「我也將萬事看作虧損，因我以認識我主基督耶穌為至寶。」－腓立比書3:8
未點燃的蠟燭無法發光；若要發光，就必須燃燒。我們若要幫助人，也必須付上代價；這個代價就是在苦難的火中焚燒。
我們常覺得當我們剛強時，當我們滿有能力時，當我們雙手富餘、心中滿溢時，我們才能為著世界貢獻心力。
而當我們被主喚到一旁，在角落裡屈身受苦時；當我們的肉身被痛楚銷損，疲倦不堪時；當我們一無所能，不再耀武揚威時，我們就覺得我們的生命已經變為無用，我們無法再有所作為了。
然而，若我們肯恆切忍耐，並且安靜順服，我們就要知道，在苦難中所帶給人的祝福，遠遠勝過在奮力活動時所能帶給人的。
因為在苦難中，我們燃燒，所以，我們也就發光。－晚思
"I even reckon all things as pure loss because of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Phil. 3:8; Weymouth).Shining is always costly. Light comes only at the cost of that which produces it. An unlit candle does no shining. Burning must come before shining. We cannot be of great use to others without cost to ourselves. Burning suggests suffering. We shrink from pain.
We are apt to feel that we are doing the greatest good in the world when we are strong, and able for active duty, and when the heart and hands are full of kindly service.
When we are called aside and can only suffer; when we are sick; when we are consumed with pain; when all our activities have been dropped, we feel that we are no longer of use, that we are not doing anything.
But, if we are patient and submissive, it is almost certain that we are a greater blessing to the world in our time of suffering and pain than we were in the days when we thought we were doing the most of our work. We are burning now, and shining because we are burning. --Evening Thoughts
