講道材料

温柔˙柔和

【柔能克刚】有一则故事谈到老子的学生常与孔子的学生辩论，不过老是辩输，就去问老子有何办法可以赢孔子的学生。老子把嘴张开，问学生说：『我的舌头在不在？』回说：『在。』然后再问：『我的牙齿在不在？』回说：『不在。』老子就藉此教导学生说：『这就对了，你们看，牙齿是硬的，结果已经脱落；舌头是软的，现今还在。如果以硬碰硬，不是像牙齿的命运吗？何不以舌头的柔软来对付！』柔能克刚。

【温柔的人不易受伤】温柔的人像一团棉花常给人舒适和温暖的感觉，而自己却不容易受伤。据说某次孔子走访老子，请教做人之道。老子一句话也没有说，只是把舌头伸出来几下。那时老子年老牙齿掉光了。孔子若有所悟，但孔子的弟子却不明白。在我们口中有硬的牙齿和软的舌头，我们从未听过柔软的舌头，把牙齿抵出来，只是常有坚硬的牙齿，咬伤了舌头的事实。到了年老的时候，牙齿掉光，而舌头依然存在。

【刚硬的人不能为主所用】相信主容易，顺服主却不易。要被主大用，就要准备，无论如何一定要顺服主。小孩最容易对父母说：「不！」有一位母亲管教孩子，要他坐下，孩子不听，母亲就用手将他按下。小孩说：「妈妈，我力气没你大，虽然你把我按下坐着，但我心里还是站着。」由此可知，我们人是何等的刚硬。

【温柔是圣灵所结的果子之一】温柔的希腊原文是由两个字组成，意译为「君子风度的待人接物」。这颗圣灵果子非常难结，不是人可由涵养、强忍、观色、待机或四面讨好、八面玲珑中获得的，乃信徒内在的生命因恒久灵修而产生圣灵性格的自然表现。这颗果子结得好，信徒彰显耶稣荣美，无形中就吸引人归主了。─ R.A. Torrey "The Real Christ"

【温柔的灵】(加六1)：

1.对神：不顶撞，不执抝，只求自己改变，来适应神；不求神改变，来适应自己。『主』苦杯可否撤去，只要照你的意思(太廿六39)。不必豫备，即能接受引导；『腓利去旷野』(徒八26)。

2.对人：不抵抗，不报复；『被骂不还口，被害不说威胁的话』(彼前二23)，即是羔羊灵。『以撒井』(创廿六18~22)。

3.不肯用肉体手伸冤报复，能感化人(提后二25~26)；『可拉档背叛』，摩西俯伏祷告(民十六4)。

【Anger】A boy once asked, “Dad, how do wars begin?”

“Well, take the First World War,” said his father. “That got started when Germany invaded Belgium.”

Immediately his wife interrupted him: “Tell the boy the truth. It began because somebody was murdered.” The husband drew himself up with an air of superiority and snapped back, “Are you answering the question, or am I?” Turning her back upon him in huff, the wife walked out of the room and slammed the door as hard as she could.

When the dishes stopped rattling in the cupboard, and uneasy silence followed, broken at length by the son when he said, “Daddy, you don’t have to tell me any more; I know now!”

【Anger, Effect of】“When I repress my emotions, my stomach keeps score.” ―― John Powell

【Anger, Effect of】Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back; in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you. ―― Frederick Buechner

【Anger, Effect of】Anger is often more harmful than the injury that caused it. The story is told of the time when Leonardo da Vinci was working on his painting “The Last Supper” and became angry with a certain man. Losing his temper, he lashed the other fellow with bitter words. Returning to his canvas, Leonardo attempted to work on the face of Jesus but was so upset he could not compose himself for the painstaking work. Finally he put down his tools and sought out the subject of his wrath and asked his forgiveness. The man accepted his apology and Leonardo was able to return to his workshop and finish painting the face of Jesus.

【Anger, Righteous】A man that does not know how to be angry does not know how to be good. A man that does not know how to be shaken to his heart’s core with indignation over things evil is either a fungus or a wicked man. ―― H.W. Beecher

【Anger, Uncontrolled】Alexander the Great was one of the few men in history who seemed to deserve his descriptive title. He was energetic, versatile, and intelligent. Although hatred was not generally part of his nature, several times in his life he was tragically defeated by anger. The story is told of one of these occasions, when a dear friend of Alexander, a general in his army, became intoxicated and began to ridicule the emperor in front of his men. Blinded by anger and quick as lightning, Alexander snatched a spear from the hand of a soldier and hurled it at his friend. Although he had only intended to scare the drunken general, his aim was true and the spear took the life of his childhood friend.

Deep remorse followed his anger. Overcome with guilt, Alexander attempted to take his own life with the same spear, but he was stopped by his men. For days he lay sick, calling for his friend and chiding himself as a murderer.

Alexander the Great conquered many cities and vanquished many countries, but he had filed miserably to control his own spirit.

【Anger Without Sin】Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, and in the right way—that is not easy.