世俗的工作和屬靈的恩賜

你在職場中的強項是什麼？換句話說，你貢獻給公司或是組織的才幹、能力和經驗是什麼？

有時候我們稱這些才幹、能力和經驗為「天份」，用來評斷某些人特別在某方面有特別的能力，例如:領導天份、行政天份、行銷天份、處理經濟的天份、投資的天份、建立團隊的天份、溝通的天份，和其他在職場上成功必要的能力。

想一想我們自己的人格特質，通常我們把能賺得很高的薪資、升職、獲得專業的認可、擁有許多個人的成就，視為自己的成功。但我們是否想過也許這樣特殊的天份，並非單單為了自己的好處也是為了要造就別人？

最近在聊天當中，一個朋友告訴我這個想法。身為一個作家和編輯，我很享受在自己的工作上：和文字共舞、意見的交流、發現重要的觀念和原則，在當中我得到很大的樂趣和滿足。但如果我無法用文字將這些觀念和他人共享或是獲得重視，那我就是在浪費時間。

幾年之前，我聽到一位男士背的一首詩：「鈴鐺不是鈴，如果它不響；歌也不是歌，如果沒人唱。愛不往心裡藏，若是你不往外放，愛就不是愛。」

同樣的，我們或許要說，個人的天份不是真正的天份，直到它們被用來造就人。因為不管這個天份為我們帶來多少成功，最終都是要用它去服務我們的公司、顧客、股東和其他的人。

在聖經裡面，我們發現關於屬靈天份(恩賜)的討論，例如傳福音、信心、智慧、醫治、教導他人，每一樣都是為了使人得好處。「聖靈顯在各人身上，是叫人得益處。」（哥林多前書12章7節）這段聖經的後續經文，是繼續比較這些個別的天份和身體的其他部分，它們都不能單獨地運作，而是要跟其他的部分聯合。

「若全身是眼，從哪裏聽聲呢？若全身是耳，從哪裏聞味呢？但如今，　神隨自己的意思把肢體俱各安排在身上了。若都是一個肢體，身子在哪裏呢？」（哥林多前書12章17-19節）

有時候我們會傾向於為特別的天份和能力感到驕傲。然而，絕對不能忘記自己的成功也是因為別人的支持!對別人我也應當心存感激，就像我們也希望他們感激我們一樣。「我們俊美的肢體，自然用不著裝飾；但　神配搭這身子，把加倍的體面給那有缺欠的肢體， 免得身上分門別類，總要肢體彼此相顧。」（哥林多前書12章24-25節）

勞勃．泰默西是領袖資產協會的傳播部副部長，這是一個總部在美國喬治亞州亞特蘭大的非營利組織。他也是一個有40年經驗的退休新聞工作者。他寫過一本書「最佳狀態的商業：箴言給今日職場的歷久彌新智慧」（Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today”s Workplace）。他也與David A. Stoddard合著一本書「導師之心」（The Heart of Mentoring）。最近他還編輯Gary Highfield所寫的書「當『想要』變成『必須』！」要了解更多資訊, 可上網www.leaderslegacy.com 或上他的部落格www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com以及www.bobtamasy.wordpress.com 。

Sometimes we refer to these as “gifts,” and might comment that someone is particularly “gifted” in certain areas, such as leadership, administration, marketing, handling finances, investing, team building, communicating, and many other functions necessary for success in the marketplace.

In considering our own traits, we often view them in terms of our own success – being able to earn a desired pay raise, meriting a promotion, receiving professional recognition, or achieving many other personal goals. But how often have you thought that perhaps your unique gifts are not primarily for your benefit, but for others?

A friend pointed this out during a recent conversation. Being a writer and editor, I enjoy my craft – working with words to communicate ideas, concepts and principles I have found to be important and meaningful. I receive a measure of pleasure and satisfaction from the work I do. But ultimately, if what I have to convey through the written word is not shared with others, or found by them to be of value, in reality I am wasting my time.

Years ago I heard a man recite a brief poem that made a lot of sense: “A bell is not a bell until it is rung; a song is not a song until it is sung; now love was not given in your heart to stay – for love is not love until you give it away.”

In a similar manner, we might say a personal gift we possess is not truly a “gift” until we give it away for the benefit of others. We might derive some results from the use of our gifts, but ultimately we have them to serve our companies, our clients and customers, shareholders and others.

In the Bible we find a discussion of “spiritual gifts,” traits such as evangelism, faith, wisdom, healing, teaching and others. Each is given “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). The passage then proceeds to compare these separate gifts with the individual parts of the human body, noting they are not intended to function independently but rather in concert with other organs.

“If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be…. As it is, there are many parts, but one body” (1 Corinthians 12:17-19).

We are sometimes tempted to take special pride in our distinctive talents and abilities. We must never forget, however, our success depends on the support of others with different capabilities. And we are urged to appreciate the contributions of others, just as we would hope they recognize our own. “But God has combined the members of the body…so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other” (1 Corinthians 12:24-25).

Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. He has written Tufting Legacies (iUniverse); Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today”s Workplace (River City Press); coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring (NavPress), and most recently edited When “Want To” Becomes “Have To!” by Gary Highfield. For more information, see www.leaderslegacy.com or his blogs, www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com and www.bobtamasy.wordpress.com.