充分反映出祢的特质，并让我们今天能够更加像祢！

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24    NIV

5 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil. 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:12-24 

5 弟兄们，我们劝你们敬重那在你们中间劳苦的人，就是在主里面治理你们、劝诫你们的。 13 又因他们所做的工，用爱心格外尊重他们。你们也要彼此和睦。 14 我们又劝弟兄们，要警戒不守规矩的人，勉励灰心的人，扶助软弱的人，也要向众人忍耐。 15 你们要谨慎，无论是谁都不可以恶报恶。或是彼此相待，或是待众人，常要追求良善。 16 要常常喜乐， 17 不住地祷告， 18 凡事谢恩，因为这是神在基督耶稣里向你们所定的旨意。 19 不要消灭圣灵的感动， 20 不要藐视先知的讲论。 21 但要凡事察验，善美的要持守， 22 各样的恶事要禁戒不做。 23 愿赐平安的神亲自使你们全然成圣！又愿你们的灵与魂与身子得蒙保守，在我们主耶稣基督降临的时候完全无可指摘！ 24 那召你们的本是信实的，他必成就这事。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

Do you ever feel that you’re always on the giving end? Or do you feel you’re always taking and receiving—with nothing to offer others but your own neediness? Take another look at Paul’s words to the Thessalonians. See if you can hear the wisdom of someone who knows there’s a time to give and a time to receive.

你可曾觉得自己一直在付出？或是觉得自己始终在索取和接受，什么也没有给别人，只是满足自己的需要？不妨再次阅读保罗对帖撒罗尼迦信徒所说的话，聆听保罗智慧的话语，学习什么时候要给予，什么时候当接受。

If you sense that you’re receiving more than your fair share of help, does Paul give you any idea about what you have to give even while receiving? Can you see that in acknowledging graciously the hard work of those who are caring for you, God can actually use you to encourage them?

如果你觉得自己接受别人的帮助，多于帮助别人的时候，保罗的教导或许能提醒你，在接受帮助的同时也要给予，那就是感谢那些关怀你的人所付出的辛劳。当你向他们表达感谢时，上帝便能以此来鼓励他们。

If you seem to be giving to the point of exhaustion, see if you can hear any gentle wisdom here for yourself.

如果你正因为所付出的而感到疲惫不堪，盼望你能在这里听到温柔的智慧之言。

整理：于姊妹