부산에서 신학교를 다닐 때 가끔씩, 계절에 한 번 정도, 어머니가 계신 곳 고향 노량으로 내려가기도 했습니다. 혼자서 밭농사를 짓고 계신 어머니가, 마침 남자의 손이 필요할 때에 나타난 아들을 반기시며, 일을 맡겼습니다. 밭에 올라가서 뒤쪽 편에 물꼬를 정리하는 일을 하라고 했습니다. 오랫동안 옆에서 흘러들어온 흙이니 자갈이니 돌이 비가 오면 물이 빠지는 길을 메우고 있어서 그 근방 몇 두둑의 곡물이 잘 자라지 않았기 때문입니다. 이런 저런 농기구를 챙겨서 현장에 도착했을 때, 그 일을 최선을 다해서 잘 하고 싶은 마음이 들었습니다. 하나님이 보실 때에 인정하실 만큼 잘하고 싶었습니다.
비록 그런 일에는 아마추어이지만 정성껏 일을 마치고 집으로 돌아와서 일을 끝냈다고 보고를 했는데, “그래~”하고 지나가는 대답만 들었습니다. 그런데 밭을 다녀와서는 어머니의 입이 귀에 걸렸습니다. 새참과 품삯을 주고, 인부들에게 일을 시켜도 나올 수 없는 수준으로 일을 마무리한 현장을 보았기 때문입니다. 만족해 하시는 어머니를 보면서 무슨 일이든 최선을 다하리라는 교훈을 얻었습니다. 옛날 이야기를 하는 것은 최근에 든 생각 때문입니다. 그 때 최선을 다해서 일을 하고 싶은 마음을 주신 분을 요즈음 새삼 깨달았기 때문입니다. 내가 생각을 해 낸 것이 아니라 하나님께서 그런 착한 생각을 주셨구나 하는 것을 비로소 알게 되었기 때문입니다.
일상적인 상황뿐 아니라, 위기의 상황에서도 때에 적절한 생각을 주시기도 합니다. 울산 시내에서 시골집으로 들어오는 국도 14번의 시골길은 추월할 데가 잘 없는 도로입니다. 도로가 2차선인데다 경사도 꽤 있고 급커브도 많기 때문입니다. 아내가 차를 몰고 그 길로 오다가, 갑자기 그 근방에서 파는 손두부를 사고 싶은 생각이 들어서, 속도를 줄이면서 오른쪽 가게 앞으로 차를 옮기는데, 굽어진 맞은 편 길에서 남의 차선을 침범해서 추월하려고 달려 내려오는 큰 트럭과 맞닥뜨리게 되었습니다. 마침 그 순간 두부를 사고 싶은 생각이 들지 않았더라면 승용차는 박살이 났을 것입니다. 하지만 이미 속도를 줄이고 옆에 있는 공터로 차를 옮기는 중이었으니 얼마나 감사합니까? 분명히 하나님이 갑자기 주신 생각 덕분에, 비록 가게 문은 잠겨 있었고 두부는 사지 못했지만 목숨을 건진 것을 두고두고 감사합니다. 에벤에셀, “여기까지 하나님이 도우셨다!”는 고백 대신에 그 장소를 지날 때는 “여기에서 하나님이 도우셨다!”고 고백하는 우리의 성지(聖地)가 되었습니다.
그러므로 좋은 생각을 우리의 마음에 주시는 성령 하나님을 인해서 찬양합니다. 하지만 사람의 마음에 나쁜 생각을 불어넣는 마귀도 있습니다. 유월절 직전(요 13:1) , 예수께서는 이제 자신이 이 세상을 떠나 아버지께로 돌아가야 할 때가 왔다는 것을 알고 계셨기에 세상에 있는 자기의 사람들을 사랑하시되, 다함없는 사랑을 끝까지 보여 주시는 그 아름다운 상황에서, 다른 한 편 마귀는 시몬의 아들 가룟 유다를 꾀어, 예수를 배반하여 팔아넘길 생각을 그의 마음속에 불어넣었다고(요 13:2) 성경은 기록하고 있습니다. 다행히 우리의 마음은 거룩한 영과 악한 영의 각축장이 아니라 주께서 다스리시는 영역입니다. “보혜사 곧 아버지께서 내 이름으로 보내실 성령 그가 너희에게 모든 것을 가르치고 내가 너희에게 말한 모든 것을 생각나게 하리라”(요 14:26) 성령께서는 주님의 가르침을 기억나게 할뿐 아니라 일상적인 삶에도 지혜를, 비상 상황에도 피할 지혜를 주시는 분이십니다.
