面對人生低谷 Facing a Low Point in Life

也許你正經歷人生低谷？可能因為失業、失去家人，失婚，失去自我價值與形象？是否想死？

聖經羅馬書說：「在無可指望的時候，因信仍有指望」。

相信你與我一樣處境艱難，

願與你分享心聲，

你有人共鳴。

我正面對失業，面對疫情，就業環境惡化，多次應徵也無回音。也許你也相似，面對日子天天過去，境況毫無寸進，儲蓄天天減少，心中難免徬徨。如果你也是曾經用心付出，努力過，卻結果不似預期，甚至截然相反，也許心中輕則挫敗，重則憤怨。如果你有信仰，也許會懷疑甚至質問上帝「為何我竟有此遭遇」。

其實，一起放手吧！留心是放手而不是放棄！我們都知道人生際遇無法強求，心中一定會執着；但心底也明白執着到一些年月後，知道人生不是努力就必然有好結果，只是不努力就不會有好結果而已。那麼放手是甚麼意思呢？放棄是放棄人生，想尋死，好像聖經以利亞先知被耶洗別追殺時，感受與情緒都負面；但放手，雖然也有難過，但內心沒有違背初衷，是堅持到一個時刻無法再堅持，於是讓心意在那裏劃上休止符。

放手就好比樂章的休止符，放棄就像撕毀樂譜。

親愛的你，抱歉我不能夠解決你的難題，改變不到處境；但耶穌一樣走過人生艱難低谷，也經歷過被出賣，絕對難過。所以耶穌明白你、明白我。所以，我們一同在主耶穌內祈禱，請耶穌並肩而行，相信在主耶穌內有出路，即使事情未必會解決，但日子總會過去，神也會幫助我能繼續人生旅程。

先知以利亞人生最令人印象深刻的事當然是在何烈山上為神大勝，顯出巴力先知與假神的失敗。但對於正面對人生低谷的你我，其實更值得你我細味。他人生的高峰短暫，之前之後的日子也過得艱難。被神呼召後要先躲藏，被神吩咐烏鴉供養；一段日子後去寡婦的家，寡婦兒子死了還被寡婦埋怨受累了（雖然後來神聽以利亞祈禱復活了兒子）；何烈山事件後，沒有一般人眼中的體面退場，卻是被耶洗別皇后出言恐嚇追殺，先在羅騰樹下求死，又要藏身山洞。他的人生，又有幾多時候像普通人一樣正常平凡呢？風光的時刻對比東躲西藏的日子，顯然是人生低谷的日子太多了。

但值得細味的卻是神對以利亞的供應，神吩咐烏鴉、寡婦甚至兩次差遣天使供應食物。我也是平凡人，也不想經歷那種人生低谷，但是人生際遇不是我能掌握的啊！至少還有神的供應，很重要。以利亞就靠神供應兩次的飲食，就走了40天路程（40這數字在聖經中一再表明是考驗呢）。因為有神供應，才走得下去，本來我們就無甚麼可誇口。

看到以利亞的人生令我反省自己內心有無自以為是，自以為有能力掌握人生，自以為可改變處境。原來，人生低谷不但不可免，也未必可改變；但處理方法就是面對而不是逃避，承認自己遇上了低谷又不能改變，更重要是靠主耶穌過我們在世的日子。這樣我們內心謙卑了才能放手，內心才能治癒。

Maybe you are going through a low point in your life? Maybe you’ve lost your job, lost your family, lost your marriage, lost your self-worth and image? Do you want to die?

The book of Romans says, “In hope against hope he believed”.

I believe you are in the same difficult situation as I am.

I would like to share with you.

You have someone know you.

I am facing unemployment, the epidemic, and a worsening employment situation, and I have not heard back from recruiter even after repeatedly applying for jobs. Perhaps you are also facing the days passing by without any progress, and your savings decreasing every day, you are inevitably worried. Maybe you have also put your heart and soul into something, but the result is not as expected, or even the opposite, you may be frustrated and angry. If you believe in Jesus, you may doubt or even ask God, “Why did this happen to me?

In fact, let it go together! Be mindful of letting go, not giving up! We all know that we can’t force our way through life, so we will definitely cling to it. But we also know that after some years of clinging to it, we know that life doesn’t always turn out well if we try, but not if we don’t try. So what does it mean to let go? Someone may give up on life, to seek death, like the biblical prophet Elijah when he was chased by Jezebel, with negative feelings and emotions.

But letting go is like a resting note in a piece of music, giving up is like tearing up the musical score.

Beloved, I’m sorry I can’t solve your problems or change your situation, but Jesus has been through difficulties in his life, he has been betrayed, and it’s definitely hard. That’s why Jesus understands you and me. So we pray together in Jesus, asking Jesus to walk alongside us, believing that in Jesus there is a way out, that even though things may not be solved, the days will pass, and God will help us to continue our journey.

The most impressive event in the life of the prophet Elijah was certainly the great victory for God on Mount Horeb, which showed the defeat of the prophets of Baal and false gods. But for you and me, who are facing a low point in our lives, it is actually worthwhile for you and me to take a closer look. The peak of his life was short-lived, and the days before and after that were difficult. After being called by God, he had to hide first, and was told by God to provide food by the ravens; he went to the widow’s house some time later, but the widow’s son died and was blamed by the widow for suffering (although God later listened to Elijah’s prayer and raised the son); after the Mount Horeb incident, he did not have a decent exit, but was threatened and chased by Queen Jezebel, and first begged for death under the Rotten tree, and then had to hide in a cave. His life, and how often like ordinary people, normal and ordinary? The moment of glory compared to the days of hiding, it is obvious that there are too many low days in life.

But it is worthwhile to think God’s provision for Elijah. God commanded the ravens, the widows, and even sent angels twice to provide food. I’m an ordinary person, and I don’t want to go through that kind of low point, but I can’t control what happens in life. At least there was God’s provision, which was important. Elijah walked for 40 days with God’s provision of food twice (the number 40 is repeatedly shown in the Bible as a test). It was because God provided that he was able to go on, and we have nothing to boast about.

Seeing Elijah’s life made me reflect on my own thinking of self-righteousness, my ability to control life, and my ability to change situations. But the way to deal with it is to face it instead of running away from it, to admit that we have hit a low point and cannot change it, and more importantly, to live our life on earth through Jesus. In this way, we can let go and be healed when we are humbled in our hearts.