by Larry Nixon – Morrilton, Arkansas
Each year Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Read the account in Luke 2:41-52. While in Jerusalem, Jesus astounded the religious leaders with his wisdom and knowledge of the scriptures. The chapter ends with these words: “Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:51-52).
If you were desirous of planning your life, with attention given to every aspect of life, you would discover that there are six areas of life which require our attention. Five of these areas are mentioned in the above passage, and Jesus and the Bible writers frequently refer to the other area in many other passages .
The six areas of life are:
1. Intellectual. This is the mental aspect (Jesus increased in wisdom). Knowledge is what we know. Wisdom is how we use what we know. The Bible tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). “Fear” in this passage is used in the sense of “respect.” If we respect God, we will keep his commandments. It is wise to obey God. A person does not have to be highly educated to be wise. However, a wise person will strive to gain as much knowledge as possible. Knowledge plus wisdom make a great combination.
2. Physical. This applies to how we treat our bodies (Jesus increased in stature). Certainly Jesus took good care of his physical body. He ate nutritious foods, and was active physically due to his trade, that of a carpenter. He did not have power tools to ease his work load. In his ministry, he walked to most of his destinations, occasionally going in a boat. Jesus would not have done anything harmful to his body, and neither should we.
3. Spiritual. This applies to our relationship with God (Jesus increased in favor with God). We must study to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV). We must not only study, but we must apply (obey) what we learn to our lives (James 1:22-25).
4. Social. This speaks of how we get along with other people (Jesus increased in favor with men). We must strive to get along favorably with everyone else, as much as is possible. Romans 12:18 lets us know that it is impossible to get along with some people. But if that happens, let’s let it be their fault, not ours. And we should never compromise our Christian principles just to make peace with another person. Even Jesus had enemies.
5. Family. Our family relationship is indicated in our opening passage (Jesus was subject to Joseph and Mary). Children should be subject to their parents. Parents should treat their children with respect and not be overbearing with them, neither should they be overly lenient and tolerate disrespect or disobedience. Husbands and wives are to love each other. The book of Ephesians has much to say about the family relationship.
6. Financial. This area is not mentioned in the opening passage. However, our financial responsibilities are spoken of in many places in the Bible, especially in regard to giving to God and sharing with the needy. The book of Proverbs says much about this. Jesus has much to say about it. For example: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). The apostle Paul, in the 8th and 9th chapters of 2 Corinthians, tells of the Macedonians giving generously in spite of their deep poverty. He says that the reason they were able to give like this was that “they first gave themselves to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5). As Christians, we need to give to God as we’ve been prospered (1 Corinthians 16:2), we need to share with the needy, and we need to be careful in our business dealings, especially avoiding excessive indebtedness.
To summarize: There are six areas of life which require careful planning. Everything related to our life can be categorized under one of these six areas. Some things may overlap into more than one area, but these six areas cover life totally.
The six areas of life are:
- Intellectual
- Physical
- Spiritual
- Social
- Family
- Financial
Someone has said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.” A successful life doesn’t just happen. It requires careful attention to each of these six areas. This covers it all.
(Taken from http://arkansaschurches.org/2009/01/the-six-area-of-life/)
你一定要知道每个领域，因为这就是人生！ ＝）
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