When I was attending seminary in Busan, I would occasionally—about once a season—travel down to my hometown of Noryang where my mother lived. Tending the dry fields all by herself, my mother warmly welcomed her son who appeared just when a man's helping hand was needed, and entrusted me with a chore. She told me to go up to the field and clear the water drainage ditch at the back. Soil, gravel, and stones that had washed in from the side over a long period were blocking the runoff path whenever it rained, causing the crops on several nearby ridges to languish. Gathering various farming tools and arriving at the site, a deep desire arose in my heart to do the job with my absolute best. I wanted to do it so thoroughly that it would be commendable in God's eyes.
Although I was an amateur at such farm work, I finished it with heartfelt devotion and returned home to report that the task was complete. She merely gave a passing acknowledgment, saying, "Alright~" But after she visited the field herself, a radiant smile stretched from ear to ear. She had seen the finished work, completed to a level of excellence that could never have been achieved even if one hired laborers and provided them with meals, snacks, and wages. Seeing my mother so deeply pleased, I learned the lifelong lesson of giving my very best to whatever task lies before me. The reason I bring up this old memory is because of a thought that occurred to me recently. It is because I have newly realized who it was that put such a desire in my heart back then to do the work with all my might. I came to realize that it wasn't a thought I came up with on my own, but that God had placed that noble thought within me.
God grants timely thoughts not only in ordinary circumstances, but also in moments of crisis. National Route 14, the rural road winding from downtown Ulsan to our country home, is a road with hardly any places to overtake. It is only a two-lane road with steep inclines and sharp curves. One day, while my wife was driving along that road, she suddenly had the urge to buy handmade tofu sold nearby. As she slowed down and steered the car toward the front of the shop on the right, a large truck came barreling down the winding road from the opposite direction, invading her lane to overtake another vehicle. If she had not felt the impulse to buy tofu at that very moment, the car would have been crushed to pieces. Yet, how grateful we were that she had already slowed down and was pulling over into the empty lot! Truly, thanks to the sudden thought God gave her, even though the shop was locked and she couldn't buy any tofu, we remain endlessly thankful that her life was spared. Instead of the confession of Ebenezer, "Thus far the Lord has helped us!", whenever we pass that spot, it has become our sacred place where we confess, "Right here, the Lord helped us!"
Therefore, I praise God the Holy Spirit who places good thoughts in our hearts. Yet, there is also the devil who whispers wicked thoughts into the human heart. Just before the Passover (John 13:1), Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father, and having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end. In that beautiful setting, the Scripture records that the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him (John 13:2). Fortunately, our hearts are not a contested battleground between the Holy Spirit and evil spirits, but a domain ruled by the Lord. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit is the One who not only reminds us of the Lord's teachings, but also gives us wisdom for daily life and the discernment to escape in times of emergency.
Toe ek in Busan op kweekskool was, het ek af en toe—omtrent een keer per seisoen—afgery na my tuisdorp Noryang waar my ma gewoon het. My ma, wat stoksielalleen die landerye bewerk het, was baie bly om haar seun te sien wat net opgedaag het toe 'n man se hande nodig was, en sy het my 'n taak gegee. Sy het my aangesê om op te gaan na die landerye en die waterafvoersloot aan die agterkant skoon te maak. Grond, gruis en klippe wat oor 'n lang tyd van die kant af ingespoel het, het die waterweg wat reënwater moes wegvoer, verstop, sodat die gewasse op die nabygeleë walle nie goed gegroei het nie. Nadat ek verskeie plaasgereedskap bymekaargemaak het en by die land aangekom het, het daar 'n begeerte in my hart ontstaan om die werk met my hele hart en my heel beste te doen. Ek wou dit so deeglik doen dat dit selfs in God se oë welgevalle sou wees.
Alhoewel ek 'n groentjie was met sulke werk, het ek dit met toewyding voltooi, huis toe teruggekeer en gerapporteer dat die taak klaar was. Sy het bloot met 'n terloopse "Nou ja~" geantwoord. Maar toe sy self na die lande gaan kyk het, het haar mond van oor tot oor geglimlag. Sy het die voltooide werk gesien—gedoen met 'n gehalte wat 'n mens nie eens sou kry as jy dagloners sou huur en hulle van kos, peuselhappies en lone sou voorsien nie. Toe ek sien hoe tevrede my ma was, het ek die lewensles geleer om in alles my heel beste te gee. Die rede waarom ek hierdie ou herinnering ophaal, is as gevolg van 'n gedagte wat ek onlangs gekry het. Dit is omdat ek nou eers weer besef het wie destyds daardie begeerte in my hart gegee het om die werk so getrou te doen. Ek het besef dat dit nie my eie slim gedagte was nie, maar dat God daardie edele gedagte in my geplant het.
Nie net in alledaagse omstandighede nie, maar ook in krisistye gee God op die regte tyd die regte gedagte. Nasionale Roete 14, die plattelandse pad wat van die middestad van Ulsan na ons plattelandse huisie loop, is 'n pad met bitter min verbysteekplekke. Dit is 'n tweelaanpad met steil hellings en skerp draaie. Eendag, toe my vrou op daardie pad gery het, het sy skielik die begeerte gekry om handgemaakte tofu te koop wat daar naby verkoop word. Terwyl sy stadiger gery het en die motor na die regterkant voor die winkeltjie getrek het, het 'n groot vragmotor om die draai van voor af aangejaag gekom wat in haar baan oorgery het om 'n ander voertuig verby te steek. As sy nie op daardie presiese oomblik lus gekry het vir tofu nie, sou die passasiersmotor verpletter gewees het. Maar hoe dankbaar was ons nie dat sy reeds stadiger gery het en na die oop erf aan die kant beweeg het nie! Waarlik, danksy die skielike gedagte wat God haar gegee het, en al was die winkel toe en kon sy geen tofu koop nie, bly ons vir altyd dankbaar dat haar lewe gespaar is. In plaas van die belydenis van Ebenhaeser: "Tot hiertoe het die Here ons gehelp!", het daardie plek ons eie heilige plek geword waar ons, wanneer ons verbyry, bely: "Hier het die Here ons gehelp!"
Daarom loof ek God die Heilige Gees wat goeie gedagtes in ons harte lê. Maar daar is ook die duiwel wat slegte gedagtes in die mens se hart inblaas. Net voor die Paasfees (Joh. 13:1) het Jesus geweet dat sy uur gekom het om uit hierdie wêreld oor te gaan na die Vader; en omdat Hy sy eie mense wat in die wêreld was, liefgehad het, het Hy hulle tot die einde toe volkome liefgehad. In daardie pragtige oomblik teken die Skrif egter aan dat die duiwel dit reeds in die hart van Judas Iskariot, die seun van Simon, gegee het om Hom te verraai (Joh. 13:2). Gelukkig is ons harte nie 'n betwisde slagveld tussen die Heilige Gees en bose geeste nie, maar 'n heerskappy wat deur die Here regeer word. "En die Trooster, die Heilige Gees, wat die Vader in my Naam sal stuur, Hy sal julle alles leer en sal julle herinner aan alles wat Ek vir julle gesê het" (Joh. 14:26). Die Heilige Gees is die Een wat ons nie net aan die Here se leringe herinner nie, maar ook wysheid gee vir die alledaagse lewe, sowel as uitkoms en wysheid in tye van nood.